The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-25

from day to day, it would be necessary
! 10 allow some latitude. lie suggested
an amendment to obviate this, that in
| extraordinary occasions where there is
II sudden influx that cannot be provided
for, the conductor be allowed to set
! aside certain seats in the other car for
! that race.
"On the Murphy branch few negroes
ride west of Waynesyille, and some
! power ought to be vested i'll the railroad
! commission to exempt any branch line
upon which the colored travel is very
! small.
/ 1T IS not so much the presence of the
negro II is the manner in which he
| comes that Is objected to. 1t is not
! the nurse that is objected to, but the
! Bishop and the Congressman who thinks
| he is as good as YOU are. That's the
! thing that makes his hair stand on end.
Every State, except South Carolina,
which has the Jim Crow Car, has only
one rate. 1t will be necessary to abol-
ish the second class rate. TWo-thirds
of the men who ride buy first class
tickets, and the railroads average BIB
cents per mile.
1T will give enormous trouble to work
ont separate cars, and we hope you will
give us as little hardship as possible.
The poor railroads are the target on
the stump and in the newspapers, and
they ask fair treatment by a just com
mittee.
Mai, G. W. Harper, of the Chester
| and Lenoir Narrow Gauge Railroad,
told of the peculiar circumstances attend
ing his road. 1t is operated by the men
who built tit is Il home institution and
this act would make it hard to operate.
| The passenger business, except for eX-
press and mail does not pay MS. The
State of South Carolina. when it passed
the Jim Crow Car law, exempted our
road. Trains average only fifteen pas
sengers. There have been no complaints
whatever on our line"
Mr., Daniel Hugh Mclean advocated
his substitute and he said it covered
all the objections raised The people OF
North Carolina are agreed that the race
should be separate in public travel ANA
are as fixed in that as for white suprem-
acy. They are willing to be fair to the
railroads. We are not here to Cypress
them. We wish to encourage the in
vestment of capital. The time was
when it was deemed popular to attack
corporations That time has passed.
Section provides that the Railroad
Commission can take out such roads as
ought to be taken out and shall not APP
ply to nurses who are not there as the
social equals of the whites. 1t is pro
vided that the sheriff can go in the
coach with the colored prisoners. One
rate of fare, not more than three cents,
is suggested Several railroad men APP
prove the substitutes offered by me.
Public sentiment is irresistible for such
Il measure.
Senator Ward, of Washington, spoke
earnestly. In part he said: The day
is forever past when any man can de-
nounce corporations for the sake of
pandering to a debased public senti
ment" He said he had no sympathy
for such men. He would mete out
equal justice TO the most gigantic cor
r0ratiOn as with the humblest citizen. He
will oppose the substitute which leaves
the Railroad Commission to do as it
pleases until he sees the personnel of
the commission. This Legislature may
make a mistake in selecting Railroad
Commissioners. We want b see them
tried. The sentiment of the people is
that the Railroad Commission has been
an egregious and vast failure. We have
had a law that gave the power We now
demand For eight years the Railroad
Commission has sat still and made no
effort to separate the races. Only one
man land he Il Democrat has put hint
self on record as trying to have separate
cars. If we leave it to the Commission
they will have ex parte statements from
railroad officials while the people will be
! absent.
He objected to any suggestion that
there shall not be but one rate. I'D
rather have the name of Jim Young
written on the capitol than to compel
| people to pay three cents when now
they pay 23l. / don't say the rate is
too high | don't know. | would like
to know But do not intend to make
it any higher The branch Ines are the
very places that need it most and from
there the demand originated.
AS to the Railroad Commissions hav-
ing power to suspend the law, | want
to see them exercise the power we have
given them better, before giving them
more power.
| On motion of Mr.. Jerome, special
committee Of Senators Jerome and
! Rountree. Council and Carr were APP
pointed to draft a bill to provide for
senarate ears.
! That committee win report Thursday
! afternoon at $3.50 o'clock And then by
( Saturday the law they will draft will be