San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-10-29
THAT DELICATE QUESTION.
How the Matter Is Viewed on the
Outside and Some Pointers on
the Tnside


The Fort Worth Gazette prints an editorial
upon the action of the BrOt hCFhOOd Of Railroad
BTakCmcn in declining to allow the Excelsior
Guards to participate in their procession, and
fairly sizes up the question In the following
terms:
"A recent incident in san Antonio recalls
the episode at Richmond, when some OF the
Knights OF Labor l'rOm IA northern state, OF
cOursc,J took umbrage because one OF their
number, negro man, was refused admission
to the hrst-class hotels in the city. The shoe
Is on the EOther foot, however. In Texas. At
san Antonio. the NatiOpal Brotherhood of
Railway Brakemcn is just concluding "A week S
session. Elaborate arrangements were made
for the reception and entertainment of the
visitors, and street parade was down on the
programme, the military and fire companies
OF the city proposing to turn out in the pro-
ccssiOn. One of these companies was com
posed of negro men, and, by the way, IL is said
tOsbe crack company, dating its Organiza-
ton back ten years, when the present United
States Senator Coke was governor of Texas
When the grand secretary OF
the Brotherhood of BTakemen learned that
company of cOlOred men was to form part of
the procession 1t is said he wrote the captain a
tart note, informing him that the brakemen
did not care to parade with the negroes and
the latters presence was not desirable, etc
The negro military were, of course, quite in
dignant at this unexpected rebuff, and the
more so that Grand Secretary O'Shea happens
to be New Yorker, from the same state
where the complaint at Richmond concerning
discrimination against negroes-comes from.
I
O'Shea really objected to the colOred company
taking part in the parade, as is reported he
did, his course was foolish, TO say the least of
| IL. No social question whatever was involved
| in the presence of the colored men. IL was u
purely public demonstration, in which the
whole community, negroes and whites, were
| TO be represented, and had no significance save
| as an act of courtesy on the part OF the
negroes. The Gazette recalls one day in
1873, when this same company of negro SOL
diers marched in the funeral procession that
| followed the democratic congressman, Gustav
| Schleicher. to his grave. They tramped along
directly behind the carriage in which sat Sena.
| tor Coke, old Hannibal Hamlin and other con.
| gressmen who had come to attend the ohse
| ques. The Texas senator poiuUed them out
| rather proudly to the senator from Maine "a
| the Coke Rifles" obey bore that name then
and remarked, This ought TO convince yoU
| that we don't bulldoze the negro down here II.
badly as some of you Northern people seem Il
| think we do" The San Antonio committee Of
arrangements knew what they were dOinl
| when they put the negro company OF
| the list of organizations TO parade, anC
| II was very silly in any one, especially visitor
| from the North, to interpose objections
| The color line is drawn straight and dis
| tinct in the South, and separates the race
| very etfectually as to social matters, but tn,
| Southern people have common sense anC
| recognize the fact that there are occasions il
| which an organization of colored men maj
| with prOpriety participate with white men IL
| demonstrations and celebrations. We do moi
| know whether there is a colored military com
| pany in Austin, but IL there is, and Grand Sec
| rotary O'Shea will come down to Texas mex
| January, IL is almost certain he will see thu
negro soldiers marching up Congress avenue
| as u part of the pageant that will do honor 4
| the democratic governor, Lawrence 5 Ross
who Is to be inaugurated In January"