The record-union., 1891-10-01
PRIVATE CARS FOR NEGROES
Colored Travellers are Delighted Wit
the New Law in Texas.

SOlOIOu I1aVClcrS are tJcllSnUcu w 1Iu
the New Law in Texas.
It looks now as though the next Texas
Legislature would be Kept busy for some
time undoing the work of the last one,
says Texas correspondent of the New
York San. The alien land law, which
was designed to prevent English capital
lists from buying up large tracts of land
III the Lone Star State, was made so
stringent that 1t has driven all British
capital away and caused many loan COM
| panies, which are run in the interest OF
foreign money-lenders, to close up shop.
This at time when money is greatly
needed in Texas has caused much hard
ship, and the great majority of the people
and most of the newspapers are clamor-
ing for the repeal of the law But there
was another law passed by the last Legis
lature which, if not repealed at the first
opportunity, will undoubtedly be greatly
modified. This is what is known as the
separate COACH law. The separate
coach law is entitled: ''An Act to require
railroad companies in this State to pro-
vide separate coaches for white and ne
gro passengers, and to prohibit passen-
gers from riding in coaches other than
those set apart for their race, and to con-
fer certain powers upon conductors, and
to provide penalties for the violation of
this Act.'
The law provides that these separate
coaches shall be equal in all points of
comfort and convenience" 1t defines
negro as ''every person of African de-
SCENT" no matter how little negro blood
he may have in his veins. 1t also says
that "a good and substantial wooden par
ton shall be deemed "a separate coach"
and that leach coach shall bear in some
conspicuous place appropriate words in
plain letters indicating the race for which
it is set apart" For failing to provide
separate coaches the railroad companies
are liable to a fine Of not less than 500
nor more than 81, 600 for each offense. If
any person shall ride in any coach after
being forbidden to do so by the con-
ductor, she shall be deemed guilty of
miSdemeanOr. and is liable to a fine Of
not less than 50 nor more than S25."
The conductors have authority to forci-
bly, remove negroes from white coaches
and whites from negro coaches, and upon
| failure to do so are liable to from So to
S25 fine.
The law went into effect on July 18TH
and now, after months trial, its many
defects are apparent. One complication
which arose was in the transportation of
negro prisoners on their way to the
penitentiary. Under a recent decision of
the Attorney-General at Auston the law
compels Sheriff taking negro prisoner
to the penitentiary to go by private con-
yeyance or walk. The two men cannot
ride in the same coach on the railway
train under the law. OF course, an Off
Ger cannot allow desperate prisoner to
ride in one car while he rides in another,
although in several instances lately on
the Texas and Pacific Railroad the diff
Guilty has been partially solved by the
prisoners riding on one side of a parti-
ton and the officer on the other with the
partition door propped open. But there
is another feature of the new law which
makes it very Objectionable to white
passengers, particularly in the western
part of the State, where there are COM
paratively few negroes. A train is liable
to be so crowded by white passengers
that many have to stand up, while in
the other end of the car where
they are standing, separated by a wooden
partition, will be three or four negroes and
twenty empty seats. Sometimes one
negro will have the luxury of private
car all to himself, while the whites are
packed into the rest of the train like
sardines.
Another thing which seems strange is
to see greasy Mexicans, odorous Indians,
drunken and foul-mouthed bullies,
filthy Italians and equally offensive
"poor white trash" riding in first-claSs
cars, while respectfully dressed and clean
coIored men and women are shut off like
leperS for fear that their presence would
defile the whites. The negroes have, by
far, the best of the new law, and they
know it, and congratulate themselves
upon the fact. On some portions nova
bic signs are used, SO that the negroes
coach may be turned into one for white
men when there does not happen to be
colored passenger. Should one get on,
however, the whites would have to vacate
his car, and he would have it all to him
self.
There will be strong pressure brought
to have the law repealed at the next meet
ing of the Legislature, but in the mean
time Texas viii be the most delightful
State in the Union for colored people to
travel in.