St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-02
A Spirit Of Disunion PerVades
the Convention of the Afro
Americans. q
Twenty-One Colored Men
Wrangle Over the Selec- 1e
ton Of Delegates. l lo
3!
Elder Gray Resents the Inns
putation That He Is an Il.
Alms-Seeker. q g
a.
A Movement to Create a State.
Political Association of Il
Negroes. )

Twenty-one colOred men, represent
ing the AfrO-American citizens of the
state, assembled in convention last
evening at the capitol, the senate
chamber having been placed at their
disposal. The purpose of the cOnven-
ton was the election of delegates to the
national convention of colored people
at New York on the 30th inst. A spirit
of diSunion characterized the whole
proceedings, originating from contest
ing delegation from Ramsey. Rev. W.T..
Gray and f. d. Parker were the leaders
of the two factions, and the committee
Oh credentials fruitlessly fritteled away
an hour in listening to claims of the
contesting delegates. Ultimately they
agreed upon compromise, five of
either delegation being allowed seats in
the convention, the delegates agreed
upon being: Ramsey. Coquire, J.
Williams, r. Bernard, j. Fl. Lomas, 3.
P. Wade, ?. Harris, W. F. Grey. W. I.
Gasway; Hennepin-J. L. Sterrett, j.
L. Neal, A. T. Plummer, M. w. Weaver,
Z. W. Mitchell. Jeff W. Mitchell. G.
Williams, Rev. L. Lomack. S. Smith,
r. j. Coleman; Edna Mills, R. L. Set
tie. 1t was yerging upon 10O'clOck, and
no real business had been transacted.
A. G.. Plummer, of Minneapolis, was
made permanent chairman, and the con-
vention took another recess, awaiting
the report of the committee on reSOlu-
tons. The report eventually came, and
was:
Whereas, In the wisdom of God and
through human instrumentalities, the col
ored race of America have been elevated to
the platform of universal manhood; and,
Whereas, This race, fully approaching
their dearly bought freedom, their inestima
BILE rights, their God-given privileges their
elevation to better and nobler field of use
tulness; therefore.
Resolved, That in order to maintain our
standing among the races Of the world, we
propose to educate and TO thereby elevate
ourselves to a proper status in the grand
scale of civilization, SO that we shall be able
to compete with any race in the great strug
gle of life;
Resolved, That inherent development is
necessary to the accomplishment of our
ends, and that the development of each in
dividual in his mental. moral and physical
organization is necessary to the develop
ment of the whole; therefore,
Resolved That we ask for our race, in the
South especially, those rights guaranteed by)
the constitution, viz Free speech, free yote,l
free actions so long as they do not interfere
with the legal interests of others, and come,
within the purylew of the law.
Resolved, That we request 'the powers;
that be- at Washington to protect our rights
in the South and elsewhere, and to aid the:
weak and the struggling in The great efforts
they are now making to reach higher and a,
nObler manhood;
Resolved, that we are entirely in accord
with our brethren of the nation in calling
a convention to consider the intellectual
civil and political status of the eolOred:
people, and we sincerely trust that said CON-
vention will demonstrate the progress the
colored race has made. and point out new
paths into which we can travel, with profit
to ourselves Individually, and with greater
intellectual profit to our people as a race.
These resolutions were unanimously
adopted. & g
Elder Gray and E. P. Wade had lit
tie passage, the former moving that.
three delegates be sent to New York.
Wade desired only two, but failed to
gain his point, and gave his opinion of
the convention by moving an adjourn
ment. the proposition failed, and the
delegates elected were: jeff w. Mitch
ell, Rev. w. F. Gray and F. ID. Parker.
Alternates, S. Nichols, r. S. Ware and
Rev. l.. Lomacks.
Mr.. Wade next eXcelled himself by
proposing that none of the delegates
should beg money from white people to
pay their expenses to New York. Rev.
w. f. Gray protested. 1t made no mat
ter how they got money so long as they
did not steal it.
Mr.. Wade-I say we must have no
importuning of white men.
Rev. W. F. Gray resented the resolu-
ton. 1t was an imputati0n upon the
delegation.
MIR. Wade-I was just driving nail,
and it seems to have shot the right
place.
Rev. W. F. Gray-The gen tleman is
such beggar himself, he knows how
to shoot such nails. Laughter
The Chairman-Gen tlemen, gentle
men; 10 personalities, gentlemen.
j. t. Sterritt supported and j. NJ.
Loomas opposed the resolution, which
was ultimately laid on the table.
The convention Endorsed F. d. Par
ker's application for the position of
United States consul at Hayti; thanked
the lieutenant governor and the senate
for the use of the chamber, and sug-
gested committee to create a state
political organization of colored people.
Elder Gray stated that such an organi-
cation was necessary, because, under
the present conditions, they had no
privates in their ranks; they were all
major generals. E. P. Wade, T. III.
Lyle, j. G. Sterrjtt, j. l.. Lynn, NJ. ID.
Weaver and j. ". Mitchell were ap-
pointed the committee. and the conven-
ton rose shortly before IL O'Clock.
THE HIDDEN PEARL,