The Washington bee., 1911-01-07
ARE THEY GRATEFUL? Public Men A0dTbinDs
(By the Sage of the Potomac.)

1t is rather puzzling to me that the
! high-brows and elective franchise
! whoopers who look with disdain upon
! industrial education as an acquire
ment that fosters servility should at
tend theaters that restrict colOred pat
rOns to the peanut gallery. Now the
theater IS really and truly luxury,
and there is no excuse for a man ac-
CeptiHg segregation, and by accept
ing in effect approve and commend it,
in luxuries he can well do without.
Even some of those who sing in
chorus with Prof. Dubois against SER
vflitsg kegr"g gat.on stad industrial eju-
cation; and who, with him, play the
trombone and beat the anvil to drown
out the man who has the temerity to
suggest that we accept conditions and
make the most of them, will file into
the peanut gallery of the New Ma
tional and apparently feel delighted
over the fact that they are so near
the roof | was down to see the Fol
lies of 1910 Tuesday night, and with
the rest of the slaves sat in the pea
nut gallery. When [ looked around
l observed a few died-in-the-wool vo-
clferous contenders for equality look
ing supremely happy. over the fact that
they could even get in the top gallery,
and over on the side labeled For
Dogs and Niggers" | sat not many
seats from Prof strenuous
Craig, who seemed just as happy as I
was feeling | know | had no bus
mess there. No self-respecting coll
ored man or woman had a right to be
Il I %f,o
once remarked that "the niggers are
satisfied to get in the gallery, the
best of them" We ought to all,
every one of us who pays for luxu-
res that carry restrictions because of
color, be kicked for going meekly,
like galley slaves, Ito the pig pen up
in the gallery. | kick myself because
] have not enough manhood to with
stand the temptation. ! too have ex-
plOded lot of times at Bethel, and on
the street corners, about demanding
this and that because we are as good
as any, and yet l go, like a dam
phibious (phibious is a superfluous
afflx) TOOL that | am, up in the gal
lery of theaters that restrict Us to
the gallery simply because they don't
want us any place IN the house. But
| am going to turn over new leaf
this year, and swear off being driven
like a galley slave into filthy CALLER
les reserved for dogs and niggers"
What's the sense and profit of enjoy
ing luxuries at the expense of decent
manhood?
Speaking about turning over a new
IF I
mark, soto vOce. that if all the fell
lows whom l know, and who swore
off drinking intOxiCants during this
year stick TO their vow there will be
a few assignments among the saloon
keepers up on Fourteenth street, and
Lou Costly, Gaskins and Jim Gray
will have to turn their places into
motion picture shows Most of the
New Year swear-offs are like phony
dlamonds-they won't last Just as
soon as these swear-offs pass a sign
reading Cascade whisky for palpita- ]
ton of the heart" or Holland gin for
six-day-go-as-yor- please kidneys" or
"Pabst beer for that tired feeling,
there will be {, rush for thirst parlor
that will make a bargain day at q (
5 and 10 ONT store look like the rainy
season ,Feriod in the Philippines The
proprietor of a thirst parlor once
tQIG me that he always laid in a heav-
~ stock of goods having founda-
ton of 65 per cent alcohol for New
Years week than for any other pc
Rod in he year When I asked him
why he did, when trade is presumed
to fall off, due to swear-offs, after
New Years, he said: why, the fei-
lows who swear off on New Years |
day always come in the day before
and drink enough to last an ordinary
man six months, and then the day
after they will sneak in and buy It by
the flask You see in This way | sell