The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1885-08-28
THE RACE ISSUE.


The BULLETIN has had nothing to
say upon tile question, but the man
ner in which The American has been
misrepresented by. the "Independ-
ent' papers Of the state as to its pos
ition on the negro question" as they
choose to call it, IS simply shameful.
The American has never advocated
social equality for the negro, OF utter
ed one word which would lead a man
Of even ordinary intelligence to think
50. II has simply advocated the en-
tercement Of a statute passed by
democratic legislature, requiring all
railroad companies IN this state to
furnish separate cars or portions Of
cars cut oil by partition walls. with the
same conveniences and subject to the
same rules governing other first class
cars, for the use Of colored passengers
who pay for frstclass fare. That IS
all the American has ever contended
for; yet in face Of this fact, quite a
number Of papers in the state, have
for weeks, charged that the American
ADVOCATED social equality for the negro
and the indfscriminate heroing to-
gether Of blacks and whites IN the
same car. The papers which have
been thus persIstenlly misrepresenting
the American, all, as we now reeol~
lect, differ with that paper upon the
question Of regulating railroads.
Putting those two things toghether
one might reasonably conclude that
they had a purpose i'll their attacks
upon that journal. We can concieve
Of no purpose they could have in view
except to prejudice the people of the
state against the American, destroy
It's influence and thereby render its
efforts to establish an efIectual means
ofreguluting the railroads less effective.
EVER effort to break down an indi-
Yidual, or a newSpap per, by circulating
falsehoods against 1t, ought to, and
viii fall But, IS the law which the
American is insisting should be en-
forced, a good one? We think 1t is.
When a railroad comrany sells an
individual a first class ticket, it agrees
to furnish the holder first class accom-
modations from one point to another.
And first class fare" means the best
accommodation furnished to passen-
gers on passenger cars. and the holder
Of the ticket and the railroad company
both SO understand the contract. Now,
if railroad company sells an indi-
vidual, white or black, a firstclass
ticket, which means frstclass accom-
modations, have they any right, either
in law or morals, to compel him TO
accept second class accommodations?
Is that a compliance upon the part Of
the railroad with its contractS 1t is
not, and every one knows it is not.
And the fact that the holder of the
ticket is a black or a red man, does
not alter the law, or justice of the case.
independently will say "You are in
favor Of putting negroes in the same
car with the whites, are yon2" Not at
all. That Is not necessary, Let the
railroads comply with the law by pro
viding a separate car for the negroes
with the same accommodations and
subject to the same rules which govern
other firstclass cars. We are opposed
to putting whites and blacks in the
same car, but we are in favor of all
/ persons holding irstclass tickets hav
ing frstclass accommodations. Tho
yeasons for such law are obvious L
viii prevent the race conflicts which
are of such frequent occurrence on the
cars al over the South. The law is 6
| good one and should be enforced.