Richmond planet., 1906-01-13
FIGHTING THE "JIM
CROW" STREET CARS
The Colored People Of Nashville Are Defiant.
Automobiles Purchased
FIRST EFFORT FAILURE SECOND ONE SUCCEEDS.


The Nashville. Tennessee Nation
al Baptist Union published a cut OF
the large automobiles now in ser
vice in that city together with the
following sketch which will not on
ly explain itself. but which will be
Of special interest to the colored
people OF this city. II does not
state however the rate of fare for
the trip.
IL will possibly iRterest every read
or OF The National Baptist Union to
know something OF the progress of
the Union transportation Company
OF Nashville. Tenn, and it's mission.
There seems TO be a tidal wave Of
social hysteria or Ncgrophobia sweep
ing over the Southern States at this
time. Hence the legislature OF Ten
nessee at its last session became i'm
pregnated with this excitement and
passed one OF the most unjust. ia
human and degrading Jim Crow
street car laws that has ever gone
down on the statute books in any
state. This law makes every igno-
rant strcet-car conductor a full
hedged policeman. when IL comes 70
carrying Negro passeng gers on their
cars. This law gives them the right
TO arrest and commit TO prison any
Negro, male or female. who refuses
20 obey the demands OF these boast
ful, imposing. ignorant street-car
conductors. To give an example OF
the working Of this law. the follow
ing truthful incident will serve to
illustrate:
a Mrs. W. p. Phillips. very re-
spectacle colored lady, boarded the
car recently and took a seat IN the
rear at the command Of the conduct
or. But when the car was we'll
filled, a white lady OF about the
same age. and dressed in about the
same neat costume, entered the car.
There being no vacant seats, the
white lady was compelled TO stand.
The conductor felt called on TO de-
mand Mrs. Phillips TO rise and give
her seat to the white lady, TO which
Mrs. Phillips demurred. saying that
there were plenty OF white men oc-
cupying seats. and Southern courte-
sy would demand that respectable
Southern white men would at all
times give their seats TO Southern
white ladies. 4 private detective,
dressed in citizens clothes, over
heard the conversation, and proceed
ed without further ceremony, TO
arrest Mrs. Phillips and commit her
to prison. She was carried before
Justice Jake Levine, where her
friends made bond fer her in the
sum OF $3.50.
To add insult TO injury, the white
lads on the street-cars and sidewalks
encouraged by their parents and
other friends, have composed jeer-
ing epithetical songs or yells, which
they hurl at all respectable looking
Negroes. The lines run I'm the fol-
lowing manner: ''Jim Crow, Jim
Crow, take a back seat"
In order to keep peace and to al
leviate the mental suffering and hu-
initiation Of our people. the leading
colorod people OF the city called a
mass meeting, and after discussing
the situation, pro and con, decided
by unanimous vote TO form a trans
portation company (to be composed
of stOckholders) for the purpose OF
conveying respectable Negro passen-
gers to and from their places OF
business.
favored wagons and omnibuses with
two and four horses. A committee
was formed to wait on the twenty
or thirty Negroes VINO owned express
wagons, and ask them to join the
transportation company and handle
the business themselves. The ex-
pressmen took this under advise
ment for several weeks. After can
vassing the situation carefully It
was found that these expressmen
and hackmen did considerable haul
ing for white firms of the city, some
OF whom thre tened that they would
refuse to give the colored men work
If their wagons we're put on the
streets at the disposal OF Negro pas
sengers. Whether this be true or
false, the correspondent OF The In
ion is unable to say, but IL is the re-
port that was given to the commit
tee.
The mass meeting formed itself
into a permanent organized body
and elected the following famed Of
flcers; Preston Taylor, Pres: Rev.
w. ID. Chappelle, Vice-Pres: Prof.
G.. w. Henderson, OF Fisk University,
Treas; and Henry A. BoySi, record
irg Sect'y. Attorneys T. G. Ewing,
]. g. Napier and ]. w. Grant were