The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-05-23
NO MIXED PULLMAN
CAR DESIRED
South Carolina Railroad Commission.
ers Address Letter to Pullman
Company.


nation of the Pullman company for
selling negroes berths in Pullman cars
along with white people was voiced
by the South Carolina railroad COM
mission tonight in letter addressed
to F. B.. Daniels, the general solicitor
of the company in Chicago, by John
G. Richards, the chairman. Mr.. Rich
ards 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 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.
On May IA, 1913, I boarded Pull
man car at Rock Hill, S. c., for Co
1umbia, 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 occupied by a
negro man. Practically every reser-
vation 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 law which un-
dertakes 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 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.
CAS- 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.
eve know full well that national
law requires your company to give
equal accommodation 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
your white patrons in the South. and
the people of South Carolina will most
certainly expect you to provide ac-
commodations in future that will ef-
fectually separate the races.
Spirit of Law Violated.
Through the exposure of this re-
cert occurrence, it has been brought
to our attention that your company
has frequently within recent months
violated the spirit of the South Car
olina law. With tn opening and
closing of the negro college at Or
angeburg, S. c., we have been inform
ed that your company sells to negroes
reservations on the cars that you
know are occupied by white ladies
and gentlemen.
The railroad commission of South
Carolina is aware of the fact that it
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 opin-
ion that if you do not do so, and
speedily, you will sustain far greater
loss through those who will positive
ly refuse to patronize your company.
eve wish to impress upon you this
e. - uy1o 1,o nronocn IN cOntiDua to