Page:Race distinctions in American Law (IA racedistinctions00stepiala).pdf/134

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entertainment or refreshment. The proprietor of a theatre or other public place of amusement was not obliged to receive into his show, or admit into the place where he was pursuing his occupation, any person whose presence there would be offensive to the major part of his spectators or patrons, and thereby injure his business. Any carrier of passengers might make such arrangements in his business as would, if necessary, assign a particular place in his cars, carriages, or boats, to such of his customers as he might choose to place there, and whose presence elsewhere would be offensive to the major part of the traveling public, where his business was conducted; but the accommodations must be equal if the same price for carriage was required of all. This is still the law in Delaware. Taken in connection with the joint resolution above, there is little doubt that the legislature intended to make possible the drawing of a color line, though it did not expressly say so. It is noteworthy that, during the stormy years of Reconstruction, some case testing its constitutionality did not arise. Only one other State has had a statute anything like the Delaware law, and that is Tennessee, which statute and, with it, apparently the only case involving the constitutionality of the law that has reached the courts will be discussed later.

A Kansas[19] statute of April 25, 1874, which is still law, provided that there should be no distinction on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude in any State university, college, or other school of public instruction, or in any licensed inn, hotel, boarding house, or any place of public entertainment or amusement, or any steamboat, railroad, stage coach, omnibus, street car, or any other