The broad ax., 1908-05-09

such feelings Of honor have no r.ore
to do with the race OF the white per-
son than with the color of his ewes
or the shape Of his chin. Bur thou.
sands OF the self-respecting and intel
Egent Negroes who view the matter
in this way have never had any ac.
tual contact with Southern railroad
conditions. Such Negroes az. in
greater or less danger Of letting their
self-respect get the better of them in
determining their attitude towards
Roosevelt's letter to the Commission.
with the result that they would ap.
prove Of that letter instead OF accord.
ing II the strong condemnation which
II should receive from them.
The practical fact of the matter is
that the separate coach laws We're
never designed or intended by their
trainers to be instrumental in afford.
ing equal accommodations for white
and CoIored passengers. Even L ii
were possible, which 1t certainly will
not, be enforce equality, equality will
not be enforced. Anyone at all ia
miliar with conditions in the South
knows that many q train carrying
from 20 to 30 white Pullman pasSen-
gers carries also not more than three
or four Colored passengers who would
pay to ride In parlor cars or sleepers.
Why waste time talking about su;h
nonsense as requiring railroads 10
keep an extra Pullman on every such
run? The Nashville, Chattanooga &
st. Louis r. R. has already complied
with Rooseyelt's equality program as
regards soap and towels, not by put
ting on such conveniences for its Col
ored passengers. but by taking them
on its white" coaches. Here is an
instance. and II Is typical, of road
refusIng to do what It easily could al
ford TO do In the way Of properly
treating Colored passengers. Why.
then. talk about making II do what it
cannot reasonably be asked to do.
that is. what It cannot possibly afford
TO do, In the way Of affording equal
and separate accommodations?
Another TACT which the self-resept-
ing Negro should not lose sight OF in
this connection Is that the Negro is
to continue. according to RoOseyth'
pleasure. as the only class on the train
which Is to be set apart from the rest
Of mankind represented theron. Red
Indians. yellow japanese and China
men. brown Hindoos and Filpiuos.
Jews, and decent and unprecedented
Caucasians may all freely intermingle'
and with them even prejudiced white
Americans are equally privileged white
Americans are equally privileged To
associate; but the Negro alone is TO
be excluded from association with
the unprejudlced Of all other races
md why2 In obedience to the bas"
and lying sentiment that he IL Eo'
entitled to the respect and consider
alton which should be and is accorded
tc' all other races OF mankind.
Roosevelt says that there is moth
ing In the law which forbIds separate
accommodations" We reply, THERE
IS NOTHING IN THE CoNsTITU-
TON WHICH FoRBIDs THE FED
ERAL GOVERNMENT REGULATING
COMMERCE. Indeed
there is nothing in that instrument to
sanction any such thing as congress
deIegating to any state the power to
regulate commerce among the several
states" for this b one Of the powers
expressly reserved for the federal gov
eminent In Article /. Section VIII
whom Is tie Negro really to blame
Tor separate. that IL interior, accom-
nodations on Southern railroads? Is
his blame to rest entirely with the
Democratic state admins
.rations, which can keep up this dis
only a. long - the Ke-
Dublicsn federal government leaves
Is NAKED TO OUR ENmnEsT
ne InfoEmsr. Detroit Mleh.