Sen. Foraker Explanation
July 14, 1906
Summary
Senator Foraker explains his amendment to the Rate Bill, claiming that equal accommodations would fix issues with the Jim Crow street car system.
Transcription
Sen. Foraker Explanation
The Ohio statement tells why he offered the amendment to the Rate Bill-- A running debate on the race question. Senator Tillman in Evidence. He tells how he became a victim of his own legislation.
The following extracts from the remarks made in the United States Senate, Tuesday, June 5th, were furnished us by Senator Foraker of Ohio and will no doubt be of interest to our readers:
Mr. President, I find that the conferees have also dropped out of the bill the amendment adopted by the Senate which required that common carriers should give equally good service and accommodations to all who pay the same compensation. I want to speak about that for a moment.
I offered the first amendment on that subject, and when the Senate voted on it, because it was coupled with another provision, or for some other reason, it failed of adoption. Later the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Warner) offered practically the same amendment, though couched in somewhat different language. When he offered it I offered an amendment to his amendment, which he accepted, and in the form in which it appeared when he accepted it it was adopted by the Senate.
After it had been adopted I commenced to receive, as other Senators did, protests from Afro-Americans, some form Boston, some from Baltimore, and some from other points, against the adoption of that amendment, upon the theory that it was a recognition of what they called the “jim-crow-car” system which has been inaugurated and is now being enforced in some of the Southern States.
When I offered that amendment I had in view only the purpose of securing for those who were compelled to take separate coaches, wherever they may be so compelled, equally good accommodations. I had no purpose, and so explained, of interfering with the established conditions anywhere, for I knew that was impossible in connection with this rate-bill. I had no purpose to approve or disapprove of the so-called “jim-crow system.” But I did have in view doing that which every legislature throughout the South, where they provide separate coaches has announced they have done, namely, that those who are required to ride in separate coaches shall be given equally good coached and equally good accomodation.
It never occurred to me that anybody in any Northern State would take exception to a provision for that kind upon the theory that it was in the nature of a sanction of the provision of separate coaches for white and colored men…
The Ohio statement tells why he offered the amendment to the Rate Bill-- A running debate on the race question. Senator Tillman in Evidence. He tells how he became a victim of his own legislation.
The following extracts from the remarks made in the United States Senate, Tuesday, June 5th, were furnished us by Senator Foraker of Ohio and will no doubt be of interest to our readers:
Mr. President, I find that the conferees have also dropped out of the bill the amendment adopted by the Senate which required that common carriers should give equally good service and accommodations to all who pay the same compensation. I want to speak about that for a moment.
I offered the first amendment on that subject, and when the Senate voted on it, because it was coupled with another provision, or for some other reason, it failed of adoption. Later the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Warner) offered practically the same amendment, though couched in somewhat different language. When he offered it I offered an amendment to his amendment, which he accepted, and in the form in which it appeared when he accepted it it was adopted by the Senate.
After it had been adopted I commenced to receive, as other Senators did, protests from Afro-Americans, some form Boston, some from Baltimore, and some from other points, against the adoption of that amendment, upon the theory that it was a recognition of what they called the “jim-crow-car” system which has been inaugurated and is now being enforced in some of the Southern States.
When I offered that amendment I had in view only the purpose of securing for those who were compelled to take separate coaches, wherever they may be so compelled, equally good accommodations. I had no purpose, and so explained, of interfering with the established conditions anywhere, for I knew that was impossible in connection with this rate-bill. I had no purpose to approve or disapprove of the so-called “jim-crow system.” But I did have in view doing that which every legislature throughout the South, where they provide separate coaches has announced they have done, namely, that those who are required to ride in separate coaches shall be given equally good coached and equally good accomodation.
It never occurred to me that anybody in any Northern State would take exception to a provision for that kind upon the theory that it was in the nature of a sanction of the provision of separate coaches for white and colored men…
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Emma Roberts
Citation
“Sen. Foraker Explanation,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed January 20, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/448.