The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-14
SEPARATE CARS


We have received a circular address
de ITO the n. c. Legislature" 1t is a
strong protest against. the bill selected
by "a sub-sub-com-providing for sep
arate coaches on rail road trains" 1t
is to be hoped that every member will
give what is said patient consideration.
If the bill favored by the committee is
one-half as defective as the author Of
the circular claims it to be, then its
passage will be ridiculous, will be a
complete reputation of the pledge of
the platform and the demand of the
! party, and will give universal dissat-
isfaction among the white men who
redeemed the state last year, and made
the present legislature possible.
1t is plain as a pike-staff that the
white men demand separate cars and
| will not be content with any thing less.
| A very short bill providing in few
words on all railroads separate accom-
mediation in separate cars for the two
races is what is needed. If this is not
done then the members who oppose it
| will dig deep there own political graves.
The circular is tor long to quote, and
| yet to be appreciated it must be read
in it's entirety. We quote a part that
our readers may see what is the con-
tention:
"The first, second and third sections
! of the bill leaves the matter entirely
with the railroads, the people who pay
for transportation having no voice at
all, but the Wall Street Magnates
through their emmissaries are to be the
guardians of our wives and children.
"All they have to do, is to say earn
ings are not within the limit, and zone
dare gainsay their assertion, they are
supreme in testimony; if such an one
should appear they have only to send
the message and an injunction judge
is ready to decide that "the books must
not be opened for they are private
property" Then, where are the citi-
zens, the voters, who should be SUI
preme in their power and through
whose votes this body of trusted men
were called to make our laws? Echo
answers where!
Then more dangerous comes section
4, which goes so far as to except all
trains that pass through the confines of
this Grand Old Commonwealth" all
freight, mixed, Pullman v%estibuled or
limited trains.
Therefore, all the railroad company
has to do is to put on; first one box
car with $1.00 worth of merchandise
and call it a freight train; to put or one
car of merchandise and call it a mixed
train; one express car and call it an
express train; a Pullman car and it is
a P .llman train; two cars, baggage
and mail, or mail and express vesti-
buled and then it is a v~estibuled train;
last but not least; advertise a through
limited traillimited to cross our bord-
er on schedule time. From Boykin,
Va, to Weldon, Bellfield to Weldon,
Danville to Reidsville, on our north
ern border, and likewise on the south;
And u white people, who in their
might rose and smote the monster,
sending you there to protect them,
their wives and children, and high
above all assert; we are the law max
ers for u people, untrammelled by
any foreign corporations.
Then comes Section 5, which gives
to conductors, who are in the employ
of the companies the power to create
an imaginary partition; ridiculous in
the extreme"
We have not seen one democratic
newspaper that has spoken that was
not strongly, resolutely for separate
cars. Let the accommodations be
equal but let the separation take place.
We verify believe a failure at this point
will give more offence to the white
people gnerally than a failure at any
other point save the suffrage question.
If legislators disappoint an unanimous
party in this matter Of separate cars
they may make up to their minds to
retire %henceforth to the darkest shades
of private life" where they can medi-
tate upon lost opportunity and the ex-
ceeding disadvantage of their fore
sight not being as good as hind
sight" The circular aptly quotes the
famous lines from Shakespeare:
THE evil that men do lives after them:
The good if Oft inferred with their
bones"
kEsk re - xS1HE