Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-04
COLORED ODD FELLOWS.
A Largely Attended Convention Assemblies
iu This City Today.


DISTRICT COMMISSIONER DOUGLASS NAKEs AN
ADDRESS OF WELCOME WHICH Is ESrHUsr-
AsrIcALLr REcEIvED-orHkR INTERESTING
ExERcIsEs AT THE FIRST SESSION IN THE
VERMONT AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.
At the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church. col
ored, this morning the sixth biennial meeting
Of the movable committee Of the l. o. o. F.
was called to order by Past Grand Master
Young Of this city, chairman of the commit
tee of arrangements, between 400 and 500
delegates being present Every state and terri
tory, aud even Canada and SPAIN were repre-
sented- After the hymn, "Blest Be the Ties that
Bind, had been sung, prayer was offered by
Rov. J. W. Cooper.
District Commissioner Douglass was then in
PRODUCED and delivered the following address
OF welcome. He said:
MR.. DOUGLASS SPEECH OF WELCOME.
Gentlemen Of the convention: 1t becomes nv
duty and pleasure very frequently to extend
the welcome Of the people of this city and dis
trict to visiting associations from the various
states. Two weeks since we entertained not
less than quarter Of million of citi-
a great preliminary labor formulated by the
citizens committee, /: great pleasure
to all when the event happened. With like feel
ings OF hospitality and welcome greet you to-
day. and most sincerely trust that your Writ
may be Of a most agreeable character. with
nothing but pleasant memories succeeding
Your order Is primarily / understand. of a
charitable nature. And if any class OF people
on the face of the earth can consistently
organize such an institution it is the colored
citizens OF this country. II charity is the
chiefest Of the virtues. the Scriptures allege,
evidencing its existence by suffering all things,
hoping all things and being patient
then the 100000 of colored peo-
pie in this country from 1861 TO 1855
exemplifed as was never before known in the
history Of the race that great Christian virtue.
And this without concert or arrangement,
simply upon their admirable traits OF faithful
ness to lifelong associations and universal
kindiiness. To the world. for its accepted his
tory now, this was as wonderful and UMPIRE
cedented as it was admirable.
Your people have many advantages here in
the matter especially Of common school educa-
ton.
The colored schools OF the District are pro-
vided with a high school building that is COM
modious and elegant. one that would be
nament to the school system Of any city in the
land
They have twenty-one fine buildings for lower
grades in the city and fourteen i'll the county.
each of which is suited to the needs of the To-
cality, in all giving total of 229 rooms for the
Va PuHhs pcio" eAS hisu
School.
The whole enrolment Of colored pupils for
the year ending June go 1892 was IA, $50.
The salaries of teachers for the same year
amounted to S1Sl ,06S, the number of teachers
being DID,
The colored schools are managed by the
same board Of trustees AS the white schools,
and are in all respects on the same footing as
tho white schools
The schools rank Yavorably with the white
schools and are q continual source of pride to
the District and city. The fundamental law of
the school system in this District require a pro
rata division Of the public moneys for
school purposes in enumeration OF the
white and cOlOred children. This prevents
injustice, while the colored members 90 of the
board Of trustees are there. well as the white
members, to see that the law is obeyed. But
one thing ought to be said l hope that the
parents OF the colored children Of the city will
give it practical and early attention.
Too many of their boys and girls under four
teen years not made to 90 to school This is
grevious mistake. for it's by intelli-
gencc and character that any people are pro-
gressive and promoted in life. Think
Of this. mothers and fathers. and remember
that the future happiness and social import
ance Of your children largely depend upon their
mental and moral education. Send them to
school aid warm up their ambitions early in
life.
Allow me to suggest here that the preachers
| in your churches might, think with great pro-
priety and good effect, vary more and then give
fraction OF their sermons to this subject. And
| you will not consider irreverent, trust. when
/ express the conviction that there is a good
deal Of salvation in well u ed spelling book.
. l will not detain you with any data of the
city's material growth. That l had occasion to
do quite lately, and some Of you may have
noticed the figures in your papers.
But one thing that forgot to say then which
l will ask you to allow me TO add now, and as it
touches the great war Of 1861 and 1865
for freedom it cannot be out Of place
on any such representative occasion
as this. 1 refer to the part this city
and District bore in the matter of providing
men for the army and navy during that great
struggle for personal liberty and the Union.
The record shows that while but seven of all the
states filled their quotas, the District of Column
bia flied hers and 1917 per cent over. Not
equaled by any state in the Union except
Kansas.
II was not afraid that some loyal son of that
state was present l might suggest that it has
been said that the District would not have been
below the sunfiower state in the patriotic COM
petition if the latter had not counted in her
home guards" BE that as it may we Justly
pride ourselves upon the record.
| Thanking you for your most cordial a.ten-
ton and wishing you all the pleasure and sue
cess you can covet for the occasion, bid you
good morning.
| ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECEIVED.
Mr.. Douglass address was enthusiastically
received and was followed by a selection Of the
local choir Of the order, Joseph Amos of this
city leading. Further addresses Of
welcome then made by the Rev.
Geo. W. Lee. pastor Of the church; ex-Grand
Director d. Warner and p. G. NJ. Young, Grand
Master Forester Of Richmond, Va, responding.
after which he formally opened
the meeting. District Master Webster
presented gavel to the grand
master, who presented the members OF the House
hold OF Ruth to the convention and also Mrs.
| G. NJ. Robinson of Harrisburg, Pa,
the mother of the household. Mrs.
Cora Vickling and Mrs. Annie V. Thomas
presented beautiful floral pieces to the conven-
ton. Grand Treas urer W. &. H. Curtis of New
York making the acceptation speech.
| COMMITTEES APPOINTED.
After roll cali Of the delegates the following
committee on credentials were appointed:
J. c. Delphi, Pennsylvania; G. p.
Lee, Kentucky; s. j. Jordan, Penn
sylvania; James Ellis. Massachusetts,; J. R. F.
Brown. District of Columbia; NJ. H. Mansfield,
| Kentucky; A. II. Hinton, Louisiana: Benz.
Harris. California, and ]. E. Reed. Ohio: the
convention taking recess at 1890 until 2:30
Thursday parade of the delegates and local
lodges will take place, followed il the
evening by a banquet in the 9th street