The Separate Car Law
August 25, 1900
Summary
In West Virginia, railway conductors are implementing Virginia’s “separate car law” forcing black people into coaches made “exclusively for the accommodation of colored people.”
Transcription
The Separate Car Law
Peculiar Complications—The West Virginia Case—Governor Atkinson’s Remarks.
It seems that the case involving the Virginia separate car law in the State of West Virginia may yet give the Norfolk and Western railway some trouble.
The Norfolk and Western runs through two counties of West Virginia and thence back into Virginia. It has been the habit of conductors it seems, to enforce the Virginia law in the West Virginia Counties. Three colored school teachers were put off the train which action may cause a damage suit.
A special to the Dispatch from Charleston, W. VA, says:
The Governor Speaks
“We have no law in West Virginia which allows any discrimination between colored people and white on railroad trains,” said the Governor. “Any colored person is authorized under the laws of West Virginia, to sit in a coach with a white person if he desires to so do. The only rule that is enforced in West Virginia is that all passengers must behave themselves properly on all of the trains passing through the state.
The Colored Teachers
“A week or two ago I was informed that three colored teachers were put off a Norfolk and Western train in a county of this State, because the conductor asked the teachers to take their seats in the car which was run exclusively for the accommodation of colored people,” continued the Governor.
“The teachers were invited to take seats in the colored car, which they declined to do, and the conductor thereupon put them off the train. They appealed to me for redress. 1 replied that they could not proceed against the railroad company in a criminal way but they had redress in the court in a civil suit for damages and that this was their only remedy. I do not know whether they brought a civil suit or not.”
Will Pass No Law.
The Governor was asked for his opinion as to whether the next Legislature would likely pass what is commonly called a “Jim Crow” car law. He replied that he did not think such a law could be gotten through a West Virginia Legislature. “We have” said he,, “in West Virginia comparatively few colored people, in proportion to the general population of the State, and the West Virginia colored people, as a rule, are well behaved and do not seek to intrude themselves upon their white associated.”
The Pamunkey Indians.
The Pamunkey Indians are now allowed to ride in the coach occupied by whites. Captain W.T. West, of this city, division superintendent, yesterday informed Chief Dennis of the Pamunkeys, that the officials had decided to allow his people to ride in the car with the whites. The York River Division of the Southern runs almost, or quite, through the Pamunkey reservation. Heretofore the Indians have been required to go into the colored coach. They made a number of protests, sending a committee to this city to see the officials of the company regarding the matter. It seems their protests were not in vain. Now, where will the Chinaman ride?
Peculiar Complications—The West Virginia Case—Governor Atkinson’s Remarks.
It seems that the case involving the Virginia separate car law in the State of West Virginia may yet give the Norfolk and Western railway some trouble.
The Norfolk and Western runs through two counties of West Virginia and thence back into Virginia. It has been the habit of conductors it seems, to enforce the Virginia law in the West Virginia Counties. Three colored school teachers were put off the train which action may cause a damage suit.
A special to the Dispatch from Charleston, W. VA, says:
The Governor Speaks
“We have no law in West Virginia which allows any discrimination between colored people and white on railroad trains,” said the Governor. “Any colored person is authorized under the laws of West Virginia, to sit in a coach with a white person if he desires to so do. The only rule that is enforced in West Virginia is that all passengers must behave themselves properly on all of the trains passing through the state.
The Colored Teachers
“A week or two ago I was informed that three colored teachers were put off a Norfolk and Western train in a county of this State, because the conductor asked the teachers to take their seats in the car which was run exclusively for the accommodation of colored people,” continued the Governor.
“The teachers were invited to take seats in the colored car, which they declined to do, and the conductor thereupon put them off the train. They appealed to me for redress. 1 replied that they could not proceed against the railroad company in a criminal way but they had redress in the court in a civil suit for damages and that this was their only remedy. I do not know whether they brought a civil suit or not.”
Will Pass No Law.
The Governor was asked for his opinion as to whether the next Legislature would likely pass what is commonly called a “Jim Crow” car law. He replied that he did not think such a law could be gotten through a West Virginia Legislature. “We have” said he,, “in West Virginia comparatively few colored people, in proportion to the general population of the State, and the West Virginia colored people, as a rule, are well behaved and do not seek to intrude themselves upon their white associated.”
The Pamunkey Indians.
The Pamunkey Indians are now allowed to ride in the coach occupied by whites. Captain W.T. West, of this city, division superintendent, yesterday informed Chief Dennis of the Pamunkeys, that the officials had decided to allow his people to ride in the car with the whites. The York River Division of the Southern runs almost, or quite, through the Pamunkey reservation. Heretofore the Indians have been required to go into the colored coach. They made a number of protests, sending a committee to this city to see the officials of the company regarding the matter. It seems their protests were not in vain. Now, where will the Chinaman ride?
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Elizabeth Lopez-Lopez
Citation
“The Separate Car Law,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed October 9, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1321.