The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-14
ADDRESS; g. :. ;.
Of Co,llofe,d Mll|is,'s''ou:::
=, X 49,. -, ~ n1Nc if$n} Fl. ="
To Their I ai.lature Protest.
!, ing Against tie Passage of
/ + :. the Separate Coach Bill

If r.. t:s.<a 49, - ~ Xxx,
II -, Honorable Senators and Members
1of the General Assembly: ~ (
1--WE, the Colored aszens OF Missouri.
IFresent this overture for your serious
dend impartial attsntion. We. enter "a
! solemn and righteous protest against
Ia e., separate !, Coach Pill in any form.
dIhe Senate and eAsssmblysare .corlsid,
Herring such bill at this time, which,
| (and the unlikely often happens}
might become such law; ito separate
/ the races on the: steam railways In
the State. We, your ,Colored constitu.
onts, are humiliated, Justly .grieyed
and even horifiedy at the thought of
what such legislation would mean for
US as a people in Missouri. The fact
lhat we have to- make such an appeal
Icauses us to blush! The sense or, fear
that the highest 'law-making body in
the State has no regard for olirSstand,
ing would segregate rs on the public
| railways, thus Singing us out and
labelling us as objects of contempt and;
lopprobrium, the sense that we have no
one in your honorable body,?or' rather
not sufficient; number of statesmen
| to represent lis and voice. at this
| critical moment, the aspirations and
harp grief OF, ourSBouls and the! r cal
facts In the case, 50 as to check such
! legislation or. even prevent it's seri.
GUS consideration -Ghfs feeling of ines
curity here on sour&native soil, where
all foreigners, 2-notapf African descent,
are welcomed and permitted to move.
with ease and self-respect, fills us
with shame and holy anger, an an
ger however, that4is not anarchistic.
49, . A Vital Question. -.
Missouri of African, descent, with the
native population OF English, German
or French descent hope to rise and &C.
cording to its Sown!: lneasure' contribute
ats full strength tosthe wealth of the
State, If we are discredited and our
self-respect arbitrarily challenger by
this State? VIII younot allow the con
seriousness. of manhood to lie as O. quiet
! force at the base ofsotlr character and
!Snot= roughly, : by special legislation,
force us to- carry It as a chip upon our,
shoulders. Honored1 sfrs, because YOU
| are freemen and know the sacred fires
which burn ID the breasts of freemen,
ftheir fears and hopes, their perils and
aspirations, we. MAKE this complainti
ttc. you Tas freemen tWith a real griev-'
ance; and we make,lt upon the high
ground of Justice and Fraternity: An
appeal from the lover level would
p owe us. unworthy, $por would 1t merit
the respect Of your honorable body.
Should not the welfare of the people,
Call the people lnhs the supreme law
Of the State? - , 81:
A Question Off,. Principle. -. !. y
| Whether,it be- q 56alidtpaGtftAan, :, a
bar OF q ssunkeIJ ttJsraaa separatiRg<,th
races in railway coaches ofnthis State,
it. makes no difference. The under
lying principle is the same, which we
oppose. The principle Of segregation
in such laws is tnvidlous apd wrong.
1t is prolific germ of all sorts of mis-
chief Such Legislation would degrade
the State and all the people, produce a
bitter estrangement between the races
and would stife with an envenomed
encouragement the spirit Of the Negro
the juvinile, but up Struggling and no
cean portion Of the States population.
Will the Legislature Deny Its Own
Commendable Record?
Need we remind you, gentlemen,
that the legislature Of this State has
contributed literally in the past to
Lincoln Institute, the, State school for
Colored youth located in the capitol
city? This school has sent out many
competent and high thinking teachers
into all parts Of Missouri Such tea
lects, moulding the characters and ere-,
waiting the thoughts Of our colOred
youth. Will the legislature, now at this
| late day, 90 back upon it's commend
able record? With prosperity and
plenty smiling upon us5 and q grand
future reckoning us 70 afie heights, is
/ the. legislature prepared to shock the
moral sense of our great State and
/ d ipple her with a blurred vision and
a leaden foot? The Separate Coach
law, with all 1t implies, would dampen
che sacred sardor and blight the hopes
which this State has hitherto fostered
in the breasts of the colored citizens,
as we'll as Of all. her people.
Gentlemen, you must Know also that
the eighty thousand Of. our women
and girls would feel the humiliation
and cruel blow Of this law most crush
ingly. Is it not possible for you to
feel yourselves In our place? We read
the same Bible, and We have the same
human feelings; can we not, therefore,
expect that you will do for others and
theirs what you would have others do
for you and yours? The sort 1of fegiS@
1ation called Jim Crow law, does
not. mean merely separate section
| on railway cars; it carries with 1t
contempt, embarrassment, suppression
and heartless boycott at very many
other points. And by so much you
make the path Of the Negro TO life,
liberty and the pursuit OF happiness
rough and thorny; thiss path, even
when conditions are equal and favor
able requires the finest courage and
| the highest self7control. ~ In spite of
separating laws, we arc all in the state
| necessarily related in the same general
industrial and poitical7ofder, which
would make a boycott at once posi-
bic, sitting and terrible. = The exclu-
sion of trade unionsm Is bad enough
" ithout the added encouragement Of
legis lative enactment. g.
Moderate Jim Grow Biu Most Dan
gcrOuS.
Furthermore, gent1emen, the more