The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1899-03-18


Or the many bitter pills which
We, the colored people Of the
South, are forced to swallow. none
Is more bitter, more repulsive,
more nanseating, than the ssJim
Grow Car" The laws Of Georgia
say that the races shall have sep-
arate compartments, with equal &C
commodation on the public rail-
ways, but those who have travelled
IN the state, know that equal ac-
commodation % an unknown GUAM
tity. The rule is to partition q
coach, using the half next the bag
gage car for colored passengers
and the other half, next the coach,
Tor white passengers of the
sssmoker."
Coupled with these poor accom-
modations, IL another fact that 10
distasteful and obnoxious to col
ored women. It is, that every
white man aboard has business, or
makes business In the baggage car.
in order to pass through the "Jim
Crow Car" to stare into the faces
of the lady passengers. They will
also leave their women, come into
this "Jim Crow Carr take from
their pockets bottles of whiskey
and drink In the presence of our
women.
Furthermore, the Crime of cheat
ing and swindling is connected with
the "Jim Crow Car, /" for the colored
manis made to purchase frst-class
ticket-the only kind sold, which
entities him to . first-class passage;
the same that the Dago, apig-
tailed Chinaman," and the very
lowest element Of. foreigners get;
but instead, he must take q third
class passage, which is often little
better than . pig-pen, where the
news-butcher has his paraphernalia
and annoys You with trying to sell
you gum, trashy literature and
other things as trashy As himself.
Even in this little dirty place, .
white man comes In, and conductor
allows him to remain, unless some
colored man or woman has him to
understand that he is not needed.
What can be done to better this
system of travelling; this cheating
and swindling2 l believe the con-
certed efforts of the several clubs
throughout the land can do much
toward changing THE state of
Affairs. Let q committee be ap-
pointed In each state where the
"Jim Crow Car" law exists, to
wait on the railroad commissioners
and lay frankly before them the
imposition and injustice connected
with @Jim Grow Car" travelling.
AJAX not that the races shall ride
together, but that the accommoda-
tons shall be equal in every re-
spect; that We have q colored con-
ductor to take up tickets, our col
ored porter to care for our coach,
and q colored news butcher to sell
us our papers, etc. Ask further
that q committee of an equal num-
Der of white and colored men, be
appointed by said commissioners to
investigate, at stated periods, the
separate coaches, to see that they
are equal in every particular. Our
sisters in the North, East and West
can help with their pens. voices and
money. Let rs as women agitate this
question now; discuss it at our next
national meeting, and continue to /
agitste it until we shall have, in
stead of the "Jim Crow Car" first |
and second-class fares or equal &C.
commodations.
SELENA s. BUrLER.
Atlanta, Ga.
Mrs. Selena Butler, wife of DR.. |
h. &. Butler, of Atlanta, Ga, il
one of the most prominent women
of the South in the educational
world. Anything from her pen is
good.
We have enjoyed the hospitality |
OF her home, and seen the greatness |
OF her intellectually. In the union |
of her and Or. Butler, it is q case
of Greek meeting Greek-each
great in his sphere.-7ke Ship Bril- |
tol, ia.
aptN-RaoNrvn ro1rue