The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-09-27
so-UALLED RACE TROUBLES.

test with the whites, and, even if lily
advised by rash persons, council would
soon lead them to understand
race conflict would be the very worst
thing for the negro. OF course, there
are people everywhere ready to exag-
crate any demonstration into great
conspiracy or uprising. A dozen ne
groes, loaded with whisky and carrying
six shooters, might readily be exage-
rated into thousand, armed, equip
ped and drilled for war; A great
many people live upon fear and even
communities can temporarily so exist.
These agitatiohs are beneficial to no
body, while, since they show Texas in
the light of depravity not really ex-
listing, we ought to hear the end of
them. To cut them off might impair,
to some extent, the grandeur of the
military arm of the state government.
1t might make the tenure of this use
less but expensive branch of
public service less protracted, and
that surely would be blessing to the
state as well as relief to taxpayers.
Hon. Dick Allen, colored, Of Harris
county, has lately expressed his views
on the subject of these race dis
fractions, and he says the agitation
will .all in talk and discussion;"
that the "colored people have moi e
sense than to engage in difficulty
with the whites" 1t is his opinion
that the railroads are at the
bottom of the disturbances. He
says they have been sending
out drummers, all over the state, to
work upon the minds of the negroes
upon the score of civil rights as ap-
piled to railroad privileges; that some
of the roads were even enlisting col
ored people in their service, indirectly,
to preach upon the question Of the
civil rights and the privileges accorded
the colorded people upon certain roads
and denied them upon others" This,
he says, is creating i'll feeling.
1t is TACT well known that the
Houston and Texas Central road is
the principal road in the state denying
the colored people the right to ride
with the white people in the rear
coach generally reserved for ladies,
and the other roads are making capt.
tai of this among the colored people.
Colored preachers, who are generally
considered the leaders of the colored
race, have been secured as advocates,
and colored pulpits are being Subsi-
died, in d manner, to indOctrinate
into the colored people what their
rights should be upon railroads. j. N.
Johnson, the colored attorney at Aus
tin, Dick Allen says, has done much
to keep up this feeling by bringing
suits under the civil rights bill against
railroads for refusing negroes the
privilege of occupying the cars re-
served at the end of the train for
white people. johnson was formerly
a school teacher at Calvert, and was
first brought into prominence by being
made the secretary of state colored
convention that was held at Houston
some years ago. He has since COM
menced the practice of law, and de
votes his time to civil rights suits
johnson was in this city (HoustonI
yesterday, having a conference with
the management of the Houston and
Texas Central railrord, and as result
of that conference he publishes the
following card this morning in the 10.
cal paper:
To the colored people of the state of
Texas: You are hereby informed
that all suits brought by me against
the Houston & Texas Central railroad
company for denial of equal facilities
to colored passengers, ETC., are dis,
missed. DESTROYS of encouraging an6
fostering the friendliest feelings be.
tween the two races consistent with
right, honor and expediency, l hereby
discourage the bringing OF similar
suits on the part of our people, as the
company referred to will, in "a very
short time. put on their trains, sepa
rate, exclusive, equal accommodations
for colored patrons, so as to remove
all just causes of complaint between
white and colored passengers thai
now engage the attention and pas
sions of the people of the state al
large.
The colored people will please dc
the best they can for the present in
the cars now assigned them, as / an
authorized to say that in about three
months time all arrangements fol
their separate accommodation will bt
complete. The conductors have in
structions to use every effort to stoI
the smoking and other disorders II
the front cars where it annoys colore(
passengers during the two or three
months they may still be required tt
ride in said car. Therefore it is re
quested that no eolored person at
tempt to force his or her way into the
rear car, as separate, satisfactory &C
commodations will be furnished us
in so short time as aforesaid. TEN
porary provision may be made b!
running partition in one of the cars
now on; but that will be but tempo
rary. Referring to the numerous
statements that those suits were
brought to force social admixture,
hereby contradict the statements as
altogether false and untrue.
Those statements were made pur
posely to stir up strife between the
races. The parties sued for the same
accommodations and privileges a:
other passengerS-that was all. AS
have indicated the truth of this latter
statements by dismissing the suits
when the seperate, exclusive accom-
modations were in sight, all honorable
law-abiding citizens should now re
gard the whole transaction in good
faith, and relinquish and forever dis.
miss their unWarranted hatred AND
distrust.
We are authority for the statement
that colored people are not DESTROYS Of
riding in cars with white people, but
want separate, equal, exclusive accom-
modationS only. We further request
specially of the colored pt oplt
throughout the state to abstain from
, each and every act of violence, anG
also from even threats of violence
more especially as designing enemie:
are trying all they can to eXasperate
you and bring on a conflict. A just
verdict of public opinion and Lawful
demand by lawful means will finally
in the near future accord unto u;
each and every right, at the same time
maintain the most substantial peace
between ourselves and other races. In
closing, desire to say such othel
roads as make separate provisions fol
the two races. that they will in shor
time, of their own accord or by re
quest of the governor, make said pro
visions equal and just to all. There
fore we trust the trouble is now ended
Respectfully,
j. n. JOHNSON, Attorney, etc.
Concurred in by
REV. j. r. BRYAN,
, REV. W. E. REED,