The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1907-11-08
sTRINGER e. THOMAS, Props.

Such is the admitted platform of
the section which "only asks to be let
alone" to work out it's own problem"
Does its just and temperate tone APP
peal to Northerners inclined to accept
the Southern view of the race issue?
1t is not, under ordinary circum-
stances, an admirable thing to at
tempt to mind other peoples business,
but when your neighbor beats his.
wife or drags her around by the hair,
interference is not commonly an I'M
justifiable impertinence. And that,
too, tho he may defend his methods
of discipline by a very truthful asser.
ton that he knews her failings better
than anybody else because he lives
with her. Proximity, when once con-
jugal affection has begun to give way
to irritation, may be the very thing
which blinds him to all else but her
failings. Very similar, it seems to
me, is the case of the Southerner and
the negro. The credulous outsider,
especially if afflicted with the prevail.
ing arrogance because of his descent
from a tribe of German barbarians,
lays all stress upon the closeness of
their relations, totally overlooks the
fact that here too proximity has bred
irritation rather than any real &C.
quaintance, and swallows whole" a
one-sided account of conditions in the
South. So a Northern paper, in com-
menting upon the late Atlanta dis
turbances, expressed surprise that
Southern men had shown as much
moderation as they had, altho it did
add the saving clause, eff what Allan
ia papers say is true"
But passing over the now familiar
episodes Of the Atlanta massacres, let
us see what is done in cold blood,
when no reported assault" has
reused men to what they may regret
in saner moments. In New Orleans
they substitute for the Jim Crow a
proper a screen in all cars between
the ends designed for white and col
ored passengers. Last year, in course
of extended reconstruction of the car
tracks, the switching Of cars to other
routes was frequently necessary. In
the case of one line this involved the
reversing of the cars, and thus arose
a (to the Southern mind) complica-
ton which can be best appreciated
thru extracts from a half-column al,
ticle in one of the leading dailies:
Complaints have been received be
cause of the ~disagreeable and annoy.
ing conditions created by the change
in the route of the Prytania street car.
1t is urged that unless remedied bad
blood is bound to result, and clashes
between the races are probable.
The Jim Crow law provides that the
separate compartment for negroes
shall be located in the rear of each
street car. When the car is re-
versed, in switching into Poryfarre,
however, the negroes are in the front
of the car. Yesterday the conductors
transferred the screens. dividing the
white and negro passengers; when the
change was made and required the
passengers to change seats, necesSitat-
ing a general move upon the part of
white and negro passengers. =.
Frequently in the evening the Pry-
tania cars are crowded with theater-
goers in evening dress. II the negroes
are allowed to retain their seats, they
will be obliged, on entering or leav-
ing, to crowd through the car from the
rear to the front, elbowing the ladies
and creating almost uncomfortable con-
ditions. If, as was practiced yester-
day, the whites and blacks are re-
quired to change seats, the same dis
agreeable crush and shouldering of
the two races will ensue. When seats
and aisles are crowded, as is often
the case, bad temper and bad blood
are sure to grow out of this attempt
of the blacks to crowd through the
aisles, or in the interchange of seats,
and clashes between the races are
not only possible but very probable.
Patrons of the line are indig-
nant at the method in use yesterday.
The Prytania a line runs through