Huntsville gazette., 1889-10-05
CAPT. PLEDGER'S CALL
GeOrg ans r quested To Convsne
For Delibera ion.
The Wrongs of the Race Must
Be RedreSSed The Case
What to Ask
of Congress,

| Captain William Pledger, issues
his call, as Chairman Of the Colored
Observation-Disclosures which
was created in 18; g. pledger begins
by thanking God that the Negro holds
the balance of power in Indiana, ii
linois, Ohio, New York and Connec
ticut, and suggests that the colored
people ''too often draw upon God for
what he has already given them, viz,
strength to do for themselves.
Pledger suggests that they rely less
on an any particular party, but stand
independent. After review of the
relation Of the races, Pledger goes on
to say:
"There are now million of Ne
groes in Georg a, and you area power
for good or bad Let that power be
for good. While fools parade the
streets because they have lost gov
ernment Jobs, and insult the chief Of
Nation by vile conduct, murder Ne
groes because Cleveland was defeat
ed for esident, as has been the case
in Egbert. Ogelthorpe, Fulton,
Lewndes Wilkes and other counties
in this state, and whip innocent Ne
groes, as in the suburbs of this great
city of the Empire State. with the
police observing closed carriages 60.
ing from the city for no other posi-
BILE reason than that Of aiding and
abetting in the work of whipping,
and dri,i 6 teachers from their places
Of work because they are teaching
the Negro children, and burn the the
houses and churches Of our people
| throughout the state and drive them
from their farms after preparing crops
for the harvest without giving them
a dollar, beat numerically our min
listers Of the gospel; yet, fellow citi-
zens, if you do not on the syur of the
moment defend your homes and fam.
lilies against the immediate trespass
Of these violators Of law, wait on the
sober judgment of the authorities that
be and the sentiment that you shall
create by an intelligent discussion Of
these matters in convention assem-
bled."
"The Negro problem is upon the
nation and like Banquo's ghost, will
not down though demagogues for the
sake Of controlling the delegates to
agubernatorial convention from a
few backwoods counties would suffer
every Negro in the state to be xii ed.
You must present your case to the
world and appoint committee to
wait on the President and Congress
of the United States and tell them to
scale the representation off in Con-
gress of the United States and tell
then to scale the representation of
in Congress for Georgia from ten
me embers to five or six.
"Tell them that you are for years
willing to do without voting, but in
sist that men who are not entitled to
that rpresen'ation given you shall
not have it. Expect nothing from
any political party, except from that
which does most for you, Urge our
brethren in the north to study the
question here and vote accordingly.
AS to leav ng the Sonth, let all M an
kind know that you are Americans,
were born her., reared here, and
here you expect to die and sleep by
the side Of your fathers where you
had one. Agitae and continue to
do so till you get every right you are
entitled to.
"Now, to the end that you may do
something for the material interests,
the moral betterment and political
benefits of the Negro of Georgia
especially, and the black man of the
Nation generally, | here>by call upon
the colored citizens Of Georgia to as
semble at the county site of their re
spective counties and select delegates
to the number equal to twice as many
members as such rounsies shall have
in the lower House Of the Gen raj
Assembly and add that these dele