The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-10
COL0RED PEOPLES DAY.
A LARGE AND ORDERLY ASSEMBLY OF
THE BRETHREN IN BLACK.

THE BRETHREN IN BLACh.
The Only Living Negro Congressman
Makes q Speech.
Several days ago the committee issued their
circulars, setting forth the object OF the meet
ing in these words:
"To the Colored People OF Abbeville County:
1.-The Industrial Union Of A69eYliIe oraI c0un1 ny
Intellectual advancement of the coiored Peo' P
Die, will hold a mass meeting at AooeVllie,
Thursday, October 4th, 1894, to which are In
vtsd sl our people ana our s 10 consider
plans for the betterment OF our people along
the above mentioned lines. The meeting Will
be addressed by the Hon. Geo: W. Murray,
the only Negro Representative IN the cniteo
States Congress.
There will be grand parade, In which the
farm ers mechanics Of all trades. school chill
drep and the organized charitable ana oene
VIOLENT societies are invited TO participate. II
is hoped that Sunday School Superinteno-
ents will arrange for the bringing OF q por-
tion, If not their entire schools. The Masons,
Odd Fellows, II. H. OF Ruth are an speclai,Iy
and particularly invited to participate In 'he
"Farmers will please come mounted.
Carpenters. blacksmiths. brick masons.
plastefsrs will be requested to nsrSh N fbs
w
grandest demonstration In the history OF our
people, and to this end invite the co'opera-
lion or our people Of every oecnpation. c,,oe
Assistant Marshais-H. II. Ownes, War
rem Harrison, w. A. Turman, Ro6t. II. Wait.
s. r. Jackeon, w. R. Turner, Anthony Crow
ford, NJ. NJ. Anderson. Robt j. Logan, y, a. a.
Nash, g. NJ. Rlchey. ]: 1. Lee, R. W. Wright;
- Madden, Russell Robinson, Samuel
"Committee-D. H. johnson, Russell Rob
inson, ]. w. Wharton, H. H. Lomax, 1. H.
White"
A great multitude of negroes responded to
the call. The number has been yariously
estimated at from fifteen hunoreo 70 1"o
Tine speaking did not take place until half
past three O'Clock. The speaker, Congress.
man George Washington Murray, Iuil
UleEaeS t4afn ever psseGa sSe g. 'cs G. N. T railway.
| Several bands OF music and large com
| pany OF plain, every day negroes were at the
depot when the train arrived.
| Lomax came up to the A. M. E. Church In q
carriage while the crowd followed on foot. ex'
cept the Marshals, who were mounted.
Rev. Iss e. Whss was ssstor o
Presbyterian church, who made prayer.
Then the chairman introduced tue speak er
for the occasion, Congressman George W.
He then came forward and spoke for about
two hours, holding the attention OF bis en-
thusiastic hearers throughout.
or course we do not give all his verbiage
and repetitions. To do that would fill per-
haps half page of this newspaper. He spoke
however, substantially as follows. the report
being made from memory, and not froL,
notes:
Don't blame the white people for your con.
diton They are not 70 blame ior IT, Gn5 gndr. 70
ance is TO be charged your present CONDITION
and the evils from which You suffer. You
don't save your money, and You don't sta stano q
| tho white people, and they make the proht on
ali your business. Your little earnings you
are eager to part with, and none OF you accu.
mulate money as you ought 70 90:
| The more Italians there are In com munity
the stronger they are; the more irisnmen
| there are, the stronger they are, and 80 With
| ali other people than our own race. Inc
weaker we are. We don't 60 into business
| for ourselves, but we do all our trading with
somebody else, thus giving others al the
profits on the trade, which shouid OF rlgnt, 90
You have no merchants. no bankers. or 9TH
er business men in Abbevlle. You are con.
| tent to 90 white mans store or 10 q Whlte
mans bank.
races, they stick together. The !rishman VIII
walk mile TO trade with an Irishman. The
German won't look Into any otner IMAM Tue
store OF q German. The Jew will travel the
streets for any distance and pass any number @
of stores, until he finds one owned BY r. Jew.
But what does the negro do? He simply
goes into the first store he comes 10. ana don
TO care for his faSe
to have no love OF race, or pride In the welfare
of our brethren.
It is true that the negro has not yet deyel-
10 which
@bring @ success IN the commercial or banking
pursuits, but even II they had these talent ts
the great body of our people would give Dut
little encouragement TO them. They, ior some
unaccountable reason, seem to prefer TO trade
with the white people to the neglect OF their
No people can ever be respected as long as
they are poor and ignorant. AS long az the
labor, and is void Of the aspiration 70 become
rich and strong, he will be poor. and subject
to the power OF the more ambitious and the
more wealthy race. o
hand in hand. We must. therefore first strive
10 better our property condition. Then we
must have the light Of Intelligence and the
advantages OF education TO bring us up 10 the
who are poor can ever be distinguished for
refinement, culture, and the higher arts Of
civilization and commerce. We must stlcR
together. cultivate race pride. and seek Tor the
We must help each other.
We need To organize for our mutual good
and we need to work for the elevation Of our
race.
II three white men were dropped into the
middle OF the ocean, they would organize q
society for their mutual protection and for
the elevation Of each other but negroes 9,onS &c
each other, and to this reason may be assign
ed one cause for their failure as individuals
to accomplish the higher and grander aims
4. .ta a o. u
ed their failure as q race to take greater
part In the commerce and In the government
No negroes are found in any store; no ne
In the court house. Although there are in
South Carolina today about eight hundred
thousand negroes. and only about four hun.
dred thousand white men, yet It is true that
tration of the government. In the State Sen.
ate, where there are thirty.six Senators, nc
negro is TO be found. In the lower House ol
| Our lack Of participation In the affairs oi
| the government is no fault OF the white
mans. 1t is your fault, and not the white
mans fault. 1t is your Ignorance and degra'
and not the white mans Intelligence and
wealth that presses us out. But II is his 10.
Itelligence and his wealth, together with the
white mans principle Of standing TO each
other, that puts his race In power.
| Because OF your ignorance the ballot box
has been practically closed 20 you. For like
reason the jury box, and the public offices
have been shut against US, and we enjoy few
/ OF the luxuries Of life, while none OF the hon
| ors and emolume ents OF Office come to US.
But let us stand together ana seek 70 better
our financial, our com mercial, and our moral
conditions. When this is done, the ballot
box, the jury box, the protection o. the court
house. and sll the other good things incident
to good citizenship will be vouchsafed 10 us,
| The fact that eight hundred thousand oi
our own people have no part In the govern
people have full con- troll, can be accounted fol
on no other ground than your Ignorance, and
| Tho ON narIor n iellIpanca0 of tha WhiIa man.