The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-17
civil Rights in wheeling.

In the municipal court SATURDAY
morning, we'll behaved colored man,
a citizen OF Wheeling, was hued $40
and costs for insisting on his right TO
occupy q seat in one ofthe carriages Of
the Citizens Street Railway Company
OF this city, he having previously paid
his fare. We are informed that Judge
Good assigned as one oithe reasons for
Imposing the 6ne that q rule Of the
Company forbade cOlOred persons from
riding In their cars, and this man In Of
fering TO do 80 had violated that rule.
Itseems almost incredible that In this
day aud In this enlightened city any
such things as these should occur.
Companies chartered rs COM
mon carriers have no right TO make
any determinations IS TO whom they
will carry and whom not. Under the
constitution Of the United States black
man or woman IL Just Ms much
citizen as u white one and entitled 10
precisely the same rights ut the hands
Of public carriers. 1t Is too late 10
raise any question about this. Bigotry
and prejudice tried in nearly all the
cities to exclude black persons from
the street cars, but the courts In every
case gave them precisely the same rights
there as white people. Any railway
company which undertakes TO make
or enforce q rule by which any
decent person OF whatever color Is de-
MED the use Of Its public accommoda-
tons. violates Its charter and deserves
TO forfeit 1t. II the directors OF this
Company have such rule II Ia a shame
aud disgrace. It cannot be that they
exclude negroes on the ground OF
lndecency, for they carry drunk.
en and dirty, obscene and disaRreea-
Bile white men, whom any fAstidious
person would Shun with much more
care than they would II cleanly and
decsntly clad negro. Negroes are
good enough TO walt on these delicate
gentry Al table, TO attend them, brush
their coats. black their boots, sit beside
them In carriages and come In intimate
contact with them In many ways.
Then why not good enough 10 ride In q
public carriage, where every existing
Law aud judicial decision gives them q
right to ride II they pay their fare? II
Is evident that It's not ont OF fastIdlous.
ness that the Citizens Street Railway
Company OF Wheeling excludes colored
persons from Its cars, but out oil
blgoted, malignant hatred OF the
black man simply because he Il
a "nIgger." The attempt to enforce
such senseless rule Is In some sense
q disgrace to the city. The exclusion
OF the. colored man referred, to In a legal
point OF view, was violation OF his
rights as a citizsn, for which he could
make the company smart II he chose
10 60 into the courts. There Is not
probably another city In the United
States where such thing could now
occur. The OhlvAlry Of Richmond
and Charleston tried this game and
gave It up long since. 1t only remained
for the chivalry Of Wheeling to illus.
trate itself by this kick At the negro,
who Is now before the law, as we'll In
the presence OF his Maker, exactly rs
good as themselves.
We hope both on It's own account and
for the credit OF the city, the Street
Railway Company will promptly ex.
punge this unjust and unlawful regu-
lalton. And desiring 10 entertain q
moderate degree OF respect for our city
Judiciary We should be- glad TO learn
that the ane imposed on this wronged
and unofsndIng man was imposed for
a better reason than that he sought the
public accommodation Of the Railway
Company, which they were bound 10
furnish II he paid for 1t.