The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-04-11
SOCIAL EQUALITY AT WELDON.

IL IL with very sincere regret tnat We o.
serve that the Atlantic Coast line, a system Of
railway lying wholly in the South, owned in
principal part by men of Southern sympathes
and chiefly dependent upon Southern freight
and passenger traffic for its patronage. is yet
80 regardless of the natural and proper feeling
of our Southern people as to permit such an
incident to occur as cur reports from Weldon
show TO have happened in its dinins-room in
that city on Tuesday.
According 10 the Roanoke News a reliable
journal published in Weldon, when the
special train from the South arrived on Tues
day. thirty or forty negroes dis"mbarked. and
were given seats in the dining-room indiscrim-
inately among the white people, aud partook
of their meals at the same tables upon terms
of entire social equality.
Our contemporary states that when an in
ouiry was instituted as 20 the authority upon
which this was done, the information was
given that it was done by the express order
Of the general freight and passenger agent Of
the Atlantic Coast line.
We have no reason 10 doubt the correctness
Of the statement of facts as it appears in the
Roanoke News Whether the order of Mr..
Emerson was intended to apply only to this
special occasion, or was to be put in continued
operation hereafter, we are not informed,
but this is a matter Of indifference, rs
the principle violated is the same in
either instance That principle is one
which is as clearly recognized in this city as it
is in the city Of Weldon. aud one which the
Southern people, irrespective Of localities, are
fully determined 10 enforce, namely, that any
approach to social equality with the negro will
not be tolerated, and that any railroad OF cor
poration dependent upon tho public patron
age which seeks To ignore the wishes Of the
white people in this respect, will only do so to
its own detriment
We refuse to believe that the Atlantic Coast
Line is disposed TO adopt as policy the in
discriminate interningling Of its passengers
in its dining-rooms, which was observed in
the special instance at Weldon. and wo de-
cline to anticipate that it will repeat so doubt
full an experiment until there has been
second ground for complaint. This
railway system is controlled by men who
appreciate the peculiar conditions which pre-
vail in this section in the general relation Of
the races. and the necessity Of recognizing
these conditions and respecting the wishes Of
the whites We are strongly inclined, there
fore. to think that the order of Mr.. Emerson.
if the statement in the Roanoke News in re-
gard to IT be accurate has not the approval
Of those who occupy official positions above
him
If. however, it has their approval the mere
suggestion Of which we Will reject until con-
frmed then the managers of the Atlantic
Coast Line will hv adopted a course Of con-
duct which is certain to precipitate them into
dangerous entanglements in the future, which
will only end in their discontinue
il is the duty Of every Southern railroad TO
providr separate accommodations for whites
and blacks in this matter of furnishing meals.
and if negro travellers are able to pay for as
good accommodations Of this kind as the
whites. then such accommodations should be
provided for them in proportion to the de-
mand on their part. Upon such course as
this, the Southern peope.will insist, and every
attempt 10 disregard their wishes will only
lead to confusion and defeat for those who
undertake it.