Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-04-11

writes the editor of the New York In
dependent from which it is taken,
rests in the fact that it describes con
dftions in Washington, city governed
solely by the United States congress.
1t is our only city which represents
the whole country. 1t lies between
two sections, north and south, and It
has a very large negro population.
For 10 years | have resided in Wash
ington, and while it was far from be
ing a paradise for colored people,
when | first touched these shores :
has been doing it's level best ever
since to make conditions for US intol-
cradle. AS a colored woman | might
enter Washington any night
stranger Ill STANCE land, and walk
miles without finding place to lay
my head. Unless happened to KEoW
.coIored people who live here or ran
across a chance acquaintance who
could recommend coIored boarding
house to me- l should be obliged to
spend the entire night wandering
about. Indians, Cinnamon, Filipinos,
j
other dark race can find hotel accomo
daLions, if they can pay for them
The cOlored man alone is thrust out Of
the hotels OF the national capital ike
a Ieper.
As colored woman l may walk
from the capitol to the white mouse,
raVenousIy hungry and abundantly sup
piled with money with which to buy
meal, without finding a single resrau-
rant in which ] would be permitted to
take a morseI of food, if it were pat
rCnized by white people. unless | were
willing to sit behind = screen. A Il
colOrcd woman | cannot visit the tomb
of the Father Of this country which
owes it's very existence to the love OF
freedom in the human heart and
which stands for equal opportunity TO
ALL without being forced to sit IN the
Jim Crow section OF an electric car
which starts from the very heart Of
the city-midway between the capitol
and the white house. If l refuse thus
to be Inundated, | am cast into i'll
and forced to pay fine for violating
the Virginia laws. Every hour in the
day Jim Crow cars filed with colored
people, many Of whom are intelligent
and well to do, enter and leave the
national capital
AS a coIored woman | may enter
more than one white church in Wash
ington without receiving that welcome
which as human being | have the
right to expect in the sanctuary Of
God. Sometimes the cOIOr-bliudness
Of the usher takes on that peculiar
form which prevents a dark face from
making any impression whats JevCr
upon his retina, so that it is impossible
for him to see cOlored people at all
If he is not 50 afflicted, after keeping
q cOlCred man or woman waiting a
long time, be will ungraCiOusly show
these dusky Christians who have had
the temerity to thrust themselves into
a temple where only the fair of face
are expected to worship God to a seat
in the rear, which is named in honor
of a certain parsonage, well-lnOwn in
this country, and commonly called
Jim Crow
Unless | am willing to engage i'll a
Few mental ocupations, in which the
pay for my services would be very
poor, there is no way for me to earn
an honest living, if | am not teamed
nurse or n dress-maker or can secure
a position as teacher in the public
schools, which is exceedingly difficult
to do. 1t matters not what my intel
iecJuaI attannehts may be or now
great IS the neeo OF the services OF d
competent person. II l Try 10 enter
many OF The numerous Yocauons II
winch my "hlte sisters are allowed 10
engage the door is smut IN my face.
FROM one Washington theater | am
executed altogether. In the remainde"
certain seats are set aside for coIorcd
people, ana II Is almost impossible to
secure oInerS. once telepnoned TO
the lckeI SeIler just before matinee
anu "SAu Il Incorporating coiored
huIS" would De allowed 70 SIT IN the
p'IqueI Win her niue Whlte charge
ana ire answer ruShed quickly and
PoSlV'NeN through Ulie receIFef-No.
NHei, l reiDohSIraIeu DIT ana t"Id