The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-20
THE AFRO-AMERICANS.
A SECTION OF THEM DIsAPPRoVE
OF MIR. DE YOUNG.
The Better Element support the May
Or's appointment The Bruce
Johnson Crowd VIII Petition the
City Council.

That element Of the eolored popula-
ton, of which Bruce Johnson is the
leader. is attempting to create dissat-
isfaction among their compatriots
with the appointment of William De
Young made by the mayor to succeede
Officer Howell on the police force, and
to that end a meeting Of about a
couple of dozen of the malcontents was
held last evening in the O'Meara block.
A number of the solid and sensible
men of the Afro-American club were
present and were decidedly opposed to
the action of the Bruce Johnson fac
ton. The latter seemed to have for
gotten that Mr. De Young was one of
the names handed in by the club as
suitable persons to receive the appoint
ments under the city administration.
and that he passed the most success
full examination.
1t had been rumored that certain
charges would be brought against him
tending to prove his inability to fill
the position 1t was some time, how
ever, before anyone could be found
that would or could give the reason
for the call
When it became known that certain
members were dissatisfied with the
appointment of Mr. De Young. Mr..
Simpson made d very spirited address
and appealed to the better Judgment
of the colored citizens to desist from
the ungentlemanly efforts to stigmatize
a member Of their OrganiZa ton, to the
disgrace of the colored race.
B. 3. Nesbitt related the fact that
Mr. De Young was the successful ap
plicant and this movement to defeat
him now after he had received the
mayors appointment was, to say the
least, cowardly.
This brought forth a red hot adj
dress from the chairman, Bruce John
son, who was diametricany opposed to
the manner in which Officer Howell
was ousted, and wanted it distinctly
understood that to kick out one col
ored man and put in another was in
no ways helping the race
At this juncture, the question of
politics made itself manifest and eaus-
ed Mr.. johnson to refer to the defunct
Liberal party. the dissolution Of which
he said he advocated two years before,
and would not have voted with it at
the last election but for the presence
on the citizens ticket of a sworn per
sona1 enemy.
A voice Baskin?"
Il did not name any one" continued
Mr.. Johnson, but would you support a
man ike Jndt
Then the subject of all the trouble.
Mr.. De Young, claimed the attention
of the house and pleaded his case in
maner that would have done credit to a
higher assembly. He certainly defended
himself against the movements of what
he termed "a few disgruntled Office
seekers" He appealed to their better
judgment in a manner that was at
once sensible and brave. "Such actions
as this he said would cause us to
be the laughing stock of the whole
city"
W. w. Taylor, president of the club,
followed in. a. very lengthy speech and
closed with reading an AFFIDAVIT from
the woman who it is claimed. was
separated from her husband by De
Young, emphatically denying that De
Young was in any way connected with
the affair.
A committee of five was finally ap-
pointed to draft resolutions to the coun-
ell protesting against the removal of
Mr.. Howell. The persons named were
P. w. Nelson, w. H. Paine, L. r.
Steele, L. Jones and Mr. Simpson.
The friends of De Young claimed that
no charges had been preferred against
him, and that the colored people would
appear ridiculous in fighting against
the appointee where nothing could be
preferred against him.
The whole trouble seemed to be that
those who worked against the Citizens
movement are dissatisfied because they
are not awarded the lions share of
the plums. The better element of the
colored people, it is said, are not at all
proud of the proceedings.