The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-09-05
MAYOR JosT URGED TO VETO OR.
pINANcE WHICH is BOTH
VICIOUS AND ILLEGAL.
September 9, 1914.

the Mayor of the whole people, sim
eerely interested in seeing justice
done to even the minority, the Negro
Business League of Kansas City
wishes to protest against the recent
ordinance prohibiting the location of
Colored schools within a radius of
twenty-four (2,4O0) feet of any white
school, vice versa, and asks that you
veto it. The sponsors for this bill
are frank in admitting that its object
Is to prevent the use of the property
at Thirty-third street and Jackson
avenue for the schoo lof the Negro
Baptfsts of Missouri. So eager we're
they to attain this object that they
jammed the ordinance through the
council in one night, giving the
friends of the school no chance to
make objection, as might have been
done had it laid over in the usual
manner Therefore, do not view our
protest as a belated effort of indif-
ferent citizens, but as the only OPP
portunity we have to protest against
a monstrous wrong against social up
lift, which short-sighted persons seek
to sanctify.
The right to the use of ones prop
erty is so fundamental in our govern
ment that the supporters of this ordi-
nance must show that the proposed
school is a nuisance, a menace to So
ciety, for their measure to be justi-
fed; it is not enough that they deem
it undesirable, or that they feel it will
depreciate property. Your Magma
Charta is too dearly bought, too long
Tevered, to be swept aside now. The
Negroes of Kansas City and the Negro
Baptists of Missouri do not ask your
veto of this ordinance merely because
they believe it the eXaltation of preju-
dice to the plane upon which only
justice should stand, but they appeal
to your pride of race:
Do not think for moment tnat we
believe there will be any depreciation
of property because of this school. A
business institution in which men are
made, in which souls are uplifted to
God, cannot depreciate property! Its
value to the community measured in
money made, as well as in money
saved through the lessening of crime,
permits no such fallacious argument
to stand. Every school building main
tanned by this city for the education
of colored youth is an admission that
the ordinance is hypocrisy. If its sup
porters believe their own preferences,
based upon it's effects upon the imme-
date neighborhood should outweigh
the benefit to our city, then the city
is unwise to give up the greater good
for the lesser.
You may know how difficult 1t Is
for the Negro citizen to find home.
Prejudice and business combine to
force him into unsanitary houses and
undesirable locations. For a school,
this difficulty is many times greater
Therefore, when we, without expense
to the commonwealth, from our small
incomes as laborers and artisans, es
tablish a school such as this, emulat
ing the sacrifice of the founders OF the
schools in which your race takes
pride. it is a monstrous wrong to have
our rights of property in this schoo
limited or destroyed for any reason
The white peighbors can buy else
where, the Negro school cannot II
your decision, if you view it only a:
a money matter, do not overlook th'
tremendous sacrifice we have made.
If this were all, we would feel W.
had made a good case against the OF
dinance. But a graver side still re
mains to be shown. This ordinance
is the work of men who care nothint
for the consequences so long as thel
purposes are achieved. 1t is not con
ceiyed in a spirit of fairness. 1t i
the mailed fist, not the aspiration
the people for better men, eithe
white or black With Negro school
now three hundred (300) feet fron
white schools, both doing their goo
work unhampered, it is nonsense Z
say this one will be a nuisance a
two thousand (2,500) five hundre
feet (?). Therefore, if once this ol
dinance becomes law who can Sc
limit to the legislation which nat
will contrice? If you feel that 20
can overlook the effect of all such les
islation upon us, do so. Still yo
know from your own heart, and fror
history that overweening self-esteeI
when translated into law, Deget
weaknesses in government 1t is II
eyitable. Men scoff at their religlo
when~it is empty, and they will scor
their own laws when they fail to e.
press justice and equity. You, as tn
Mayor of this city, have a grave r.
sponsibility in this matter. and nc
merely for our sake, but in order tha
we both may hand down to our Chi
dren the law, the ark OF our safet.
more resplendent than when we r.
ceived it, we ask you to veto this o
dinance.
With the highest regard for yot
fairness, we beg to remain,
Yours for justice and fair play,
F. ]. WEAVER, Pres.
e. A. ROBINSON, Secy.,
NELSON G. CREWS,