Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-03-06
The Claim Of Some Colo -
Office. cd Men for
O11
MASS MEETING

The "maSS " Of TWENTY -FOUR.
pointed - -..eeting" Of colored citizens ap-
ha" ~ take place last night at the Bethel
-, on N, between 10th and 18th streets, to
take action In relation to the reply OF the Fire
Commissioners to the District Commissioners
upon the subject Of ignoring colored men In the
appointment OF firemen, turned out to be small
affair; the leaders OF the movement and most OF
the prominent cOlOred citizens Interested ap
pearing to have ignored the meeting altogether
which was accounted for by the concert Oh
Madam Selika at Lincoln hall AFTER inc oll
tanitOr of the hall could be found ana aWakeneu
from deep Slumber, he said no one nad noIl-
fled him to open the hall for any mass meeting
The keys were obtained and 1ngress, wh9n tn ne
meeting of ten or twelve persons was caiied 10
order by Isaiah Washington, In the absence OF
Col. Carson, who was at the concert. E. s. At
kfDsOn was chosen chairman pro tempore. He
stated that at the last meeting committee OF
fifteen had been appointed to arrange for q m ass
meeting TO give expression TO their 1ndtg nation
at the action OF the Fire commissioners, That
committee had met aud arranged for the pre-
sent mass meeting about twenty peTSOnS) and
Informally had before them set OF resolutions
He called on Mr.. Bell to read the resolutions,
which he did, as follows:
Wheress he rer ort Ct the Distric. Fra Commits
f1oners is couched in such LANGUAGE and 20 macy
safg FL The Il @
rs that We feel bound to enter this s. cur
neInbers Of the board and whereas We the ,lersd
as DTc DO IN
ort Of the Fire Commissioners Of the city. and
Re vsss q those who Il the
ton Of our affairs; and wherf as we believe that the
motives than BY moral and mental Illness for the
places OF mere flemen; Therefore BE 1t resotced.
s mbed do hereby ent.r this. our protest ag,inst
the use OF any such 1angusge as that employed by
;es % q 70 fr a. to
them as clingrs to the ideas Of ante beiiam and
proslayery days. and consequently unworthy to
I'LL the places to which they have bean selected.
Isaiah Washington proceeded to make state
ment OF the action taken by the cOlored citizens
at the NEE ting at the Gallilean Fishermens
Beneficial Burial Association hall, to the pres
ent; also that OF the District and Fire Commits
sioners and closed by making a motion that
the resolutions read be adopted, and that a
before the District Commissioners There was
no second to the motion, and a lengthy. discus
sion arose upon the motion to adopt the reSolu-
Wha he nsd MI Be 70 explain ny
tons from the committee Of hfteen-none of
that committee being present. Mi. Bell said
the paper was presented before the committee,
but had not been adopted. Mr.. Lewis asked If
the committee had taken any action at all on
the matter. Mr.. Bell replied that they had no
authority, but only to arrange for the mass
meeting-that was all. Mr. Laws thought there
was not sufficient number OF persons present
to take any action. He advocated a postpone
ment OF action; there was plenty OF time
they to aa % q fegy where
This was opposed by several on the ground
that II the leaders In the movement were more
interested In concert than in their liberties
this mass meeting ought to proceed without
them. The chair asked Mr.. Bell to read his
resolutions again for information. This was
objected TO by those who opposed present ac-
tlon-Wm. Schooler and another named Bell
the latter keeping up such din of ''point"
raising, and previous question" that ft was
impossible to proceed with the reading for
some time. A motion to adopt was discussed
amid great confusion, several having come in
curing the WraDgle. Joseph Jackson opposed
their adoption, saying he disapprOyed OF the
disrespectful language contained In the word
ing. He thought 1t unwiSe to denOunce the
Conmssl0nerS and that 1t would do the col
0red people no good. His plan would be to first
on the fire service and have fair comparison
made OF their physical, moral and mental
capabilities. Mr.. Laws, interrupting said he
knew who the colored men were, and would
son with the white men, Mr.. Atkinson Isaiah
washington in the chair here gave fair de.
tailed account OF the fire department business.
from the Old District government down to the
present time. The present fire commissioners
mad now found that cOlored men were unit to
be appointed f1remen-that they were mentally
and morally unfit. The negroes all over this
DlstIlct are SInarting under this wrong, IL
oiack men are ignored in this thing they win be
Ia other things. He cared not what action is to
0e taken by the District Commissioners, fire
commissioners. Secretary Of the Interior or
any one, he hurled back this insult with scorn
ana contempt. He was ashamed and chagrined
10 see any Wrangling on 'polnts of ORDER" and
other foolish nonsense, while they Should ali
suck as one man together. Mr.. Lewis said he
dld hot like the wording of the resolution. Mr..
Laws said he opposed the adoption on the
giouLa tnat the language was not half strong
SIDERABLE wrangling the resolutions were adopt
ca ana the mass meeting adjourned