The N.C. Republican, and civil rights advocate., 1884-05-22


of million Christians, all beseechinp
Heaven for Cne just and righteous OBJ,
ject! Can their prayers be disregarded?
No person who believes in a God of ms
tice will refuse to believe that they will
Those who have any doubt the efficacy
Of prayer will only have to wait for n
few years, and they will see where thp
lightning strikes The railroad com
panles compel US to buy frst-cass tickets
and then Obllge US to ride in smokino
cars 1t matters not how we'll dressed
we are or how intelligent and refined
| know c0lored ladies who have been
treated III the most brutal manner bv
brakemen for refusing to ride in smoking
cars, while white female passengers. who
in some instances, are not all they MIGHT
be- are treated as queens. | will 90
further, and say that in several in
stances
PISTOLS HAVE BEEN DRAWN ON COLORED
PASSENGERS
to force them to submit to such highway
degradation, and that ssthe railroad off
Gals excuse themselves by saving thev
are only protecting their interests. Such
is the order of things in the South, and
it is all due to Justice Bradley, who kept
Tilden out of the presidency after he was
legally, elected" -
"a Will you name one of the rohds that
llStreats its colored passengers?'
"a few weeks ago met my wife at
Cleveland Tenn, who was returning
from Washington to my home in Atlanta,
Ga. She had ridden in first-class car
to that city. where she had to change.
| conducted her into first class coach,
where the only other passengers were
two white men. Very soon a brakeman
rushed in and said to us: Here, YOU
folks will have to go into the front car. ;
asked him if he meant the smoking car,
and he said he did not care what kind
Of car it was, | would have to r,de in
it. told him my wife had the heart
disease, and it would be dangerous for
her to inhale tobacco smoke. He inter
rupted me by saying: Don't stop to argue
with me; get out, or | will put you both
out, and he moved towards my wife.
intercepted him, and said; Please let
me say word to you kindly | want no
trouble, and pray God yon will save me
from anv; but if you touch my wife,
there will be funeral tomorrow in either
your family or my own He gave me a
terrible look and then passed on. My
wife remained in the car, and went into
the smoking car in order not to give too
much offence.
Another case occurred on the Louisville
and Nashville railroad on the Sd of the
month, Mrs. Sarah Lewis boarded the
train at Clarksville, Tenn. As she was
refused admission into any of the first
class cars, she ramained on the platform
while the train was in motion. Because
the conductor could not pull her into the
smoking car he struck her in the face.
She has entered suit against the COM
pany.
There are several colored ministers
from the South now attending the Gen
eral Conference in Philadelphia who were
inveigled into buying first class tickets
lupOn the promise of the agents of the
ASOuthern roads th4t they would hn par-
Ymitttd to occupy tirst-class cars, but upon
leaving new Orleans they were obliged to
60 into the smoking cars. When they
objected the officials told them they would
either have to go into the smoking car or
into --. | could give names and dates
of several other indignities upon our peo-
pie, but what have told you will serve to
enlighten the public"
"Do you think the condition of affairs
will alienatc the affections of your race in
the South from this country"
NO; because we have great hope that
Congress will enact onother bill for our
protection. We also expect that plank
will be put ill the Republican platform in
June next that VIII bring the matter
squarely before the people"