The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-05-29
MIGHT APPEAL
TO CONGRESS.
Railroad Commissioners
Address Letter to
Pullman Co.

Columbia, May 21.-Severe con-
demnation of the Pullman Company
for selling negroes berths in Pullman
cars along with white people was
voiced by the South Carolina railroad
commissioned tonight in letter ad-
dressed to F. B. Daniels, the general
solicitor of the company in Chicago,
by John G. Richards, the chairman.
Mr.. Richards tells the Pullman Com
pany that he is aware of the fact that
the train on which he found negro
man in a Pullman car was an inter-
state train, but warns against the
company continuing to aggravate the
white people in this manner or else
an appeal will be made to Congress
for relief. The letter, which was
made public tonight, follows:
Negro Man in Berth IL.
ION May IA, 1913, | boarded a
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 out that Berth No. IL was occu-
pied by negro man. Practically
every reservation upon this car was
occupied by white ladies and gentle
men.
"Southern Railway Train No. 81,
as, of course, you know, is an inter-
state train and is under national
control. 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
violation of it's 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 affording
them Accommodations on the same
coaches upon which you have white
women and white men passengers.
Do Not Propose to Submit.
LAS you are aware, the Pullman
Company operating in the South is
sustained almost entirely by it's white
patrons, and these do not propose to
submit to conditions which will per-
NIT negroes to occupy the same
coaches.
I'VE know full we'll that national
law requires your company to give
euuay accommodations to both whites
and blacks, but there is no law which
prevents your furnishing separate ac-
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 If resorted to
would remove the necessity for your
company forcing this indignity upon
vour white patrons in the South, and
the people of South Carolina will
most certainly expect you to provide
accommodations in future that will
effectually separate the races.
Spirit of Law Violated.
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
closing of the negro college at
Orangeburg, S. c., we have been in
formed that your company sells to
negroes reservations On the cars that
YOU know are occupied by white la
dies and gentlemen.
The railroad commission of South
Carolina is aware of the fact that it
may entil 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 opin-
ion that if you do not do so. and
speedily, you will sustain far greater
loss through those who will positively
refuse to patronize your company.
eve wish to impress upon you this
fact: That we propose to continue to