The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-11-29
OUR RALEIGH LETTER.
LADIES APPEAL TO LEGISLATURE FOR
SEPARATION OF RACES IN STREET
CARS.

RALEIGH, N. c., Nov. 26, 1900.
A movement is afoot to ask the legis
lature to require street cars to separate
negroes from the white passengers
There is no question of the desirabilfty
of such movement" and it ought to
succeed. In steam railroad cars, be-
tore the separate coach was exacted,
white people did not have to share
seats with negroes-they merely rode
in the same coaches. But on street
cars there are always a lot OF the worst
class of negroes who purposely Hing
themselves into seats partially occupied
by whites-the lewd negro wenches and
half drunken negro "dudes" are famous
for it-and refined, sensitive ladies
have it to lear at present. They've
borne it too long already.
Make the street car companies pro-
vide separate compartment in closed
coaches, and reserve certain number
of rear seats in summer cars, gentlemen
of the legislature the cost will be In
considerable to the companies, and
If it was ten times as much 1t
should be required OF them. The idea
of "Jim crow" law for steam railroad
and not for street cars, is preposterous.
In New Orleans, and other Southern
cities, law of this character Is In force
while in many cities the necessity OF it
has never arisen, simply because the
street car conductors carry out orders
from the companies to compel negroes
to occupy separate seats.
But no one ever saw Raleigh con-
ductor do that, or even make sugges-
ton in that direction, and I am told
tie need of the law is felt by the pub
lie In Winston, Charlotte and other
cities of this State as sensibly as here.
The ladies especially demand 1t, and it
there's white supremacy" member
of the Gensral Assembly who opposes
it, he should remove his badge and
take seat on the other side. 1t there
Is any one place where separation OF
races is more desirable and proper than
elsewhere it is on the street cars, and
every decent man and woman who
patronizes them knows this to be true.
In the summer the most Objectionable
class of negroes actually monopolize all
the best seats and force white people
(ladies included) to stand, all the way
to the parks on Sunday afternoons
especially.
1t is bad enough on the open sum-
mer cars, but now that winter is at
hand the crowding of refined ladies in
to close cars with negroes of the
lowest class, and jamming them
up against often half drunken indecent
negroes and negresses in crowded
close cars, is simply an outrage which
the street car companies ought to be
so ashamed of as to have voluntarily
corrected long ago, without the asking
As it is evident they will not do sc
of their own accord, they should be
made to do it by law, and all theil
protests about additional expense
and the like must uot be allowed te
influence any legislator from doing hit
unquestioned and unquestionable duty
in the premises.
The people are very much in earnes
about this matter-and they ought te
be-visitors from the country and
small towns, during the State Fair ani
on other occasions, as we'll as the "city
folks"
SOUTHERN MILLS VERSUS NORTHERN
AGENTS.
TIE South's leading manufacturing
industry is now we'll cup against" thu
Northern sharks, yclept "Yarn Mer
chants Association" who have TO-
years been reaping the lions share o
the profits derived from the sale Q
Southern cotton mill products.
The commissions which they hav
exacted Is and per cent? have BEEF
exorbitant, but they have not beel
satisfied with that, and have "specu
lated" on the goods not owned b.
them, and thus swelled their owl
plethoric purses at the expense of til
Southern mill owners-and the latte
have had to submit.
, Now the Southern spinners are thi
week winding up their fight for q. fal
! division OF legitimate profits. TIL
5 board of governors of their associatio
. are perfecting the plans to compel
, reduction of commissions to 4 and
per cent. and the Limitation OF con
mission houses to 10 or less. Tt
yarn merchants telegraphed the 60
g errors at their meeting in Charlotte
+ night or two ago that they "positivel
could not entertain any proposition /,
reduce the present rate of commi
sions."
But our folks are apparently now
i a position to carry out their plan