THE JIM CROW CAR;
OR,
DENOUNCEMENT OF INJUSTICE METED OUT TO
THE BLACK RACE.
Supreme Court Decision, by His Lordship Bishop H. M.
Turner, Largely Quoted and Elucidated—Clippings from
Miss Ida B. Wells Barnett’s “The Reason Why”—Grave
State of Affairs in the Southern States—Incidents
on Railroads—Public Conveyances—Employment,
Etc.
BY
REV. J. C. COLEMAN,
Formerly Illustrating Lecturer on the “Progress of the
Negro of the South,” “Bishop Taylor’s Mission
to South Africa,” “Biblical Characters,”
“A Drunkard’s Doom,” Etc.
TORONTO, ONT.:
Hill Printing Co., 48 Richmond Street West.
1898.
PREFACE.
My opposition to injustice, imposition, discriminationand prejudice, which have for many yearsexisted against the colored people of the South, hasled to this little book. In many parts of Americathe press has been furnished with “matter” fordefending the colored people, through the medium of“Coleman’s Illustrated Lectures.” By request of mymany auditors, some of whom being leading elementsof the Northern States and Canada, this volume ispublished. Many persons interested in the welfareof the negro, have sought a more elaborate book onthe Southern horrors. Therefore, the manner inwhich the colored people are treated, and the lawsdevised against them from time to time, are the chiefsubjects.
My endeavour to furnish those concerned inhuman welfare, with Southern railroad affairs, lynchings,etc., so far as the so-called law governing thewhite and black races is concerned, is evinced in theexperience of eight years touring on various linesthroughout the South. My statements being authenticand impartial, I have noted some incidentsoccurring on roads which I have travelled, amidpeculiar circumstances, which I hope will prove serviceableto the reader. I have quoted Bishop Turner’s“Supreme Court Decision,” and Mrs. Ida B.Wells Barnett’s “The Reason Why,” largely because[iv]they contain facts agreeing very much with my experienceand judgment. Opinions of leading Afro-Americanjournals have been expressed as a unanimoussentiment of the race, regarding their loyaltyto the flag under which they live and serve. Themain object of this book is to create within the heartsof those who may read it, sympathy for the coloredpeople of the South. So many unreasonable thingshave been alleged against the negro, that he nowdemands a reasonable consideration.
The Southern press has made scores of enemiesfor the entire race, and continues doing so. The“Rape” Bell has been sounded all over the world todegrade the negro and impede his rapid progress.Why did the negro not commit “rape” during hisdark days of slavery? In slavery he was not allowedto know A from B, or 1 from 2. This means that aslave was esteemed a little higher than the cattle.Slavery is illiteracy. “God is a jealous God, visitingthe iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto thethird and fourth generation of them that hate Him.”“The people of the Southern States have enslaved thecolored people; for 250 years held them a small degreeabove the dumb brute. To-day they lynch the negro,burn him, and refuse him justice on railway cars.God will visit the Americans. If not the 3rd generation,the 4th will be made repent, and humiliate tothe black man.”—Rev. J. C. Tolmie, B.A