The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-05-19
GOVERNOR TRAMMELL
MAKES A STATEMENT
Regarding his Order to
Sheriff of St. Johns
County.

IoVefHOf fafK lrammell was call
ed to Washington Saturday night on
important public business but before
leaving gave out the following state
ment on the situation arising in st.
Augustine recently from complaints
made to the governor regarding the
teaching of negro schools by white
teachers in violation of the law and
the refusal of those continuing to
teach the school to stop such practice
when called upon to do so. The gov
crnor deemed the statement necessary
because of some press dispatches sent
out from st. Augustine somewhat
misleading in their wording.
The governors statement follows:
"In the month of March of this
year complaint was received at the
governors office signed by six names,
the first paragraph of which COM
plant was as follows:
we the undersigned citizens of St.
Augustine and the state of Florida
appeal to you as our governor, pledg-
ed to enforce the laws of the state rel
ative to enforcing the law pertaining
to white persons teaching negroes in
this state
"Then followed what the petitioners
had to say relative to the facts.
Following the same course l pur-
sue in all similar complaints l for
warded this complaint to the sheriff OF
st. Johns county, with the request
that he "kindly investigate this COM
plaint and give the same proper at,
tention.'
March Goth, l received from Sher-
iff Perry of st. Johns county, a re-
port. The substance of the sheriff.
report was embodied in the following
language:
"The facts are, white persons have
the direction of this school; it is at
tended solely by members of the ne
gro race; it is private school and
those in charge contend that they are
within the law.
81 am advised that an act was pass
ed in 1918, Chapter 649O, prohibiting
white teachers teaching negro chill
dren in negro schools. This is a
school operated by the Roman Cath
olic church and is not negro school
but a private school where negro chill
dren are taught by the Sisters of st.
Joseph, who are white teachers
"The sheriff concluded his report
in the following language:
4 advise you of these facts, fol-
lowing my investigation, and | ask
that you advise and direct me what
course to take Immediately
"After getting the report from the
sheriff and having before me the facts
as reported by him, | replied to him
on April 4th, and, after reviewing the
shelifi's report, concluded in the fol
lowing language:
"'The facts set forth in your let
ter show the school in question to be
a negro school operated by the Ro-
man Catholic church and taught by
white teachers.
"'Section / of chapter 6i90 Of the
laws Of Florida, acts Of 1913 pro-
vides as follows:
"'Scction 1. From and after the
passage of this act it shall be unlaw-
ful in this state for white teachers
to teach negroes in negro schools, and
for negroes to teach in white schools,
"It appears from the facts as you
state them, that the school in question
ie being conducted in violation of the
said chapter G49O. The application Of
the law is not restricted to public
schools, but applies as well to private
schools and was intended to prevent
white teachers from teaching negroes
in all negro schools
Answering your request that |
let you know as to what step you
should take in this matter, | beg to
advise that you proceed as in other
cases of law violation"
Yours very truly,
apApL( Tp 1TaTET