Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1919-05-03

tones aroused the interest of the entire
car, which at this time was crowded, and
several who were sitting arose to their feet,
all intent on inquiry.
"I'm General O. p, Of Huntsville, Ala"
began the speaker. Zone Of them darkie
Pullman porters had the gall and the af-
front to disobey my command and 1 de-
mand that you stop this train and put
him off, l want you to know that 1 must
be respected. Do you allow servants in
this country to talk back to you? 1 can't
stand it. [ am man, and as long as l
can remember I have never taken word
back from a servant
BY this time every face in the buffet
car had changed it's cOlor-interest anxiety,
disgust, laughter was visible everywhere.
General" said the conductor, aroused
by the wrath Of the speaker 81 will do
anything that l can to please you. Every
porter on this train has a character that
the company will vouch for. We never
allow any incivility to our patrons from
any man that works for the Santa Fe Rail
way. You have charged the porter with
misconduct toward you. In what way, may
l ask the question?'
eyes, commenced the General not yet
fully recovered from Indignation. ''These
belonged to 81 class and everybody at
school was talking about him. They said
that he was smart; but what business has
a Columbia man being Pullman porter"
General, there are many reasOns,'
thoughtfully replied the conductor. "The
classification of colored men as one of the
lesser types has been the custom Of America
for centuries and it has not been changed.
cit does not make any difference what
the merit Of the individual may be, if he or
she are members Of the Negro race, the
chasm of race prejudice is in their path.
That great gulf they must cross with little
or no aid from the white race or their own.
''To be successful, they must possess
that mate ability which stops at nothing
shorter than success-a power to bridge
this stream which centuries has lapsed
without spanning.
''The nOblest men in the world these
Pullman porters, who scorn your miserable
chain of selfshness, and look into Gods
great beyond with cheerfulness akin to
Divine inspiration, while giving to you and
I the best Of their SOULS efforts attempting
to satisfy our greedy thirst for comfort
and ease, while we proclaim more laws to
discredit the very principles through them
that the Great Teacher of Mankind would
have us practice Meel1ness, Appreciation
and Nobleness
Intense interest followed each word so
justly spoken by this man in defense Of his
company, the Negro race and the Pullman
company. The General, without hoping now
for more than armistice, retraced his
steps to car % in a bewilderment of
thought
In his mind new thoughts were constant
"a Columbia man Pullman porter" He
himself was a Columbia man with honors
of that great universty-he climbed from
obscurity to a position of credit and dis
tinction without hindrance-since he left
school thousands, as if from an invisible
world, had helped him to climb the Ladder
of Fame-step by step he had climbed
higher and higher-now in the vigor Of
his strength he was a leader of national
note-he had never been denied position
because of his racial lineage-the franchise
of 100000 black men was the pedestal upon
which he stood denying them liberty to
gain freedom for himself-never had the
Oa11ipU hand IF nroin1ico oouoo1 him 70