In Holy Horror
February 22, 1896
Summary
The Richmond Star is causing a scandal after a white woman danced with a black man.
Transcription
It is alleged that at a "cake walk" given at the New Odd Fellows Hall in this city by the colored hotel employees of The Jefferson, some of the white female servants were present and one of them waltzed with a colored waiter.
The Richmond Star becomes much wrought up, and in its issue of the 17th inst. uses some very plain language declaring that by such actions these white servants were "outraging the most cherished proprieties of the good conduct on the part of southern women."
It invites the attention of the city authorities to the affair and we are at loss to understand under what section of the law they could act so long as the offense alleged is no greater than that which took place.
The Star proceeds to read the riot act and declares that such conduct as the presence of white female servants with colored male ones is not to be tolerated for an instant.
We are at a loss to know what can be done about it. No one forced these white ladies to go there or insisted up on their remaining after they reached their destination.
This is an alleged free country and each and every one is left to pursue the even tenor of her way so long as she violates none of the laws of the commonwealth. Those of propriety rest within the confines of the human breast and are construed to the liking of the possessor.
But is the Star in earnest in its crusade? Does it mean that it is ready and willing to lead the fight against social equality as construed and practiced in the Southland? Will it be consistent?
If so, let it wage a war upon those white men who cohabit with colored women, who eat, sleep and drink with their dusky sweet-hearts. Let it cry aloud and spare not.
Let it take up the cudgel and call for an accounting on the part of young white men who come from the arms of the scum of our race and are entertained and feasted in the homes of the virtuous womanhood of the white race.
We are opposed ourselves to the mixing. We have no desire for a fair damsel of the other race and only regret that owing to the white man's immorality and brutishness our people have become so intermingled that on the question of color it is difficult to tell 'tother from which.'
We would remind our contemporary that white prostitutes are more careful of the color of the greenback than they are of the lover and that any attempt to disguise this truth can be foiled by visits made within a stone’s throw of its office.
We regret that this is so. We desire to retain our social identity and are opposed to the race bleaching process which the friends of our contemporary keep steadily in operation. Let us propose an expedient.
Let the legislature of Virginia pass an act making it a felony, punishable by confinement in the penitentiary for a term not less than one nor more than five years, for any colored person guilty of cohabitating with a person of the white race or any white person cohabitating with a person of the colored race. Some of our friends think that such a law would depopulate certain prosperous portions of this and other communities, while others are of the opinion that the exodus of white men from the State to escape the rigors of the law would leave the colored men in possession.
Be that as it may, the experiment is worth trying and we are satisfied that the fair ladies of the State would be forward in its support.
The Richmond Star becomes much wrought up, and in its issue of the 17th inst. uses some very plain language declaring that by such actions these white servants were "outraging the most cherished proprieties of the good conduct on the part of southern women."
It invites the attention of the city authorities to the affair and we are at loss to understand under what section of the law they could act so long as the offense alleged is no greater than that which took place.
The Star proceeds to read the riot act and declares that such conduct as the presence of white female servants with colored male ones is not to be tolerated for an instant.
We are at a loss to know what can be done about it. No one forced these white ladies to go there or insisted up on their remaining after they reached their destination.
This is an alleged free country and each and every one is left to pursue the even tenor of her way so long as she violates none of the laws of the commonwealth. Those of propriety rest within the confines of the human breast and are construed to the liking of the possessor.
But is the Star in earnest in its crusade? Does it mean that it is ready and willing to lead the fight against social equality as construed and practiced in the Southland? Will it be consistent?
If so, let it wage a war upon those white men who cohabit with colored women, who eat, sleep and drink with their dusky sweet-hearts. Let it cry aloud and spare not.
Let it take up the cudgel and call for an accounting on the part of young white men who come from the arms of the scum of our race and are entertained and feasted in the homes of the virtuous womanhood of the white race.
We are opposed ourselves to the mixing. We have no desire for a fair damsel of the other race and only regret that owing to the white man's immorality and brutishness our people have become so intermingled that on the question of color it is difficult to tell 'tother from which.'
We would remind our contemporary that white prostitutes are more careful of the color of the greenback than they are of the lover and that any attempt to disguise this truth can be foiled by visits made within a stone’s throw of its office.
We regret that this is so. We desire to retain our social identity and are opposed to the race bleaching process which the friends of our contemporary keep steadily in operation. Let us propose an expedient.
Let the legislature of Virginia pass an act making it a felony, punishable by confinement in the penitentiary for a term not less than one nor more than five years, for any colored person guilty of cohabitating with a person of the white race or any white person cohabitating with a person of the colored race. Some of our friends think that such a law would depopulate certain prosperous portions of this and other communities, while others are of the opinion that the exodus of white men from the State to escape the rigors of the law would leave the colored men in possession.
Be that as it may, the experiment is worth trying and we are satisfied that the fair ladies of the State would be forward in its support.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Liam Eynan
Citation
“In Holy Horror,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed May 17, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1778.