Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-07-21
THIUD DAY.


assembled at Union Hall, and for about an
hour discussed the question whether they
should take up the report of the commit
tee on nominations. Some wanted the
committee discharged and the convention
to go into informal ballot. Others wanted
the committee to report imme diately. At
last the committee Were allowed to report,
but they recommended only the election of
w. A. Pledger as President, leaving the
election of other officers to the house.
Motion to recommit was made; more
wrangling; motion to table was lost, after
Il tremendous amount of parliamentary and
unparliamentary discussion, MIR. Scott, of
Cairo. Ill.,, declared that the committee
ought to be discharged for incompetency.
Mr.. Sweeney, of Michigan, said that any
body that would talk that way WAS no gen
tleman. Scott became indignant and said
he was able to take care of himself in any
way. shape or form that might be desired.
when the chair tried to convince both of
the disputants of the folly Of their course,
and many of the brethren declaimed
against their bad behaviour. At last the
report was recOmmitted and the committee
on resolutions announced themselves ready
to report, but the motion to receive their
report was tabled and the delegates pro-
eeeded to the Cotton and Merchants En-
change. At the former Rev. j w Simmons,
of Louisville, made speech i'll reply to the
address of welcome; and II the latter,
Prof. Chas. W. Bell, President Of the Col
ored Press Association of Ohio, performed
the same duty.
New dele gates enrolled were: r III White,
Tribune, Topeka, Kan; II c Edmondson,
Fisk Herald. Nashville. Tenn; Rev r. w
Henderson, Witness, Washington, -. c.;
Edward Horn, Colored World, Indanapo-
liz, Ind.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The convention was called to order by
the president and roll called, quorum
found present. The first thing called for
was the report of the committee on nOm-
nations. but Henry Smkcns Member
OF both committees, moved the reconsid-
Grafton to allow the committee on resoIu-
tIons to report first. He held if the com
mittec on nominations reported all the
delegates not nominated would lose their
interest and leave for home, and thus leaye
undonC the most important business of the
session. This was concurred in by the ma
jorty and the report Of the committee on
resolutions was deferred and the report of
the committee on resolutions obtained pre-
ccdcncc over the committee on nominal
iions. The re port was considered section
by section, Prof. II V A Nero reading it.
The preamble and first section were as
follows:
Whereas. The colored press of these
United States in convention assembled,
recognizing The fact that the coored peo-
pie Of the country, of whom form 4 |
IN
al dNantages and sufficient stimulus for the |
of those pursuits which are |
necessary to place them on an equal foot
in" with the more favored race; and
Whereas, in our efforts to bring about |
results which will be beneficial To the race. |
it il desirable to secure concerted action
hV the cOlOred press of the country; thCre-
fore, be it
Resolved, That it is the scssc Of this as
socl;,tiOn that the ro-cducatiOn of the ra- !
ces Will in great measure, tend to break
down that pre- udiCc which now exists |
a: :ain>t the negroes: and inasmuch rs We |
have educated men and women among us
in the teaching profession, it is eNpedient |
and necessary to urge. not only the mix
ing of the schools. but also the teachers.
Until this be done we demand that where |
separate schools do not exist and the num-
Der of colored children does not justify the |
opening of a separate shool, that they be |
sent to 4 white school.
\ mOst stormy debate ensued. w A |
PiedgCr, of Georgia, declared that the at |
tempt 10 force m1Ncu ScnOOIS upon bne |
American public would rob the colered |
men of what privileges they already pos
sessed. In those places where they had |
mixed schools their teachers would be dis |
placed.
Rev. Mr. Henderson, of st Louis, took the |
opposite side. Right was at stake; princi- |
pie not eXpedieDcy.
Other speakers spoke of the different as |
poets of the subject, but debate was adj |
jOurned for a while until Miss Anna q.
Sneed, Miss Alice Peterson and Mrs Mil |
ton Turner were Introduced to the con- |
vention. Miss Sneed made An address. She l.
said she felt that she had right to appear
there the daughter of the Rev Samuel X |
Sneed, OF Kentucky, who freed his slaves
and made himself poor because be thought /
it right. She also made quite OBSCURE on |
temperance.
Thanks were returned to the lady for her
address, and then J Milton Turner took up |
the resolution and spoke at length on 1t. |
He told of his experience in the past. and |
gradually worked around to magnificent |
speech, in which he personally addressed |
the chair and bade him go back and risk |
his life, if necessary, in the cause OF free
dom. If liberty was worth anything it was
worth everythiDg-worth dying for-and |
the whole question was right, not eXpedi- |
ency. At last the roll of papers was called, |
and the resolution was carried by a vote OF |
To to 8. Then the other resolutions were |
read. That asking the Secretary of the In |
terror to appropriate S5 5.OOO for the support |
of schools in the Indian Territory was ta- |
ole favn