Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-12-18
The Color Line.

In the House of Representatives yesler-
day, the interstate commerce bill being
under discussion and the question being
upon the motion to lay on the table MIR.
Bloupts motion 10 reconsider the O'Hara
amendment, prohibiting Discrimination in
same class Of tickets, it was carried by
vote of l49 yeas 10 100 nays, whereupon
Mr.. Crisp, OF Georgia, otlered an amend
menJ providing that nothing i'll the act
should be So construed - TO preseHt any
railroad company from p:ovdins saga:.tlc
accommodations iUr while ami Cuoren pc.
sons. This motion brought SmaliS, oI
South Carolina, 10 hi, leet, and lie made Il
speech against The aiDeudmeuT He sai,.
chat wLa.. cuuicd ilau or lady, travelling
from Washlpgto OH 20 Ne" Orleans, caue t. The
Georgia line he vas Completed liz 90 INTO L
Jim Crow car. The democrats, he Sad,
were saying tuey were going 10 be tue best
tyienus vi the coiOred man. He hoped thai
Lbe gentlemen who said This great, good
| man, Cleveland, would do good 10 The color
ed man" would not stand ny for the Jim
| Crow car of Georgia, an appeal which
was greeted with applause AMI laughter Oh
\
| huma, advocated the Crisp amendment. Mr..
| O'Hara followed MIR. Herbert. He regret
led that the color question had arisen in
this debate He held that no uatter
whether man was black or white he wa
III American citizen, aud the agis OF the
| great rrlubiic should be shed over him, and
declared That public sentiment ana The pro-
grtss OF the nineteenth century stared Con-
| gress in the face, and il WAS too late 10
Iegislate OH the question OF color. Dlr.
| Breckenridge, OF Al kuusas, offered as o sub
slitule for Mr. Crisp amendment an amend.
ment permitting railroads to classify passen-
gers Us they may deem best for the public
comfu,S and safety. In supporting his sub
>titute, he said that gentlemen were mis-
taken if they thought the Southern people
wished to abridge the rights of the coloreu
man under the law. Mr. Reed, of Maine
made an amusing address on the subject OF
classifying and asserting passengers on rail
reads, aud wanted TO know whether he as
sorting was to be based on the size, height
boards, or compilations of the personages
"Or maDDera," exclaimed somebody Cd the
democratic side. Mr.. Reagan, who had the
bill! in churgp, took Mr.. Reed 10 task for his
humorous view of the matter, and made II
forcble and convincing argument 10 show
that the " Hara ainenQment WAS merely Il
trick of the opponents Of the bill! in order to
defeat it. After some further discussion,
Mr.. Herey, Of California, appealed to the
good sense of the House not 10 allow side
matters to be brought into so momentous u
question as the regulation Of Interstate com
merce. Tine people, he said, would hold
members responsible if they permitted SIDE
issues to defeat the bill. Mr.. Brumm, of
Pennsylvania, then made radical speech
against the proposed substitute, and Mr.
Bsrksdaie, of ilisSissippi, declared the
O'Hara amendment TO be unconstitu-
tiouaI. Mr.. Thomas Brown, Of Indiana,
said that black and white would soon ride
together in the same cars, even in the South.
After this vote was taken amid consider
able excitement, the Breckenridge substi-
tute being adopted by majority of eleven
votes, aud the Crisp amendment as so
amended was then agreed 10 by Ii majority
of six votes The bill was further amended
So az to prevent railroad, from charging
more than three Gents Il nile for inter Stale
passenger traffic, and >tiil farther Ivy pro
viso that railroads shall not discriminate on
recount of color 4 motion TO reconsider
and lay this last amendment on the table
va. made by AIr. Golf of West Virginia,
penritng which Judge Reagan moved TO ad-
/ juur;I aud h.; motion i;-t ya.ieu.