Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-01
CoIored yycrkiurmc.,. M.e,iny

Council Chamber, City Hail, for the purpose
Of gathering the lists of sgners TO the following
petition and making arrangements for present.
ing it to Congress:
To the Honorable Senate das siouse of Rspres.R-
tdtires Of the United States IN Congress asssmbtsd
The undersigned, colored laborers of Washing
tor desire respectfully and earnestly To repre-
sent to your Honorable body the grievance we
suffer as class IN being deprived ola fair COM
petition with others IN securing employment
upon the public works. While we compose
about one-third of the population OF this Dis
trict, and are, by way of distinction, the labor
ing class and the poorer class made so by long
residence here, and by the customs and institu-
tons of the country, there is still such prejudice
against our color. and especially against our
| condition as freed people OF color, that
ment, except those which are burdensome
temporary and mental in character. The white
laborers of this city refuse to work upon jobs
| with the colored man, unless he is employed
| as mere helper or hod-carrier, and by thus
combining against they deprive
and snap to amn mem
nopoly of nearly all the skilled and remune-
ratiye labor of the District. Contractors upon
the public works and upon private jobs yield
to and support this unjust discrimination
against us, although il is against their real in
terests and that of every citizen, as they have
now TO buy their labor much of it, in market
where there is no competition, and the few con-
troll it for their own profit The officers, agents
and contractors OF the national and city gov
ernlnpntS bring into the District from distant
States laborers of foreign birth, many of them
not citizens of the United States, and who are
generally hostile TO the institutions and gov
eminent of the country, and furnish them the
labor for which we are suffering, and most of
which we can do quite as we'll and AT a cheaper
rate than they. The consequence to us is that
wea are forced to find employment in various
Improbable and temporary avocations. which.
from their mental and degrading chara cter, are
beyond the " hite mans competition
"From necessity, therefore. many of our
people are unemployed and some of them are
unthrifty, Prejudiced and minimizing people
speak OF us as shordes of lazy contrababds''
and as 'idle negroes" while they little know
our desire for honest employing Mt and the Iii fl
Guilty we find i'll obtaining IT.
1.-The undersigned do not ask of your hon.
oraole body appropriations of money to main
tain lis in idleness, for any charitable legis-
lation whatever, for our hands strong and
our hearts are willing TO work for the support
of ourselves and families. But we do ask that
while the Government is spending large sums
in extensive improvements in the District
labor authorized by your legislatiOn-that men
may be put in charge of this public work who
are not unfriendly 10 orr people, and vino will
give us a fair share of the employment under
their direction.
..To your honorable body we owe the boon of
citizenship, and the right to enjoy the fruits of
our own labor and to you still confidently
appeal to protect and assist to vindicate
these rights and thus enable us by lives of
patience, industry, and virtue, TO somewhat
abate the unjust prejudice which prevails
FOR which your petitioners Will ever pray"
There were number of colored persons
present; also Mr.. Sayles Brown, DIR. William
DO yd, and one or two others of the white race
The meeting was called to order by Mr. T.. $
Atkinson. colored of the Fifth Ward. on whose
motion Mr.. J. Sayles Brown was called to the
chair: Mr.. Atkinson, cOlored. acted as secre-
tary.
Mr.. Brown.on taking the chair, stated tina the
small attendance could be accounted for nv
the fact that il watch night If the col
Orpd peOnlp intend n Ho ANYTHING al ~.
done at once, and he suggested that q select
committee be- appointed to determine the man
ner of presenting the petitions, and to gather
them up and arrange them for presentation
1t rs one thing to give the petition to "a man
who will place il in his pocket and forget it,
and another TO give ii to n man who takes to
his heart and would see to il. Ii would be
better that it should be handed TO some friends
as Mr.. Summer In the Senate and Mr.. Stevens
in the House, or to active members of the Dis
trict Committees. He believed that the peti
tons would be signed by from five to ten thou.
sand names a. at the last meeting the Second
and Seventh Ward had reported over thou
sand each
Mr.. Atkinson moved the appointment of a
committee as suggested, which was agreed 10,
and the following were appointed: +. s All
kinson. Fifth Ward; Ed Ambush, Second
Ward Robert Thompson, First Ward Mr.
Ward
Mr.. Thos. H. G. Hinton, colored, suggested
that they had had a pretty large meeting at
Woodward's Hall, and they were backward in
making arrangements, which will necessitate
another meeting. This was the first time that
ever the Chamber had been used by the colored
workingmen, but they did not know that the
Chamber could be- obtained again this week
He moved thar when the meeting adjourn, il be
TO meet at Woodward's Hall on Thursday
evening.
MI Pratt, white, the lessee of Woodward,s
Hall, stated that the meeting could have it free
on Thursday night II they would pay the ten
dollars now due
The Chair said he doubted If full meeting
could be obtained on so short notice.
Mr.. Robert Thompson (colored), of the First
Ward, said the people were now suffering for
what they proposed TO ask of Congress, and ii
should be- sufficient Tor the people to know
that such a meeting is TO be held. Ii they were
all in earnest il did not req uire much notice
He would like the petition TO go into Congress
on Monday, and If they 1.-THE workinglnen)
could not get over the HOLIDAYS by that time
they had better dissolve. Let every one pres
ent say TO his brother sscome and 90 with us
and put his shoulder TO the wheel and he
would warrant they would have full meet
ing.
Mr.. Hinton said that sufficient notice could
be given by those present through the watch
meetings, and a good meeting could be- had on
Thursday. There was a class who could not
be expected to come out, and nothing would
bring them out except the sewing of gold and
silver seed, or the spreading of greenback
table-clofh. They should meet at Wood wards
Hall and satisfy the claim and give all a
chance TO bring in their petition. Tonight was
testimony enough for him that the work was
Progressing. ulu not expect any OF
s'bg fat fellows who lay before the red-hot
stoves, or those that engaged in eggnogging and
other kinds OF big gakafiugerum."
Mr.. Isaac Ross, of the Second Ward, thought
the censure was uncalled for.
Mr.. Hinton replied that he did not intend to
censure any but those who had never been ut
the meetings, and never would BE-
Mr.. Atkinson said that he was not in favor
OF meeting on Thursday night, for a meeting
was to be held in the Fifth Ward on that night
and some might say that they were s.big fat
fellows laying down by the red hot stoves,
They Were working hard in that Ward If they
owed $40 TO Woodward's Hall he did not think
they should go there for the express purpose OF
paying il. The Association should appreciate
the privilege of meeting in the Chamber, for
although Workingmen Ohe Workingmen's As
sembly) had met there, this the first time
the Colored Workingmen had been privileged
to meet there.
Mr.. r. Thompson said that the time la Il
come W hen the colOred men should be aroused.
because there was danger in their midst One
half of the money which had been stolen from
them by the Corporation has been bargained
away by men who should be- their friends but
VINO had turned traitors. and traitors had
bargain.d with traitors. He was in favor of
meeting as often possible, and telling the
pr opie OF their danger and that their interests
had been sold by black committee going
among the Aldermen and proposing a compro-
mise. They should call on those who had thus
barcai ned away their rights for an account
They had been robbed of their labor and their