The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1892-02-27
SEPARATE COACHES.

The separate coach proposition
now before the Legislature, seems tC
be agitating the minds of few of the
colored people Of the State. We
have never advocated the formation
of the law for any other reason than
what we thought would be for the
best interest of society. We are
satisfied that the large majority OF
the colored people of the State would
prefer to have such law on the
Statute books. The better class OF
the colored people of this State. land
of all other States for that matter),
do not wish to be thrown in contact
with white people in any social rela-
tions. If the law is passed they will
be as we'll provided for as the white
people, and it would be but short
while before they would like it bet
ter than the present arrangement.
The Legislature should pass the law,
and let it go into effect at the earliest
practical moment Sunday Call.
The above, taken from the Sunday
Call of this city, is fair sample of
the average editorial which one occa-
sionally reads in favor of the pro-
posed "Separate Coach" law. 1t is
as full of illogical conclusions as it is
Of glaring Inconsistencies, and does
a rank injustice to the colored people
of the State. 1t is a narrow, biased,
one-sided, unfair statement of the
case and clearly shows that beneath
it all there is lurking strong feelings
of race prejudice. The writer starts
out with the mistaken hypothesis
that this question is agitating the
minds of only "few" of the colored
people of the State. The petitions
which are pouring in daily to the
members of the Legislature, from
their constituents from all over this
great Commonwealth, protesting
against any such injustice, show very
clearly that not the few, but the
many colored people are deeply in
terested in this matter, and are stern
ly opposed to any class legislation.
The same editorial also asserts that
the better class and large majority
of the colored people prefer such q
law. The writer is either ignorant of
the opinions of the better class of
our people on this question, or seeks
to willfully misinterpret them, or
both. He should have been present
at the recent meeting before the
Railroad Committee, and saw that
large delegation of over two hundred
intelligent colored men, representing
nearly every county in the State. He
should have heard the speeches of
those colored orators, as with match
less eloquence and touching pathos,
they plead the cause of an outraged
race. Surely he does not mean to
assert that such a spectacle as this
does not represent the better class Of
our race. Whatever way be his
opinions and prejudices, he ought to
be fair, and not rush into print with
a garbled, unreasonable, incorrect
statement. The better class of the
colored people do not want the Sep
arate Coach" law. No negro. with
grain of race pride, wishes to see the
manner. No nationality or race de-
sires to be Inundated without pre-
an indignant, vigorous 81
object"
1t is not going too far to say that
the large majorityof the fair-minded,
deeper thinking class
Of the whites do not want it. Such !
4 law will not conserve to the best
interests Of society, nor to the repu-
Jation Of the State. There is no ne |
,essity for such law. The idea of
Jhe necessity for such originated
from an unfortunate incident, in
which color played no part, except
that a colored man, in exercising a
right belonging to all, the right of
'elf-protection, by accident shot an
innocent white lady, instead of an
white man. Such an acct.
lent all parties, without regaad to
color, deplore. Such incidents occur
only on those cheap excursions, ito the
makeup of which the bad of both
'aces contribute largely. Passing a
Separate Coach' act will not pre-
vent bloodshed on the trains.
Colored men, in opposing the pro-