The broad ax., 1913-04-05
THE Jim CROW" LEGISLATION
AT SPRINGFIELD.
Extracts from the Report to Bethel
Literary" Sunday Afternoon.
By Attorney J. Gray Lucas, Its Rep
resentative.

Last wednesday, Match @oIn, was
an important and epoch making day
at the Capitol of Illinois for the Col
ored people of this State.
This was the day set apart for the
consideration of the several bills either
directly or indirectly aimed at the
Negro in Illinois, commonly termed
"Jim Crow" Legislation.
The Colored people had, on that day,
sent their various representatives from
various organizations, mass meetings,
churches and clubs, not to mention
the many Independent persons, inter
ested or curious, of the race, present
to see and add their advice to those
otherwise sent.
It was both fortuitOus and advan-
tageous that the day in question was
the day for what terminated in the
election of the two United States Sen
ators from Illinois, thereby ending the
celebrated deadlock" and adding to
the interests of the day and the i'm
portance of the representations urged
in the behalf of this race.
The "IllinOis Protective League"
was the statewide organization made
up of nearly, if not quite all the rep
resentatives of the COlored people of
the state on that day.
This organization, though but a week
old at the time, was composed of over
a hundred persons, women and men,
representing nearly every section of
Illinois.
1t went into solemn session at ten
clock on Wednesday morning, and
within three hours had appointed and
amplifed its various committees, cut
out its days work to begin at the
State House at 2:3O p. m, its various
committees had selected their spokes-
men and representatives, and the va
rious delegates met after lunch at the
Capitol Building to confer with the
Railroad" and Judiciary" Com
mittees that had the three bills as
signed and referred to them for their
favorable or unfavorable report.
Senator JUL, chairman of the Ju-
dietary Committee, secured an audi
ence with the delegates, as he said
that his committee was not to meet,
as many of the delegates had been led
to believe, and stated that he was OPP
posed to all so-caIled "Jim Crow" and
class legislation; but said as chairman
of his committee, he was subject to its
orders, yet would use his best efforts
to prevent the miscegination bill from
being reported out of his committee.
However, he expressed pleasure that
we had representatives before him cap
able of stating in clear and suecinet
form our real objections to that meas
ure, which he wished to know, that he
might enlighten his colleagues on the
committee and so assist us in its de-
feat.
4AOA- -. via AAANaE was ~ dIIaA-
ent common accord, asked to state the
Colored peoples ease against the In
ter-marriage bill, which he proceeded
to do in the shortest, tersest and clear
est summary, conceivable, as much
time had been already lost in the pro-
eeedings in the Joint-Session, eIeeting
the senators. His summary was inelu-
sive of about these points:
First, that any such legislation was
the vilest kind of class legislation;
that it stigmatized the Negro as
marked race, as so different from other
people in Illinois that special legisla-
tion was required against it; that they
were made to appear unfit to live in
the same atmosphere with the White or
any other race, thereby causing the
foreigner, and the rising generations
of all races to believe and feel the
Negro to be a fit subject for oppres-
sion, discrimination and mob violence.
Second, that the bill was fundamen-
tally and inherently wrong and indie
feasible, because it in terms removed
from all womanhoOd the protection
that has ever been thrown around it
against the lusts of men-requiring
that they pay the penalty by marriage,
wherever possible, for wrongs COM
mitted against the sex; that the refusal
of the law to sanction honorable mar
riage between the races would increase
the social evil and tend to license vice
between the races, the penalty against
marriage being the very thing this
class would welcome, since it made
them safe in their relations with
women of either race, men Of the OPP
posite race.
Third, that the laws against bas-
tardy, abduction, seduction and adul-
terry would ali have to be repealed, or
amended in some way, so that the pen
atty in either Of these cases would
Mt IN aarfo;n r-ovu annIx- - -,4ho.