The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-07-20
CANDLER SHEDSLIGHT..
Ex-senator Believes Passage Of Eseh-
Townsend Bill by Congress Would
Kill "Jim Crow" Car Laws.

Kill Jim Crow Car Laws.
A Washington dispatch says: In q
recent interview former Senator
Chandler Of New Hampshire brought
forward a question that was generally
discussed when the Esch-Townsend
bill was under consideration during
the last session Of congress. but which
is sure to come up if a similar, meas
ure is brought forward next winter.
Mr.. Chandler favored the Esch-Town-
send bill and one Of his reasons for
doing so was that IF national con-
troll of railroads is alowed all dis
criminat.ons between whites and
blacks in the enjoyment otsrailroad
facilities will. be abolished; in other
words there will be- no finn crow
cars, and the white man and the
negro will lave to sit side by side
in the same cars all over the south. 2,
This utterance by Mr.. Chandler has
already given rise to considerable dis
cussion and some Of the friends Of
the Esch-fownsead bill have endeav-
ored to explain that it would have
no. such; effect, as he believes, and
that It. would not be construed as null.
lny;ng the laws that have been passed
in southern states requiring the, rail-
roads to afford separate accommoda.s
tiors for whites and blacks. 1t ig
certain that it would not affect these
laws so far as they apply to trans
portation wholly within the bounds
Of a single state. It is not so clear
that it would not be within the power
of the interstate commerce commits
sion and Of the, courts to compel the
roads to grant equal accommod odations
to whites and blacks travelling across
state lines.
The language of the bill which Mr..
Chandler believes would place negroes
on an equality with white men and
women in southern railway transit is
found in section 1. This section pro
vides:
"That whenever, upon complaint
duly made, under section 13 Of the
act to regulate commerce, the inter
state commerce commission shall. at.
ter full hearing, make any finding or
ruling declaring any sexisting rate for
the TRANSPORTATION Of persons or prop
erty,or any regulation or practice
whatsoever affecting the Transports
ton of persons or property to be uh-is
reasonable or unjustly discriminatory,
the commission shall have power, and
1t shall be its duty, to declare and
order what shall be just and rea-s
sonable rate, practice or regulation
to be charged, imposed or followed
in the future in place Of that found
to be unreasonable or unjustly discrim-
inatory, and the order of the commits
sion shall, of its own force, take eff
feet and become operative thirty days
after notice thereof has been given
to the person or persons affected
| thereby"
While the chief purpose had in view
by the trainers Of the Esch-T Townsend
byl was tcg give the interstate COM
merce commission Increased authority
over freight rates. they did not stop
there The sbill proposed to confer
upon the commission power to change
any regulation or practice whatso-
ever affectingT the transportation OF )
persons or property" that might be
found to be unreasonable or unjustef
discriminatory. This Is very broad
language. Some Of the opponents OF
the bill have gone so far as toeon-
tend that 1t would give the commits
sion practically. absolute power over
the management Of all Of the.-fail-
roads in the United States, even en-
abling them to prescribe the sched-.
u!es on which trains should move
and the stations at which they should
stop and to fix the wages Of employ
ees. A much less extreme construc-
ton would seem to make it cover q
regulation or practjce"that might be
alleged to be "unjustly discriminatory
l HI aAI