The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-07

|
ELECTIONS ~ THE SOUTH.
We call attention to the fact, which no we'll
| informed person who has any regard for the
| truth will deny, that popular elections. federal
as Wei as local, in many states of the south are
| In u great measure nothing more than farcical
tormalitles- The votes of the cOlored American
citizens in said states are suppressed by violence
or neutralized by fraud. The fact has also
| been made apparent within the last few years
| that differences of opinion among and
| separate party affiliations on the part
OF the colored American citizens in those states
| afford no relief and bring no remedy for the
| wrongs or which we complain. 1t seems to be
the settled policy of one Of the two principal
political parties in said st lteS regard negro
| suffrage" as a. evil within Itself. and that the
| leaders and members of said party are deter
mined to violently suppress the votes of the col
| ored American citizens, it matters not with
what party said voters may affiliate.
| MISTAKEN IDEA
Contrary TO the letter and spirit of the consti-
tuition and laws of our country. our rights and
| PRIVILEGES IN the states referred to not only
| olrtaied and abidged. but positively denied
| We are made the special objects of I'M
| friendly state legislation. Our wives and our
| daughters, our mothers and our sisters, are
forced in consequence of such
| legislation to occupy seats when
travelling in filthy and inferior cars.
| COlored American citiZens who NAV be con
| vlcted of petty offenses, through unfriendly
| courts. are submitted, while undergoing SEN
| tence of said courts. to such cruel and inhuman
! treatment as to make their condition worse than
| aoJect slavery. In addition to this, colored
| American citizens, when suspected of having
| committed certain offenses and while in the
| custody of socalled officers of the law are, in
| many instances, and, we believe, with the
| knowledge and through the connivance of said
| officers, cowardly ynched and murdered with
| out hearing and without even the semblance
| of a trial
| LACK or EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.
| Our children, in many of said states, are not
| Afforded school To uhi fhayr ara
! entitled 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 colored Ameri-
| cans. Being the principal laborers
| of that section, they are necessarily
| sufferers to a greater extent than any other
| class from any unlavorable legislation on the
| subject of labor. The present system, at least
in its results, is so injurious to calored laborers
| IN many parts of the south That they seldom
II ever enjoy fair or reasonable portion of the
| fruits of their labor. Under the constitution
and laws of the land we are entitled to the same
| rights and privileges enjoyed by any other
| class of citizens, and vet. in defiance of the
| law, we find We are subject to taxation without
| representation.
No VOICE IN LAW MAKING.
| We are compelled to obey laws that we
| have no voice in making, we are obliged in
| many localities TO submit to the verdict of
| Juries and the decision % courts in the creation
| and composition OF which we are not allowed
| to participate. We therefore. feel and believe
that it is our duty, as it is certainly our priv
| nege. TO inform the country through the
| medium of this national convention.
| of our grievances, la ing full faith
in the fairness and justice of the American
| people. Public opinion, after all especially in
a democratic republic, is the supreme law Of
| the land. To that tribunal we make our earnest
| appeal for justice and fair play. Political par
ties are instruments through which the will of
| the people is executed. Our purpose is to i'm
| press upon the public mind the justice and
fairness of our claims, that no political party
can safely afford to ignore them: If
are i'll one party and our enemies in another
which we do not assert, that is misfortune for
which we are not responsible and the existence
| of which we sincerely regret.
STICKING BY THEIR FRIENDS.
We think it our duty to applaud the acts and
| indorse the utterances of our friends, it mat.
tiers not where they are, to what party they be-
| long We therefore urge upon the coiored Amer.
lean voters of the United States, especially in
localities the public sentiment of which secures
to them 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 citizen. To us
this should be paramount consideration
Questions relating to governmental admins
trative policy, as, for instance, the tariff civil
| service reform. and the financial policy of the
| government, should make secondary and
| subordinate without regard to the
attitude of the parties upon such
| questions ana WITHOUT regard to our
views upon them. We feel that it is our duty
| to support only that party and only such can
didateS for office as are known to be friendly tC
cause, until all political parties will accord
to us the rights and privileges to which we are
entitled under the constitution and laws of the
land.
| WHAT THEY ASK OF CONGRESS.
We earnestly petition the present congress to
| so amend the federal judiciary law as will make
it possible for federal courts to organize iures
that will bs favorable to the enforcement of the
| laws.
We also petition the present congress to enac;
| into a law some such bill as the Blair education
| bill.
We also petition the present congress to so
| amend the national Interstate commerce law
as will nullife the acts of such constitutions as
| provide separate cars for whits and colored
| passengers believing that such state legislation.
| so far as may be- applicable to interstate roads
is clearly unconstitutional, to say nothing of its
injustice.
Also, to pass such law as will put federal
elections under federal control.
Also to pass law rembursing the depositors
| of the late Freedman'S Saving and Trust Com
pauy for the lOsSe sustained by them through
the failure of that institution.
OPPOSED TO EMIGRATION.
The propositions now pending in congress.
looking to the deportation or migration of tht
colored American citizens OF this country on
even to any other part of our own country
through governmental aid, meet with our mos
emphatic condemnation and disapprova
| Tor We cannot exile ourselves
from this country a neutralizing
element against growing numbers as al
excuse for the nation not dong its duty to-
ward us as American citizens While we rec.
ognize the right of coored American citizens
to go to any country they may desire or to any
part of our own country, yet we do not believe
that it is any part duty of the general gov.
eminent to render any aid or assistance from
the federal treasury for that purpose and we
do not ask it. All we ask is Justice equal
rights, and fair play. If, under such crcum
stances, we cannot survive, we will have none
TO blame but ourselves.
TO THANK HARRISON.
We recommend the adoption of the following
resolution:
ReSolred. That the national or .anization
created by this convention be authorized and
instructed to call upon the President OF the
United States and present him with a copy of
this address, and also TO thank him in the name
of this convention for his kind illusions to col
ored Americans in hi; address to congress-
Also, to appear before the different committees,
of congress having jurisdiction of the subject
matter referred to in this address, for the pur.
pose of urging upon said committees the neces
sity for sand proposed legislation and to give
reasons in detail for the same.
''What shape is ball!"
Round"
a.. A