West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1883-05-12

rHE raorLsr or rms NxGRoss.

THE FROIhsT or rms NEGROES.
~ call tor a national convention OF
colored men ,says tie New York S,tq
was issued on Saturday by commit
tee Of peGr oes fairly entitled to rep
resent the race. Among the igners
are Frederick Douglass, the Hon
George w. Williams, author Of the
II story Of the Negro Race in Amer
iCs, aud Prof, Richard T. Greener.
! The Convention is TO be held IN Sep
tember next at Washington. The
basis OF representation one delegate
to every % 600 of oolored populat-
Ion, three delegates for every s ate
where there are not less than 10000
negroes, and one delegate Tor every
other State. BY this plan Of sppor-
uonment the Convention would con-
slst OF nearly three hundred mem
ber7.
Here is the interesting hing about
the proposed Convention: 1t ,s IN
tended to be an organized expression
OF d scontent with the political and
social treatment of the colored pao-
! pc by then fellow citizens. The
signers hold it to be 'an un leuable
and lamentable tact that the present
condition OF the race is insecure, and
The future still more alarming, and
hey bring against the white majority
five distinct and specific charges
We condense the several com
! plants:
]. Negro labor a. the South is not
iairly remunerated The Southern
negro is not protected by law IN the
collection OF money due him.
2. In most parts of the country
the negro does not have fair show
in the public schools.
3. The negro ia not protected in
his civil rights Notwithstanding the
avs psssed by Congress.
4 HIs political rights are Ignored.
SIX and a half millons of people arc
WI hont representation in Congress.
3 The negro does not get bis
share OF EEecnuva protection and
enoouragement
No Alr-mludsi man, black or
white, will deny that # these al
legations are true it is time for unit
ed action on he part OF the neeroes
Of the thirty eight States. They
form about Cue-elghth OF the entire
population Of the country. Eqral
rights are guaranteed them by the
O nHitution. The laws are suf-
dclrnt for the purpose II these laws
re systematically ignorsd or evaded
aud he u groes kept out Of full CIT
z'nshlp by conspiracy Of white Of
fct bolders, IT 10 noHe too soon tor an
orgAns q movement to secure Just
treatment. The colofed reope have
million and a quarter votes that
C. lies beblnd any protest which
they may make.
The CONCLUSION Of the signers oil
this call isiDterestirg:
According TO the signs Of the
t mes, the country ls on the eve OF =
grea' political revolution, and { tss.
nooyes ne, as race, to make our 10 -
terests paramount TO those Of any
party or sect thatit 10 our duty Ia
unite and strike out come bold policy
and hne OF action winch will bring
us nearer to the eetate Of foil CIT
zsnshIp and power when this great
revolution IS over.
Il strikes US that the boldest pol
10y and most promising line OF action
open at this time 10 the colored vo.
rers OF the United States 10 10 cut
the thongs which have bound them
40 long to the wheels Of the Repub-
ican party. The Republican party
has Aattered the negro aud BAN
booz ed him; 1t bas wept over him
and pluudered him it has claimed
him 40 Its own aud swiDdled him
without compunctlon IT has made
use Of bin sud flung bin aside.
Negroes ~ several oil The State are
oeginu:ng to 6nd this out, and 20 act
for th, mselves Il the Washington
| Convention is representative body,
sincere IN its purpose aud depend
ent 10 it's action, IT can DO . great
ieaI for the race.
/ THE WINC TEMPER4NCE SEN.