St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-07
FARCICAL FORMALITIEs.
The Term applied to Southern
Elections by Negroes.

The Term applied to Southern
Elections by Negroes.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 6.-The colored
mems convention to-day elected ex-
Senator Pinchback president of the
national organization and issued an adj
dress to the people of the United States.
1t expresses regret that it is necessary
for the colored American citizens to
meet in 4 separate body for the conSid-
Grafton of questions national in their
character. but says they are eomnelIed
to do so because they have been made
special objects OF attack and oppression.
Attention is called to the fact that pop
ular elections, federal and local. in
many of states Of tie South are farcicaI
formalitieS, where the votes of the col
0red men are suppressed by violence Or
neutraiized by fraud, their rights de-
MED and themselves, their wives.
daughters, mothers and sisters are
made the special objects of unfrieudly
state legislation, and compelled to
travel in filthy and inferior cars.
COlOred American citizens who may
be convicted of petty Offanses through
unfriendly courts, are submitted while
undergoing sentence of said courts to
such cruel and inhuman treatment as
to make their condition worse than alb
ject slavery. In addition to this, col
Ored American citizens, when suspected
of having committed certain offenses.
and while in the custody of the so-called
officers of the law, are in many instances
and as we believe with the knowledge
and through the connivance OF said
officers, cOWardlv
LYNCHED AND MURDERED
without a hearing and without even a
Semblance of a trial. Our children, tn
many of said states, are not afforded the
school facilities to which they are en-
titled and which is essential to the
future prosperity, not only of our race.
but of both races in the localities in
which they live. The labor system in
most of the Southern states is unjust
and unfair to the colOred Americans and
they seldom if ever enjoy fair or rea-
sonable portion of the fruits Of their
labor. They are taxed without repre-
sentatiOn and compelled to obey laws
they have no voice IN making, The
address continues: Political parties are
the instruments through which the will
of the people is executed. Our purpose
Is to so impress upon the public
mind the Justice and fairness
of our claims that no politi-
cal party can safely afford to
ignore them. If it be true that all our
friends are in one party and our enc
mics in another, which we do not assert.
that is misfortune for which we are
not responsible and the existence of
which we sincerely regret.
We think it our duty to applaud the
acts and IndOrSe the utterances of our
friends: it matters not where they are
or to what party they belong. We there
fore urge upon the cOlOred American
voters of the United States, especially
IN localities the public sentiment of
which secures to them the efficacy and
potency of their votes, to support in the
future only such candidates for public
Office as are known to be
IN FAVOR OF JUSTICE
to the cOlOred American citizens. To
US this should be the paramount con-
sideratiOn. Questions relating to gov
ernmental administrative policy. as.
for instance, the tariff, civil service re-
form and the financial policy Of the
government, we should make secondary
and subordinate. Without regard to
the attitude of parties upon such uues-
tions, and without regard to our own
views upon them, we feel that it is our
duty to support only the party and only
such candidates for Office as are known
TO be friendly TO our cause, until all no
litical parties will accord to us the rights
and privileges to which we are entitled
under the constitution and the laws of
the land. The address favors the Blair
bill; the placing of federal elections I'M
der federal control, and emphatieally
denounces the bill for the deportation
OF cOlored men. ''All we ask" says the
address in conclusion. sis justice, equal
rights and fair play" 1t was resolved
thar copy OF the address be presented
10 the president and that he be thanked
in the name Of the convention for his
kind illusions to the cOlored Americans
in his message to congress-"