The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-22
HARVARD'S ORATOR.
A Great UniverSity'S Tribute to
Equality.
APPEAL OF SOUTHERN NEGROES
To the Ruler of the Universe for Aid
and Guidance in the Hour of
Their Distress

Especial to THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Dispatch
BosToN, Oct. 21.-It is learned on good
authority that the color line was drawn in
the case Of the colored student Clement
Garrett Morgan, who was elected class
orator at Harvard. The members OF the
class, many of whom were seen last night,
,s5ositively refuse to talk about the proceed
, ings of the meeting at which the colored
student was elected. The meeting was
secret and only the bare result of the cleo
ton, without any statement as to the num-
Der of votes cast for either candidate, was
given to the press. However, it is certain
that Morgan was elected by a majority of
one vote in total vote cast of over five
hundred. The other officers were elected
on larger margin, but the real excitement
and cause of the prolongation of the meet
ing until the hour Of midnight was
the question whether Harvard would
choose the colored man. When the
vote was announced, it is under
stood there was call for a recount,
which was made amid intense excitement.
The opponents of Morgan were crest-fallen
when the tellers made the announcement
that Morgan had just one vote over his
competitor. The cOlored man, on the other
hand, received the warm congratulations
of his supporters. His following did not
include the wealthy and aristocratic ele-
ment which was represented by candl-
date of their own, whose identity, owing to
the peculiar circumstances of the case, is
one of the things to be kept from publica-
ton. Supporters of this candidate made
great effort prior TO the meeting to beat the
Colored man, although it is only just to say
Ill chs tod 70
account of his color so much as because
they wanted their man to win. MOrgan's
Jaatecedents. and the fact that he had in his
first wear and previous to his entrance,
made money as a barber, served to set some
of the aristocratic students against him.
Up 10 within few days of the election
Morgan had not been seriously thought of
for tn honor because of the feeling that
he could not win, but his supporters cOnsid-
cred that the election Of colored man
would be handsome way Of showing
HarVards friendship for the race, espec
ially in view of the notable part filled by
such Harvard men as Sumner Phillips and
others in the abolition movement. These
young men put their heads together and or
ganized movement to place their colored
classmate in the honored office, and the
vote they rolled up was the big surprise of
the meeting. Heretofore the bloods and
swells have run the elections, and up to
last year the rest of the class had sub
mitted Last year the rule was broken in
the election, as class orator, of young
Magee. A good deal of feeling has cropped
out over MOrgan's success, but the chances
are it will die natural death before coIn-
mencement. -
Norgan IS the son of former slave, now
living in West Washington, D. G., where
the young maa was born, arr attended and
graduated from the high school. In Wash
fngton he learned his Grade as barber and
worked in barber shop there Later he
taught school in St. Louis, his ultimate OBJ
iect being the earning of money enough to
90 to Harvard. He came to Boston In
1884: entered the Latin school and gradu-
ated in 1886 with honorable rank. He en-
tered Harvard in the fall OF 1886 and dur
ing his vacation worked in Saratoga
hotel. He also earned money delivering
lectures in New England on the colored
problem. He won the prize for oratory last
year by reciting Carl Schurz's Grafton on
TSThe Emancipation Proclamation" This
was not generally known to the class, and
this fact is the chief reason why he was
not regarded as a formidable competitor for
class orator. 1t is predicted that his ora
ton, when delivered, will attract more at
ton than that of any other class orator
who has ever mounted the college rostrum.