Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-01-12
jim CROW LAW
MERCER COUNTY STATESMAN
PROMISES TO INTRODUCE BILL
his STAND ON THE CUES
TIoN HAD MUCH To DO WITH
HIS ELECTION.

The prom sc of w. p. Hawiey, one
OF the delegates from this CO, nty 20
the state leg Statue, to introduce a
Jim Grow" bill, was not an idle
one. Charles Brooks Smith. in a let
ter to the Huntington Advertiser
contains an interview with Mr.. Haw-
ley, which We reproduce below. II
Mr.. Hawley pushes his bill to a
successful issue he will earn the
thanks OF the Democrats as well rs
the voters OF his own party. The
democrats want the aw and they
had the honesty to say So in their
platform. The majority of the white
people OF this county were strongly
In favor OF It and IL Mr.. Hawley and
his associate Mr.. Lilly had. not prom
ised the white Republicans TO advo-
cate such a law Il Is almost certa n
that they would have been defeated.
Their stand m favor OF this Demo
cratic measure saved the day for
them. Tie Democrats being honest
ly in favor OF the law, will be
willing to concede to hem full cred
{ VI they are successful In putting
Il through the legislature.
Mr.. Haw.ey's views are outlined
by Mr.. Smith as follows:
w. p. Hawley and r. G. LILY.
representatives In the house from
Mercer county, arrived early on the
scene and with Their coming the in
teresting Information was impaired
that Mr.. Hawley has Jim. Grow"
Dill that he proposes to introduce in
the house and push forward to sue.
cess If energetic work and the mass
OF cow ncfng argument he has on
tine subject Will have any effect on
HIS fellow-lawmakers. Mr.. Hawley
a Republican and the introduction
OF such bi by a member of that
party will no doubt add to the inter
est of the transaction. The Demo
crat C party in the last campo gn had
Jim Crowism" as one OF their chief
issues, and on 1T won a raft of Re-
pup ea votes, especially in the
southern tier of counties and from
among the ranks OF the trave ing
salNsmen. The feeling between the
whites and the negroes IN the down.
state counties can hardly be under
stood upstate where the negroes
are less numerous. But it is Intense
especially on trains.
On number OF local
trains, double crewe are carried to
pFsvent d sordSr and clashes be-
tweed whites and blacks. / was told
Ar s~7sieman who travels muc0
on the bet trains In she so-eallea
Diack belt that a riot between the
whites and blacks Is likely to occur
on train at any time, and thai n
VIII be surpr sing If a number of
laVes are not snuffed out thereby.
he holds that the state, by SHIFTING
its eyes 20 condat ons that ara l,nown
10 exist, will be responsible for sucb
an outbreak and its tragic resu'aa
The advocates of the - I'M Crow,
law are mostly from the section ~
tne state where the need OF sucb a
law Is felt the most, and thew ara
very earnest about 1t. He says tna4
the legislature wiz have to enac,
such law sooner or later. and hs
thinks 1t might as well face the
uuey now. The Republican party.
W' holds, should not show coward
Ice by evading thGS matter anv lon
ger but should take the dilemma nv
dhe horns, and give the state a Law
that VII be satisfactory to boto ra
ces' and particularly SO to the mi
roads, who, he says, no longer On
pose such a law, but actual favor
IT, He doesn't tn NIX that the repub
Ecan party has anything to lose nv
giving the pubic such a law bu4 nm
the contrary has a good deal 70
gam. While admitting that by pass-
ing Jim Crow" law the demo-
Gratis recall ng the last camna,on
WILL delight to poke fun AZ the
dominant party for It's tightening
IKE change of front on mis- dssua ana
Is apparent moons stency and I'm
congruity as to 1t, Mr.. HawIev no
heyea that the compensationa FOR
INC enactment OF such a law VIII
consist Of more praise than condam-
natlon. He has editor al clippings
from number OF leading repubH.
can newspapers who, since the 70.
turns from ehe election got in. baNs
sudden y switched 10 the advocacy
on Seperate coaches for negro Apavel.
ara or, fras navel