The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-05-28
ObJLCT To MIXING
Want SIPtRATE Cars FOR
BLACK and White
NO mixed PULLMAN CAR

NO MIXED PULLMAN CAR
South Carolina Railroad Commission
ers Address Letter to Pullman Com
pany Solicitor Condemning Prac-
tice of Selling Berths to Negroes On
Interstate Trains.
Severe condemnation OF the Pull
man Company for selling negroes
bearths in Pullman cars with white
people was voiced by the South Car
olina railroad commission Wednes-
day night in letter addressed to F.
B. Daniels, the general solicitor OF
the company in Chicago, By John G.
Richards, the chairman. Mr.. Richards
ards, the chairman. Mr.. Richards
tells the Pullman Company that he
is aware of the fact that the train on
which he found negro man IN a
Pullman car was an interstate train,
but warns against the company con-
tinuing to aggravate the white peo-
pie in this manner or else an appeal
will be made to congress for reltef.
The letter, which was made public
Wednesday night, follows:
'ton May IA, 1913, I boarded
Pullman car at Rock Hill, S. c., for
Columbia, S. c., and was assigned by
the Pullman conductor to berth or
seat No. II, and was shocked to find
that Berth No. IL was occupied by a
negro man. Practically every re-
serration upon this car was occupied
by white ladies and gentlemen.
Southern Railway Train No. 81,
as, of course, you know, is an inter
state train and is under national con-
troll. South Carolina, however, has
on her statute books a law which
undertakes to separate races in travel
upon all trains operating in this
State. There are separate coach"
laws in every Southern State through
which this train operates and carries
your Pullman cars. While we may
not be able to reach your company
for having violated the letter Of our
law, you most certainly are guilty OF
a violation Of its spirit and purpose,
and the railroad commission Of South
Carolina feels that it should express
to you in no uncertain terms its con-
demnation Of your conduct in selling
passage to negroes and afording
them Accommodations on the same
coaches upon which you have white
women and white men passengers.
Gas you are aware, the Pullman
Company operating in the South Is
sustained almost entirely by its
white patrons, and these do not pro-
pose to submit to conditions which
will permit negroes to occupy the
same coaches.
eve know full well that national
law requires your company to give
equal Accommodations to both whites
and blacks, but there is no law which
prevents your furnishing separate &C
commodations for the races, just as
our separate coach law requires the
railroads to do in South Carolina.
There are many legal ways open to
your company, that il resorted to,
would remove the necessity for your
company forcing this indignity upon
your white patrons N the South. and
the people Of South Carolina will
most certainly expect you to provide
accommodations in future that will
effectually separate the races.
Through the exposure Of this re-
cent occurrence, it has been brought
to our attention that your company
has frequently within recent months
violated the spirit Of the South Caro-
lima law. With the opening and clos
ing Of the negro college at Orange
burg, S. c., we have been informed
that your company sells to negroes
reservations on the cars that you
know are occupied by white ladies
and gentlemen.
t'The railroad commission Of South
Carolina is aware of the fact that 1t
may entail some additional expense
upon your company to provide sep.
arate accommodations for the races
while you are operating within this
State, but we are Of the decided
opinion that If you do not do 80, and
speedily, you will sustain far great
er loss through those who will posi-
lively refuse to patronize your COM
pany.
Eve wish to impress upon you this
fact: That we propose to continue
to give this matter our personal su
peryision and see to it that the peo-
pie Of South Carolina are kept thor
oughly informed as to what your
practice is in future, and If you do
not voluntarily give US the relief, we
will appeal to our Representatives 10
Congress for national legis, ~ that
will compel you to meet the ands
Of the white people of t.4is State,
and of the South generally"
Must Have Been Crazy.