The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1913-07-11
THE FINISH OF
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

Il
The pr prsctical nullification of the f,..
slersl Civil Rights Act of 1870, 10y de-
cision of the United States snpreme Court
suggests O. the Charleston NEw- .Si
CorRIFR that the folly Of underts
king Ia sscnr- social equality Ia the N,p'
10 by law" has lseen made clear To thu
satisfaction even of the North. MOI
is il to he wondered st. thls psIer add-.
tnat laws 'enacted in heat and bitter
ness" should produce unexpected results
and il finds an anamslous deyelopem~nI
in the fact that the Fourthtr~nth Amend
ment, designed a. protect the Negr".
should Of all amendments have bss'oms
the prop and bulwark Of salvation Oi
the vested int.rests of America. TN the
other hand il 10 the veiw of the New York
WORLD that to-day the Negro has really
more rights than lit Was attempted to So
cure for him by act to Congrr-s after th'
Civil War. lie has won these rights
for himself Tux WORLD says, with the
assi.tsnce of time, for I'm such difficult
matters custom slowly and painfully
| finds solutions that written statues fail to
provide. Ia the Civil Rights Act. ""
are reminded 10y press reports that Cha-.
sumner sought Ito crown the achieve
ment Of the F"urteenth Amendment 10y
Federal legislation making il "A criminal
ofense To discriminate against Negroe-
in hotels, theatres, public eating places
and railroad carriages. According Ia the
Fourtrenth Amendment. mo STATE shall
make or inforce any law which shall al'
ridge the priy-legs~ and immunitis~ "i
citizens of the United States, AMI with
this provision the attsmpt wa- made ."
enforce social equality between the raes-.
But the amendment dill not work "a
pectrd, the Springfield REPU BiIcAS say
for the r~sson that
Its prohibition was dir,sts~l against ths
States in their legislation, whereas -
carried no guaranty against fniringr
uent oi citizens civil right 10y fellow
citizens. The Federal Act of 1870 thur
broke down when the attempt MAS nnasl.'
u enforce it against hotel ke~pers, thea
tire managers and railroad companies ii'
the SEVERAL ~tat-s".
The case just dscidesi, THK RErUBiIcA>
CONTINUES. pnts the Surreun' Court on r.
cord m DECLARING the Civil Rights AL
null and void on the -es, the Navigsbls
waters Of the United Stats- and the TrT
ritOrles" and the decision "-eeTns sOuns
law. The facts 81 the ca-e are thus re-
cited: Mary r. Butts. a y egre-s bought
first-class ticket on the Merchant-' am
Miners TransportariOn line from Boston
On hertrip "a Norfolk and return she wa
denied the Same sleeping and eating ~
cOnodations as we're furnished Whit 49,
pie snd she brought suit for s6sD dana
ss- under the Civil Right Act. The K1
rrHIIcAS believes the dsri-ion againsi
her "a tesound Law in that there are ~
guarantees Of personal liberty or equalit,
T. cover such complaint A. that mail
by the plaintiff outside Of tlse Fonrtrentl
Amendment 81 whose curious working
IL says
The Fourteenth Amendment was pri
msrily intended for thu protection of th'
eOlored raee just ont of slavery. The on
ly clause in IL that has vitality afierte,
the country i- one that says that No Stat
shall deprive any persOn Of life, liiert,
or property without due process OF Law
That has leen a goI-rDd ~ corporation
in our time against legislation deen1e-i ~
the courts condrstory in character Th'
Workmens Compensation Act Of New
York wss declared null and void l'ecsu-.
Of the Fourteenth Amendment, and th,
railroads which have won rerently in th'
Uoited STATE supreme Court against tll'
rate decree 81 the stste Railroad Com
mi--ioner- have thIt -sme 'doe-yrocs--
clansr o, the Fourteenth Amendment =
thank. The Negro gst- nothing. Her,
l. one 81 the trasestis- Of constitutions
history"
Literary Digsr