That Needless Humiliation
February 3, 1900
Summary
The “Jim Crow Car” bill ruptures “relationship between the races.”
Transcription
Every colored person with whom we have come in contact seems to regard the ‘Jim Crow Car’ bill recently passed by the Virginia legislatures as a personal affront and a needless humiliation.
It has done more to rupture the friendly relationship between the races than anything which could be devised.
There is a determination however to turn this last “stab” at a docile and devoted race to practical account by accepting the “gauge of battle” and to segregate and congregate in matters of business and finance.
The action of white men, presumed to be opposed to race or class legislation has been the most disheartening feature of the legislature’s recent programme.
To pass such a measure with practical unanimity, regardless of the protests of the people most concerned and without according them even a hearing before the legislative jury “empaneled” to pass upon the case was a violation of every principle of justice and antagonistic to every rule of law.
It had been the boast of the average Virginia citizen of color that there was no friction between the races in Virginia, and that the liberal-minded white men of the state had once before refused to permit the infliction upon their dark-skinned population of such an infamous outrage.
As the matter now stands, it is plainly evident that the Democratic Party of this state cannot be trusted by the colored people. It is now as it always have been against his best interests.
There is no excuse for this crusafe against a helpless and defenseless people. They have virtually abandoned the right to vote, and following closely upon this comes the taking away the right to enjoy unrestricted privileges upon the railroads of the state.
Colored men of Democratic tendencies have received a rude check. So far as we are concerned, our horse’s head is set as usual in the opposite direction from that which leads to the camp of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
It has done more to rupture the friendly relationship between the races than anything which could be devised.
There is a determination however to turn this last “stab” at a docile and devoted race to practical account by accepting the “gauge of battle” and to segregate and congregate in matters of business and finance.
The action of white men, presumed to be opposed to race or class legislation has been the most disheartening feature of the legislature’s recent programme.
To pass such a measure with practical unanimity, regardless of the protests of the people most concerned and without according them even a hearing before the legislative jury “empaneled” to pass upon the case was a violation of every principle of justice and antagonistic to every rule of law.
It had been the boast of the average Virginia citizen of color that there was no friction between the races in Virginia, and that the liberal-minded white men of the state had once before refused to permit the infliction upon their dark-skinned population of such an infamous outrage.
As the matter now stands, it is plainly evident that the Democratic Party of this state cannot be trusted by the colored people. It is now as it always have been against his best interests.
There is no excuse for this crusafe against a helpless and defenseless people. They have virtually abandoned the right to vote, and following closely upon this comes the taking away the right to enjoy unrestricted privileges upon the railroads of the state.
Colored men of Democratic tendencies have received a rude check. So far as we are concerned, our horse’s head is set as usual in the opposite direction from that which leads to the camp of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Lower Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Elizabeth Lopez-Lopez
Citation
“That Needless Humiliation,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed December 9, 2023, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1340.