The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-30
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 80. 1899.
THE NEGRo,s MISFORTUNE,

The position of the black man IN
America is not enviable and we confess
that We cannot see any very brilliant
prospects for him. he was created with
a black skin and the white man was
created with a repueuaDce to HIM There
fore. he black man cannot hoTc ever to
xet the refining Influences Of that society
when the white man has made. In
America there Is no aristocracy except
the aristocracy Of merit The white boy
Of the humDlest origin may, oy his own
efforts and merits. secure tie ence into the
best society of the land and enjoy an IT'S
PLEASURES and benefits But that door IS
shut to the black man and the probability
Is that il will always be shut, because as
we have said the white man was created
with a repugnance TO the black man which
lie could not. II he would, overcome. lie
is unwilling to receive the black man as
a guest al his freside. He may have
friendly feelings for him and may lie Will
ing TO do him any favor that he can. but
10 receive him I'm the inner circle and to
treat him as an intimate he cannot do.
This is the negro's misfortune. and the
white man is no more responsible for ii
and for his feelings towards the black
man than. he Is responsible for the fact
that the iniquities OF the fathers are Wis
tied upon the children 30 the third and
fourth generation. The races are distinct
and separate and the older the country
grows the sharper Is the color line drawn.
There Is another view. The genteeL
educated black man is not only debarred
from intimate association With the whites.
b.: he is often forced into unpleasant as.
sociations with the interiors o. his own
race. No matter how cultivated he may
be. 10 matter how much money he may
have, he is often forced by reason OK his
color into positions whose surroundings
must be anything but agroeebls TO his
feelings To a more or less extent he must
foreve- suffer the determinations that axe
made against lis race. lie IS. TO a degree,
affected and injured by every crime that
the meanest negroes commit, and no mat
he must suffer upon occasion for the bad
manners and general onensiveness Of the
lowest CLASSES Of his race
We have In mind the Jim crow car
: hich is so Objectionable to the blacks
White men do not object TO travelling IN
tire same car with decent well-behaved
negroes. but they DO object 30 being forced
into an association for the tia,e with
black men and women who are dirty IN
person and bolsterous and offensive In
manner. and as We said in a recent ari!-
Gle. such association is not only disagree
able. but absolutely menace 20 peace
and good order White men DO not ike
the ..Jlm Crow car. per Sc. any more than
black men Ike H. The partition greatly
6efracts from the comfort Of the car ana
~,ould not be tolerated Oy the travelling
,,ohie but for the necessity which the
whites recognize. The Jim Crow car
!. no hardship on dirty. ill-mannered
negroes. People who Go not know how TO
behave themselves IN public ought not
=, he permitted 10 mix with decent people
~ 4, can be avoided. But we are frank TO
say that It is a great hardship on genteei
regroes. who do know how to behave and
who do behave 10 public. TO be forced into
AN apartment which il set apart for the
o~-bred. indecent people OF their race
ys; the eenteel black man. in this in
stance as in many others. must suiier for
The color OF his skin and for The misbe-
ha,lor Of other black men. An black
men look alike 10 the law and The Law
cannot discriminate The greatest good 70
the greatest number i a well recognized
maxim Of the law. and those who advocate
the Jim Crow" car say that II Is better
Tor the few genteel blacks 10 suffer than
Tor all the whites 10 suffer from the Of
fensiye and dangerous negroes who ride
hack and forth on our railways
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THE SEIZURE Of AMERICAN