Arkansas State press., 1946-02-08
editorials
THE WAY TO MEET JIM-C CROW AMICABLY
BEST WAY
BY S. S. Taylor

Operator Burres on 1873 of the Crown Coach line set
new high the handling of bracia traffic.
Sunday, February g. in the late afternoon
The bus already crowded when stopped az LonoKe
number of white and coored passengers boarded II mere
the s ts bs on ss ad difficulty
ing scrougng and scrmmagng through the white but both
races accepted the situation with poise
When the bus to stop, several OF the Negro pas
sengers desired off 1t became evident at once that
they could do only with considerable loss of time and
much discomfort both themselves and to the white pas
sengers standing between them and the door .
At this point, the operator said, 81 think we could all
manager better the white would step OH ana
quietly and Immediately Then the Negroes who wanted
to get out were able to do so quickly and orderly.
When passengers together with those who had step
ped off started to enter the operator spoke again. Nov
believe would all be convenenced if the coored passen-
gers would come in first"
Again the white passengers stepped cheerfly aside and
allowed the coored enter When the coored entered they
and took up the forward space the law directs There
humiliation, confusion, contendng for prece-
dence i-wil, and no discourtesy
When time came to alght at Little Rock the operator
ghted first correct stood at his post and assisted all
passengers to alght His and human consd
Grafton made riding in bus pleasurable experience.
charge who knew how to apply the law in such
to give comfort and satisfaction with separation
When comes another?
WORST WAY
different situation arose on Fifteenth Street bus
cordng to the statement OF eyewitness Negro was
sitting farther front than the law permits but behind
all white passengers When other white passengers entered
back where he belonged"
Both violated the law In this particular case the
Negro have been confused by the difference between
the law of tn and the law of the bus the eyewitness
said In the car the platform seat is smoker The sign
states that passengers permitted to smoke there The
words Except platform" (Which give permission to
smoke) fine print and not noticed by people
On the bus the seat is the last seat Smoking is not
permitted anywhere The sign plainly says mo Smoking
at all
The first for the coloed passenger the bus is the
last The first for the coored passenger the
is the seat in FRONT of the platform numbers g. and
10.
When makes mistake on bus car the law gives
the right to the operator to enforce the law If the passenger
does wish obey the operator the passenger must leave
the bus No passenger under the law has right to correct
another passenger He has right complain the operator
who issues all necessary orders which must be obeyed right
wrong If the operator wrong the aggreved passenger
complain to the company later appeal to the courts
but he cannot disobey the operator.
If white friends will leave the enforcement of the
law to the operator quite certain that in the majority
OF cases results will be satisfactory to both The
law made by white people, not by coored and white
people should be willing to obey puncousy iot and
title of their law, in that way setting example both
10 those cooed phope who ignorant of the precise
re of the law and those few who may bel awess If there
is white superiority should show itself also in superior
obedience to the law.