The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-11-09
SOCIAL EQUALITY FOR TEN
NESSEE
Negroes to Ride with White Men
White Ladies Not Excused the Same
Privilege.
-O--
The BIZ Passed The Vote.

d Dill 10 lUHlCV p6ndtIl6S upon common car
riers and their agents for violations Of law
by making unjust and Illegal distinctions
based on color. race and previous eondi-
ton.
SEC BE at enacted 6y the General As
sembH Of Tennessee, That no distinction
shall be made by common carriers in this
State, either by railroad, turnpike or other
corporations, or private parties who are
common carriers, in regard to the color, race
or previous condition Of any person or per
sons asking at the hands of said common
carriers conveyance or any other service
! commonly rendered by them.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That for
each and every violation Of this act by any
common carrier exercising the privileges
that attach to said calling within the State
of Tennessee, there shall be imposed upon
said common carrier so offending a fine OF
one hundred dollars, to be paid to the per-
son against whom said discrimination may
be made.
Sec 3 Be it further enacted, That any
conductor or any other employee of said
common carriers who may so distinguish
between persons so desiring the services of
said common carriers, on account Of race
color or previous condition, shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor,. and on conviction
thereof shall be fined IN the sum Of not less
than ten dollars nor more than fifty dollars
to be paid into the treasury of the State of
Tennessee, for the use OF the common schools
of the State, and imprisoned in the Jail of
the county where the indictment is found
not exceeding thirty days, at the discretion
of the court
Sec 4 Be it further enacted, That all
laws Of the State in any manner conflicting
with the provisions of this act, in so far as
they do conflict, be and the same are hereby
repealed
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, That this
act shall take effect from and after its pas
sage.
The BILL after passing its first reading in
the Senate, was referred to the Committee
on interpretations, which recommended its
passage with the following amendment:
Provided, that nothing in this act shall
be so construed as to forbid said common
carriers setting apart as heretofore, special
accomm OdatiOns for ladies"
This amendment was adopted on the
second reading of the bill without divis-
ion, and upon taken up the bill on third and
last reading.
Mr.. Lyle moved to refer the bill to the
Judiciary Committee.
Mr.. Smith, of Memphis, objected to the
reference. He regretted that this amend
ment was adopted. He opposed any exclu-
siyeness. He had observed the practical
was unjust and unequal. He desired to see
no distinction, The person who purchases
| a frst-class ticket was entitled to first class
| accommodations without regard to color.
! MIR. Garner, as Chairman Of the Commit
| tee on Interpretations, felt called upon to
| defend the report and amendment The
amendment, he said, was not designed to
make distinction on account Of color
| Railroads had been In the habit of setting
= I II
of the amendment was not to exclude cOlOred
ladies from these special cars. He thought
the amendment was entirely proper.
Mr.. Aldridge concurred in the views of
| MIR Garner The custom Of setting aside
special accommodations for ladies had been
practiced in the North He believed that
ladies should be respected and their comfort
consulted The amendment did not texclude
colored ladies from the ladies' car.
My Lyle spoke as follows:
Mr.. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Sen
ate The bill under consideration am op-
posed to.
First. In my opinion there should be no
law passed having for its object the reg
ulatiOn of society. Society viii regulate
itself much sooner by letting it alone.
Second Should the bill become a law,
under its provisions the conductor Of rail-
road car can designate box for ladies', and
you, Mr.. Speaker, would go with your lady
into that car. A man of color and his wife
would claim the same privilege; the con
I ductor could not object; hence in nine
cases out of ten, difficulties would arise
which would be traced alone to the passage
of this bill. It is already a law Of the United
States that no difference shall be made on
account of race, color, or former condition
Then, in the name Of common sense let us
cease to dabble In making laws looking to
the regulation of society For my part,
shall vote against the bill upon these con
sideratIOns.
Mr. Carey said he did not desire to 90
into a general discussion of the bill, but op
posed the amendment IF the amendment
was retained, it would defeat the very OBJ
iect sought to be accomplished by the bill
The amendment provides that special accom-
modations may be set apart g as heretofore.
The railroads had heretofore excluded, IN
Justly, colored citizens from the privileges
for which they had paid their money. The
same practice would be continued under thi;
7 amendment, and the object Of the bill de
feateG
Mr Smith repeated his previous argu
ment against the amendment He was sat
e isfed the bill would amount to nothing, If i
t was retained
! Mr.. Nelson hoped the bin would not pass
either with or without the amendment
! Railroad companies had vested rights unde
their charters, and this Legislature coulC
e not infringe those rights without it is shown
that they had forfeited those rights by
violation of their charters. He thought the
J. bill was uncon ztitutional, and hoped
j would not pass.
E Mr.. Frierson said that he hoped the bil
would not pass. He concurred in the view
submitted by Mr. Lyle and Mr.. Nelson
S The sooner we cease to leg;slate on the cor
a ditions Of society, the sooner society wi
= regulate itself
Mr. Carey again stated his objections {
? the amendment, and moved to recOnside
:, the vote by which the amendment wa
k adopted. The motion prevailed, and th
n amendment was then rejected by the follow
ing vote
Ayes-Messrs Fuson. Henderson, Keitl
Q Lyle, Nelson, Patterson and Wilson,.
4 Noes-Messrs Aldridge Carey, Eatol
FIisrson, Garner, Mathews, Mccall, No
2 man, Parker, Rogers, Smith, Wisener, ".
-e att and Speaker Senter-14