The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1890-11-07
Gle 9ell1orrat.
THE COLOR LINE,

had started out to write of Washington
street scenes, and here | AIN gosslpIng n
bout Washlngton's big families. AS
matter of fact tie largests families In
Washington are probably always will be
unknown to fame. They arc African. AT
the census oilice Il Ia said the colored pop
ulatlon of thc.Distrlct OF Columbia Is con-
stantly gaining on the white population,
and no wonder. Take a peep In some OF
the alleys the Capital City. aud see the
myrlads of pickauinnies running about
therein, Where they al! come from. where
they all sleep, who cares for them, whence
cones their food aud ratment, meager us
these articles are, combine TO form one OF
the mysteries of life. 4 Washington po
lice man told me he knew of one OF iheee
alleys In which, In single block, there
were 500 children by actual count.
This seems incredible, but II must be re-
membered that the building OF alley houses
Is one OF the most profitable Investments
capital can find in Washington. The
houses are coops of brick, about fifteen feet
wide and generally three stories high
Each story may have as tenants an entire
family,with all the way from two 10 dozen
children In each family. Imagire the ap-
pearanee of an alley flankedby two rows OF
tenant houses thus peopled, the thorough
fare Itself being no more than twenty fee,
wide. So great nuisance has this busI-
ness OF peopling alleys with colored FAINT
lies become IN Washington that western
senator has introduced bill iorbldding the
erection of houses In alleys less than forty
feet In widlA. II will not likely pass.
however, for among the men Who have
Invested money In these houses, aud who
are getting dividends of 8 to 20 per cent a
year thereon,are number OF United States
senators.
Speaking of the colo"ed people OF Wash.
ingion reminds mc OF novel sort OF contest
that Is constantly going on In the city. or
the street cars about oEc hall the passen-
gers are eolored aud about one half " white
The population of the District OF Colunbia
Is only one-thlrd co!o.ed, but the street
railway people say colored man OF wo-
man will ride twice as often as white
man or woman. Four or five persons you
see on the sidewalks are white; on the
street cars fully one-half, aud think
more, are colored. Just why the colored
people give up 50 much more of tncil
money To the street railways than their
while neighbors No one appears to know
but at n guess | should say Il Is became
the colored people have constitutional
antiPathy 10 walking. a, any rate, there
are so many passengers of both colors that
the cars are nearly always crowded, and
the men have TO get up and give their seats
to the ladies'. Here Is where the war o!
races comes In.
In Washington white man will not rise
and give his sea, to 4 colored woman. In
retaliation eolorcd men refuse TO rise and
give their seats 10 white women. THUS Il
often happens that one will see all the seat,
in car occupied by white women and
black men. In all my experience In Wash.
ingion have never seen but three white
men iise ard givcteais TO eolored women
and In one Of these cases thc woman
was very old and inlirm, and In the other
two cases they we're young and pretty and
stylishly dressed. Hall the colorri women
In Washington were of the working class
It would not be such delicate matter, bu,
many OF them are well bred, Handsomely
dressed,liv In fine houses, and are in every
way As much worthy of respect and
courtesy as white women.
Bot what Is one to do; As 10 women o!
( his own he makes no discrimination. lie
rises to give seat 10 any white woman.
young or old, rich or psor. But 1t Is OBJ
vious that he docs no, want 10 DO this as 10
co'orcd women. There are few white men
who Will carrygallan,gy 50 far as TO give thelr
! places TO black washerwomcn aud kitchen
maids. One feels tempted TO show more
courtesy 10 the colorcd women who are
evidently we'll bred and Of good station, bu,
discrimination are always dangerous and
bothersome, and the white men conclude
therefore, that they will not discriminate
but will sit while colored women stand
The husbands and brothers Of the color.
ed women resentthis totly. and clalm tina,
gentlemen who will discriminate against
lady simply because shc Is dark or black
Is not gentleman at all. In retaliation,
therefore, colored men dcggedly sit while
white ladies are standing, ard scenes of
this description occasionally lead TO trouble
especially when a southern senator or con.
| gresham Is unable 10 find seats for the
ad les whom he is escorting.
WALTER WELLMAx.
Dnn't LII "a 80. -. .