Richmond planet., 1907-05-25

SdW NAlo SArAs ..
COLOR LINE IN THE PUBLIC IL
BRARY.
4 story significant OF the grow
ing separation of the races is told
about the public library at Atlanta,
which no Negro is permitted 10 en-
ter. Carnegie gave the money for
building IT, and when the question
came up as TO the support of IL by
the city, the inevitable color ques-
arose. leading Negroes asserted
that their people should be allowed
admittance. that they needed suca
an educational advantage even more
than white people, and that they
were to be taxed their share-even
though Il was small-for buying the
books and maintaining the building.
They did not win their point. OF
course, but Mr.. Carnegie proposed
a solution OF the dificulty by Offering
more money 20 build a Negro branch
library. provided the city would give
the land and provide for its support.
The city said TO the Negroes: You
contribute the land and we will sup
port the library"
Influential Negroes at once ar
AAAtNA ANA nN AAAh anu AOAANA AAANaAAE
a site for the library. Then the
question OF control arose. The Ne
groes thought that inasmuch as they
gave the land and the building was
20 be used entirely for colored peO-
pie. they should have one or two
members on the board OF control.
This the city officials, who had charge
OF the matter, would not hear Of;
result, the Negroes would not give
the land, and the branch library has
never been built.
Right in this connection: while I
was In Atlanta, the Art School, which
in the past has often used Negro
models. decided TO draw the color
line there, too, and no longer en-
ploy them.
Formerly Negroes and white men
went TO the same saloons, and drank
at the same bars, as they do now,
am told, in some parts of the South.
In a few instances, in Atlanta, there
were Negro saloon-keepers, and ma
ny Negro bartenders. The first step
toward separation was 20 divide the
bar, the upper end for white men
the lower for Negroes. Finally, af-
ter the riot all Negro saloon-keeper
were thrown out of business, and by
the new requirement no saloon can
serve both white and colored men.
Consequently, going along Deca
tur Street, one sees the saloons des
ignated by conspicuous signs:
Whites Only"
"Colored Only"
And when the Negro suffers tn
ordinary consequences of a prolong
ed visit to Decatur Street, and find
himself in the city prison, he is sep
arated there, too, from the whites
And afterwards in court, If he come
to trial, two Bibles are provided; he
may take his oath on one; the other
is for the white man. Wren he dies
he is buried in separate cemetery
One curious and enlightening ex
ample of the infinite ramifcations
the color line was given me by Mr.
Logan, secretary of the Atlanta AS
sociated Charities, which is sup
ported by voluntary contributions.
One day after the riot. a subscribe
called Mr.. Logan on the telephone
and said:
do you help Negroes in your so
ciety?"
''why. yes. occasionally" said MT
Logan.
what do you do that for?''
"A Negro gets hungry and cold
like anybody else," answered Mr.
Logan.
well, you can strike my name
from your subscription list. / won't
give any OF my money to a society
that helps Negroes"
PSYCHOLOGY OF THE SOUTH.
Now. this sounds rather brutal
but behind ii lies the peculiar psy
chology of the South. This very
man who refused to contribute 10
the associated charities, may have
fed several Negroes from his Kitchen
and had a number OF Negro pen
sioners who came to him regularly
Tor help. 1t was simply amazing to
me, considering the bitterness OF ra.
ciai feeling, 10 see how lavish many
white families are in giving food
clothing and money to individual Ne.
groes. whom they know. II Is said
that the Southern housewife never
serves hash; certainly I haven't seen
80 TAR sign Of II since came down
hore. The adroit "made-ovor" dlsh.