The Denver star., 1915-05-01

Story Of How the Color Line Operates
Against Our countrymsn-RsIatsd to
Group Of Warriors Who Fought For
Nations Honor.
| By RALPH W. TYLER.
In giving his views on race prejudice
as practiced against the colored people
in the United States Ralph W. Tyler,
former auditor for the navy depart
ment at Washington, says: .
My father served three years in the
Union army. from 1861 to 1864, to the
close of the civil war My maternal
grandfather fought under General Tay-
lor in 1S47. A paternal great-grand-
uncle manned one Of Perry's guns on
Lake Erie in 1912. My paternal great
great-grandfather fought in tho war
Of the Revolution. suffered the priva-
tions. stood the bitter cold, with
brother of mine served in the fever
infested Philippines under the United
States flag as soldier during the
| Spanish-American war.
That is line Of patriots who offer
ed their lives In defense of and for
their country which must provoke
pride in the breasts OF their kinsmen
now living. stood one evening on
Feb. %, Washington's birthday, in
front Of celebrated playhouse in
Washington, the city these ancestors
and their progeny offered their lives
to establish, protect and preserve till
81 - th1 ftvn
American roll up in his automobile
and enter this playhouse. l saw the
unnaturalized Teuton pass in; saw the
Roman and the Russian pass through
| its doors; saw the newly arrived
Greek, yesterdays immigrant from
Italy. the almond eyed son of the ori-
ent; the mikado's subject-saw all
these who are thrown into Americas
melting pot and for whom l bold only
the kindliest sentiments freely enter
the electric illumined lobby Of this
playhouse and pass through its doors,
for all Of whom was shown the in
visible but none the less cordial sign
Welcome"
Then I turned away. with sigh.
and sadly soliloquized. .'All these have
the unrestricted rights Of an American
citizen. but what am l and who am l
to whom these doors are closed and
this privilege is denied?" Slowly. de-
jectedly, walked west on Pennsyl-
vania avenue to Fourteenth street.
thence north on Fourteenth. AS
passed a famous hotel i stopped. stood
in the cold on the sidewalk and gazed
down into the luxuriantly furnished,
brilliantly illumined dining room with
its crush Of splendidly appareIed
guests. out from which hOated. like
mockery to me. the sweet. inspiring
strains Of America"
At one table saw the plethoric
pursed Jewish merchant who came to
this country in 1881 At another ia
BILE sat two Japanese who were visit
ing this country. One other table was
occupied by son of sunny Italy and
his lady sampling their native wine.
Just opposite them and unmindful of
the presence of any Of these sat some
| OF Americas native born Caucasians
despoiling a deliciously cooked supper.
| At a table to the left of them sat the
successful proprietor of shoe shining
parlor who halls. from the country
which gave Miltiades to the world.
I stood there in the cold on the side
walk and gazed down in upon that as
semblage, foreign born and native
born, naturaized and unnaturalized,
and then, as before, turned away
sadly and wended my way onward, all
the while soliloquizing. putting to my
self the unanswered question, But
| what am / and who am l to whom
| these doors are closed and this priv
| ilege Is denied?"
| A few days later l had occasion to
make trip across the line my father
| fought three years to obliterate-that
| line below which my grandfather
marched in 1s47 to offer his body as a
human target for the bullets from Mex
ican guns; that line below which a
great-grandfather had carried the
heavy fintlock of an American soldier
under Washington.
At the ticket office just ahead Of me
| Greek. an Italian and several Amer
leans laid down the crisp gold and sill
| yer promlssory notes of this govern
ment and in exchange received tickets
for sleeping car berths. No question
| was asked Of any.
When l applied for berth there was
none for me. Strict construction Of a
law enacted by legislators whose serv-
ices my ancestors and their progeny
helped to make possible segregated me
in partitioned or end Of a day coach.
there to sit up in a straight back seat
the long night through because and
only because my skin wore the clouded
livery of the FURNISHED sun. Again, for
| A,,rv ,nd