The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-11-22
JUSTIFIES jim CROW CAR LAW.
A Negro Paper Says a Freight Car is
Too Good for Some Negroes.

The Littleton Reformer, the leading
colored paper in the State ustifies
the enactment of the Jim Crow car
law. 1t has a sensible article giving a
striking illustration of the necessity
OF such law, bv which the races are
separated on the cars, and in manly
manner denounces those guilty of the
scenes described and properly holds
such responsible for the demand for
the legislation aimed at by separation
of the races. If all the respectable
people of the colored race would unite
in ostracising the bad characters they
would soon create much better con-
dition for themselves, and this article
from the Retormer we take to be an
encouraging sign. Let the decent
element of the race frown down such
conduct and the characters guilty of
such rather than complain of discrim
mating laws, just such conduct and
characters have necessitated, and
create sentiment that bad charac
ters and law-breakers Of that race
must not be shielded or defended but
the contrary, and very much better
condition of affairs will develop among
them. All good white people will
sympathize with and assist the reput-
able element in their aims and efforts
to separate themselves from those
who are degraded and vicious, and
who are generally responsible for the
misfortunes and disasters which befall
the race. Following is the article in
question which we wish to commend:
'sOn the 30th and 31st of October,
during the Weldon Fair, was the first
time we ever witnessed real neces-
sitv for Jim Crow car. We feel it
our duty to speak out in condemna-
alton of such conduct and actions as
were carried on by certain class of
colored passengers going to and from
the fair. Were we to remain silent
on this subject we would feel that
our efforts in publishing a newspaper
are not for the best interests Of the
colored race. 1t is always our pleas
ure to give the bright side of all
questions pertaining to our people,
especially when there are ten to one
who give nothing but the dark side
of the life of the race daily, but when
it becomes necessary we will fearless
ly show up the evil and dark side
with our disapProval. Whenever men
and women have so little respect for
themselves and all decent people
around them they that will indulge in
deafening squalls and whoops, walk
all through the coaches falling upon
others with bottles of whiskey, pour
ing it down their throats right in the
presence of ladies and other respect
able people, they have fallen far be-
low the pail of decency. This was
not all, we saw both young and old
men who could neither sit down nor
stand up, staggering through the
cars putting tobacco smoke in the
face of ladies and gentlemen and seem
to regard everybody around them as
beast except themselves. We think
freight car too good for such people
to ride in. We honestly believe there
never would have been such thing
as law separating the two races on
the cars had it not been for this class
of people. You may say what you
will about solving the race problem
and the kind of obstacles that are do
ing the most to retard the progress
of the colored people, it is still our
candid opinion that liquor and the
habit of drink is the negro's worst
enemy. It's hard indeed that good
and decent citizens have to suffer Tor
the deeds of these develish sinners. !"
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