The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-16
SEPARATE CARS WON'T DO.
THE TEXAS RAILROAD LAW ALREADY
a BURDEN And INEXPEDIENE

oLl a1Ih1L OhlO WIN L DOs
THE TEXAS RAILROAD LAW ALREADY
BURDEN AND INExPEDIENE
IL IL Grade Measure snd 10 Popular with
None but the Negroes. who Seem to Have
the Hest erthe Bargain-A LeKisiature's
Costly Mistakes-A Pseulis ., Statute.
DALLAS. Tex. Aug. 15-It looks now as
though the next Texas Legislature would be
kept busy for while undoing the work Of the
last one. Tho Alien Land law. which was de-
signed to prevent English capitalists FIR m
buying up large tracts Of land in the Lone Star
state, WINS made 80 stringent .hat 1t has driven
oil British capital away. ana caused many
loan companies. which are run In the in-
terest OF foreign money lenders. to close
up shop and seek other fields OF invest
ment. This at time when money is
greatly needed In Texas has caused much
hardship. and tho great majority Of the people
and most OF the newspapers are clamoring Tor
the repeal OF the law They say that the Texan
who owns land and wishes to obtain a loan
upon 1t should be allowed to do 80 without tho
Interference Of the state Government. II any
ono needs protection 1t is the foreign money
lcnder; tho Texans can be relied upon to take
care OF their end Of the bargain without fear
that they will be overreachoJ.
Dus suoio WOO nuotHoi law peSb0u W tuo lobl
Legislature which lie very interesting and i'm
portant II not repealed at tho first oppor.
tuntty 1t will undoubtedly be greatly modified.
This 10 what 10 known Ms the Separate
Coach" law. 1t was passed very hurriedly and
before the railroad mon. who would undoubt-
edly have worked enorgetically against 1t.
knew anything about It The Separate Coach
law is entitled: An act to require railroad
companies In this State to provide separate
coaches for white and negro passengers. and
to prohibit passengers from riding In coaches
other than those set apart for their race and
to confer certain powers upon conductors. and
to provide penalties for tho violation OF this
act"
The law provides that these separate coaches
"shall DO equal In all points OF comfort and
convenience" 1t defines q negro as " every
person OF African descent" no matter how lit
tie negro blood he may have in his veins It
also says that :" . good and substantial " OGDEN
PARTITION shall 30 deemed q separate coach"
and that "each coach shall bear In some
lettsre indicating the raco for which 1t is set
apart, For falling to provide separate coaches
mo-, loss than siSS nor more than 8. 900 for
each offence. and each trip run with train
not having separate coaches Is deemed sep
Il any passenger 9pon train provided y with IL
6ssS pe
ductor." no sha!! Be deemed guilty Of 9 misde-
mennor. and Is liable to . limo Of not less than
remove negroes from white coaches and whites
are sbs 20 9on s. 10 n 10
The law makes exceptions In favor OF negro
81 an via snd saU M
railway cars are not included, and any railway
| seeping cars exclusively Tor either white or
| colored. but not Jointly.
which reads: There being no adequate law
imperative public neesssiiy Exists ior the sas-
T. be 1ssS several days. and tho
The law went into effect on July 10. and now.
after months trial is many defects are ar,
way to The fsnit.nsiary Gnder recent de-
law eompsIs a sGerii taking negro prisoner
to the Peniten,iHry tS 90 BY private con;
train under the law: OF course. an oifcer
cannot alIow desperate prisoner to ride IN
Fsciiic Railroad the difficulty hos been parli.
SS s and sr tho
with the nSrtition door t G,ropps onrn Il is
81 The esS stser u the law and
whether the conductor has any right to Keep
the partition door open. thereby doing away
ssse The , IsE x5iSS makes
where there sEs fsw 5 negroes
ssa s9s is shs
tho other epdof the car where they are standing
Sometimes one negro will have tho luxury OF
nryste sar al h%sct T Nj ~. the whites
Sussy bas Is ss4s ssns the aSd
Y;oe'!E p Tss s wh1 'n0usan n'ssera
Another thing which seems strange is to see
SaHtSus ns
hrst-class cars. while respectfully dressed and
| clean colored mon and women are shut of like
the whites: Tho Negroes have: BY f.r tho best
T h ne The f.
rnad Compan9 said today in sreakins Of The
has 1esa in yet o5es s.. now for neG,y
abe criticism n Of It. although there have been
many complaints. There was no emergency
Very hard on tho railroads in the west:
rav. Pa IS s Take snsfe tho n'H e
Grande division OF our. road. for in.
! stance We often run trains between For,
Worth and FL Paso npon which therc Is moi
one negro passenger and yet the law shyt
that we must carry q separate coach Tor ne
Gross over all these miles. As the travel /.
now. the trains are realty operated at a dead
loss. aud. despite that TACT. We must haul m
ready to accommodate any colored man We
niny happen to pick up. Mexicans md China
mon rocking with garlic or opium. can ride il
tho same sents, with white women. hut the no
groeI must be kept apart at all haZnrds. The
negro may be ssyen-eiIhths white. but liz
must not be allowed 10 mingle wi h tho othcI
passengers II there is the fRintest trace OF Al
fricnn blood In his veins"
Al addition TO this law Ia that tho Separate
Coach act docs not amply to suburban trains.
and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad
Tho road schedules all trains between Dsnni
son and Sherman as suburban trains" ant
coaches. Tho Texas aud faGife may adop
this plan on, trains, running between Dalla.
anil Fort Worth, but vt present separat,
coaches arc run on all trains on thu
used so that tho neRro's coach mny be tn rnet