Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1920 — NEW ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION [ARTICLE]

NEW ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION

■ ' I Gives Right of of Blacks' and WhitesThe new Illinois constitution —as now tentatively agreed upon—specifically guarantees the privilege -of intermarriage of the blacks and whites, ft proclaims as valid in this state the miscegenation of races. ' Under this basic law, If adopted, a colored mian and woman will be entitled to buy vacant seats of a grand opera box otherwise occupied by whites. A Mongolian —if a citizen—and a mesochromic bride cannot be denied a vacant flat in the most “exclusive” apartment building. A law prohibiting the Japanese, as in California, from owning land, will be illegal. Two colored people may take two of the four seats in the Blackstone restaurant beside the wives of' two packers. In a word, the new constitution says that "no citizen shall be prohibited from doing anything that any other citizen may do” because of race of color. It was the proposal of the able colored lawyer, Edward Morris, who Is a member of the constitutional convention. It was’ agreed upon during the newsy days surrounding the national convention and escaped the notice of public generally. A member of the convention , said yesterday that it Is as broad and comprehensive as It can be made. He claimed that this sentence In the constitution will prevent the legislature from prohibiting in any way the colored citizen from getting all the rights and privileges accorded to other citizens. According to this constitutional delegate and lawyer the new constitu-. tlon, as now worded, will prevent segregation bf the negroes, Jlm-crow cars, or special schools for the colored.— Chicago Tribune (Rep.).