The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-10
WRITES AGAINST
SEGREGATION LAW
Colored Man Tells Why His Peo-
pie Are Opposed to Wonder
lehr Ordinance.

The letter printed Below was sent to
The Times Dispatch yesterday by a
colored man. who presents his views
in opposition to the segregation ordi-
nance now before the City Council. In
Justice to the respcctabie and law
his Letter is published in full:
To the Editor of, The Times dispatch.
Sir,--So much has appeared In the
| GaliN papers In advocacy of the Won
derielir scsrega ton ordinance that !
be considered out Of place.
his ordinance is as much against
me pest interests of the white people
teTests are certainly the welfare and
prosperity of our beloved city
IN the first place, 1t is entirely un-
he gained is being accomplished by
good Will and our general regard for
the feelings OF the white people Of this
com The most ardent cham
pion OF this measure can hardly pOint
20 an instance where cOiored persons
nave sandwichcd themselves in be-
I've white persons and as far as 500
majority Oh all OF the residents were
colored. All advancement or encroach-
ment has been along normal lines ana
from dire necessity.
If colorcd people buy property at all
they must buy II of white people. Col
ored persons, generally. have only their
MONIES. and do not wish to sell them
Nineteenth was one Of the best resi-
Dental streets. ana II does not require
stretch OF the memory to see Gov
crnor street and also Twelfth and
Eleventh, at Broad. Marshall ana Clay
as the elite residential section. Frank
IN and Fourteenth streets held the
1enerson Hotel OF former days. Many
OF the houses In these localities remain
as In their PALMER days, but the peo-
PIE have gone elsewhere, and the peo-
PIE. not the houses. make neighbor-
The streets which the colored people
ere coming into are those which, re-
gnrdless Of the negro, have been grad
nally deserted for better localities by
white people formerly living there.
II colorcd man buys a house for
$4,000 in the 200 block in East Clay
street. 1t Is hardly likely that. the wnite
throw It in the river or burn 1t. It Is
more likely that, as has been done, he
Will so out into Lee District or some
other more desirable section and put
up new house along modern lines
for $1,000 to $4,000
The result is. the city has two houses
in the place Of one. it receives taxes
on $4,000 to $4,000 in real estate, in
stead of $4,000 Between $4,000 ana
$1,000 has been distributed to me-
c cha, s, and dealers in building mate
been snent among the merchants. and
finally finds its way back to the bank.
after having benefited in some degree
and corner grocer to the scientific ar.
chitect and large railway. All OF this
9encfit accrues because some thrifty
colored man has saved enough OF the
money earned by the sweat Of his brow
TO buy this older house, deserted for
the new.
When Just 100 colored men have
done this same thing, they will have
caused between $4,000 TO Sl00000o
10 be added to the real estate values
OF Richmond. and must leave it to q
matheina tic;an far better than myself
10 calculate the material benefit to tho
people of this city.
Mark YOU, our colored people have
only IN uniform way filing, or near
y flllins: one block before entering
the adjoining one. Hence. from an
TO ask, Is IL wise that all Of this pro-
sress be stopped and colorcd people
he denied (Which the ordinance pIac
property and increase the citys wealth
because some or the white men in the
border district have neither tho spirit
nor inclination to sell at good prices
Yet they do not wish 10 allow to other
owners, SO desiring, the privilege OF
selling Lin, to such persons as will buy
dinance Is to the health conditions Of
our city is shown by existing facts.
The colored people are sickenngly
crowded in the space they occupy,
some parts of which arc without sew
ets. water or light
There is hardly an alley in What Is
known as old Jackson Ward, which
has not been dignified into so-callei
street. By the erection of houses. and
rented al good prices. to coored per-
sons unable to fina quarters elsewhere.
a certain area equivalent to two city
blocks has by actual count three
houses more than the City Directory
shows OH the south side OF Franklin
Street from Seventh 10 Shafer It Il
SD cut IN that the rear OF one lot is a
the beginning OF another. II Is not
provided with sewers. and dry or box
toilets on one lot arc less than ten
feet from ncighhors front door.
feel quito sure that less than mtg feet
Is the average distance Of these out
houses from the sleeping rooms OF per
sons confined to this locality This
area is less than eight blocks from
4 Ct~ ~, - Nv