Morning journal and courier., 1888-04-18

I insult the intelligence of MT. Grady, of the Atlanta Constitution, by assuming that he really believes what he says when he essays to show that the "equal though separate" theory is actually carried out in practice in the South.
 III. am no politician, and if any political capital is made out of what write, it is far from the purpose with which write.
 ". have written a great many letters from all parts of the South, speaking kindly words for the people and institutions of the South in many ways. For two years was a regular weekly correspondent of the leaa:ng paper in the whole South.
 V. have kindly feeling for the South. I have been the recipient of many favors from representative southern people, and point out the evils to which shall direct at ptention in this letter, and two or three more which are to follow, with feeling of reluo- tance and regret.
 Our party arrived at the depot quite late and all boarded the 6rst-e1ass coach, or "la- dies car," because it was nearest. The col ored students were well dressed, refined perfect ladies and gentlemen. They passed quietly through to the front half of the smoking car provided for them, followed by Professor W, who was chaperone of the party, and myself All got seats save three, and as there were vacant half seats iR the regular car and one whole seat at the extreme front end of the coach, we directed the three te occupy the regular car. They demurred, but were finally prevailed upon to occupy the empty seat in front, sitting three togeth. CT.
 Now two of these young ladies would have passed for white anywhere-and have done so repeatedly on occasions when the insults of white Hbertines in the colored peoples segment of the smoker actually drove them back into the Hladies' ear." One of the two, moreover, was exceedingly pretty. But the third was clearly @ mulatto, and it was really her presence that caused all the subsequent mischief. @,z.,.,5t,,.,- sq.s@e3r,ess
 The conductor came along, punched the tickets of the young ladies. but said nothing and passed on. He seemed to be 8 perfect gentleman. Of course l am familiar with the way many southern conductors have of getting roughs on board to do their dirty werk for them, and evens of telegraphing ahead if necessary for fhs right sort of men, 50 as to avoid making the company directly liable. But I think this conductor did his best to protect the young ladies and produce harmony all around.
 The presence of the young ladies in the car excited remark at once.
 90 dear, I shall suffooate,'' exclaimed white lady near them, who never could have been as good looking or half as well seduca- ted as any one of the girls.
 A large, sensuous-looking man in the back part of the car then called to the conductor and talked with him for some time, the
 
 three inoffensive young ladies. Another southerner leaned forward and condoled with him. Two or three times the young ladies requested that they might be permitted to go forward and stand in the crowded frent end of smoker, so as to save us from enco un tering any trouble on their account. But so long as there was plenty of room we urged them to stay where they were. At the worst their presence could not have been as objec tionable to any consistent person as that of one or tive white 'crackers" on board the car.
 Finally the news reached the smoking car and three well-dressed young toughs, scions of influential southern families no doubt. came swaggering through to where the three young ladies sat. One of them had an eye which any pure young lady, white or black, would shrink from meeting. They were about twenty years of age.
 "This is the ladies' car, said the leader of the young bullies.
 The young ladies avoided making any re-
 f'Come, get out of here-you don't belong in here," he continued with brutal insolence. Still the girls were silent, and though standing so close that I could hear every word, I preferred to wait and see what course the young bloods would pursue After one or two more threats of the same kind the chief speaker continued:
 "We'Il see whether you will get out of
 
 boys, and help get up @ crowd to pull lem out of the seat"
 So the young men left They did not re- turn and I did not believe they would. Courage and brutality are usually divorced. Presently the conductor came along and said respectfully to Professor W: "It's little hard to prevent some of the people on board from making disturbance. They say they won't stand having uggers in the same car with them"
 Professor W refrained from suggesting that the very faces of several of the light as continual witnesses that this southern fear of contamination from contact with the col ored people Is very empty and lnslneere thing-nothing but indefensible pride. He said instead:
 ''I am only awaiting your orders, sir, to transfer the girls to the other coach. Say the word and it shall be done. But let me re- mind you that the other coach is very much crowded, and that little forbearance and courtesy, which will cost nothing to anybody else, will insure much greater comfort for the young ladies'"
 fIt isn't far to the mountain" the csnduc tor replied, ''and I don't think it's worth while to make the ladies change. But 1 think it will be better if you divide the par ty carefully on your way back" That was all that was said. The accommodations provided for the col ored people embraced the forward section of combination car. Even apart from the fact that there was only half Q car, and that no smoker for colored people was provided, and that the door into the smoking section provided for whites in the same car was con- stantly opening and shutting, the accommo- dations were not equal to those provided for the white passengers, who had paid no more for their tickets. But rather than seem hyp- ocritical, prefer not to press that point, but admit rather that the car was fair one. The southern railroads are coming to decent coaches for the colored people very fast. They have got to. There are plenty of hog pens on wheels still in the service, but can see very great improvement even in the last two or three years.
 After delightful all-day ramble on Stone Mountain, Georgia,s greatest physical .curios- ity, our jolly party returned to the depot at five o'clock in the afternoon. As we expect ed, the news had been te1egraphed ahead to teachers' would board it at the Mountain station. Accordingly the rear door of the ladies' car was locked and the brakeman stood on the front platform holding the door shut tight. As the white ladies and gentlemen of our party mounted the plat ker:
 "Go in there. You can't come in here" Not knowing but that the car might be crowded or private car, the teachers did as directed. The car was vile with smoke, however, and they soon retreated preeipi- tately to the platform. Again the brake man refused the teachers admittance, and as the train was just starting several of them returned again to the smoker. At this point approached the brakeman and said:
 "That is a smoking car. My ticket calls for seat in 8 arst-class coach and I am here to claim it."
 Of course assumed to be one of the ''nigger teachers" and esteemed it dis- tinction to be regarded as one of them. It was nothing to the brakeman that I was the travelling correspondent of a dozen in- iuential northern newspapers. As such I would be no more entitled to a seat than if had actually been one of the schelarly and accomplished teachers whose guest I had the honor to be. Moreover, as we so often hear, the South has "nothing to con ceal, nothing to expIain.n The South is al.