Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-26
TALKING FOR SUFFRAGE
Speeches Madaat Meeting in South Wash
ington Last Night
The Present Form of Government,
DenOunced-Star Chamber
PrOceedingn.

A meeting of the Southwest Suffrage As
ISOLATION was held last evening at the
Sixth Street Colored Baptist Church. Some
seventy-five or one hundred people attend
cd. Most Of those present were colored.
The president of the association. the Rev.
H. c. Robinson. the pastor Of the church,
presided over the meeting, the Rev. A. w.
Shields, another colored minister, perform
ing the duties of secretary.
After inviting the audience to join him In
singing my Country, 'Tis of Thee, and
after prayer, President Robinson explained
that the committee appointed at the last
meeting to prepare a program had failed
to act, and the evening would, therefore,
be devoted to addresses on the question
of local suffrage. Secretary Shields was
thereupon requested to say something.
Mr.. Shields said that the District Com
missioners had become their bosses. and as
for Congress, District day there was get
ting more and more rare. Men were shot
down like dogs, said Mr. Shields. and when
the people respectfully complained the
Commissioners treated them with absolute
Indifference and contempt. Years ago, said
Mr.. Shields. there probably was something
in the cry against negro domination here
at the polls, and the negro then may have
been bad and ignorant, but the negro Of
today had received the benefits of educa-
ton; he had learned to be independent,
and should suffrage here be restored he
would vote and act intelligently and or
derby. OF course, stated Mr.. Shields. the
Commissioners were and always would be
utterly opposed to a restoration of suffrage
here.
Mr.. Spohn Voted for Suffrage.
President Milford Spohn of the Northeast
Suffrage Association next spoke, and stated
that he had the pleasure of casting his
vote in The Stars voting inquiry in favor
of suffrage. MIR. Spohn referred to the con-
tention that the negroes and not the prop
erty owners here were DESTROYS of suffrage,
and remarked that the sentiments of the
anti-Sunragists were not unlike those who,
more than one hundred years ago, objected
to Independence and liberty, satisfied to re-
main subjects. He for one was unwilling
here or elsewhere proven failure, or that
there is more of ignorance and viciousness
in the District of Columbia than elsewhere
In the country.
minister. briefly addressed the meeting,
stating that while he had been a resident
of the District for only four years. he had
been here long enough to see that the pres
ent local government was the most absurd
conglomeration of inconsistencies and in
justice he had ever seen or heard of.
Star Chamber Proceedings.
Inc AeS. 1co w. Lee OI the vermont
Avenue Baptist Church was introduced as
1.-The black Spurgeon." Mr.. Lee was Of the
opinion that those who now laughed at the
suffrage movement would before long be
asking for a ride in the band wagon. He
thanked God that the negro had become
educated and independent, and declared
that the old cry of ignorance and vicious
ness could not now be truthfully rung out
Mr.. Lee. referring to the star chamber pro-
ceedings of the District Commissioners.
told story which he thought illustrated
the situation, and said: I'VE should all
pray that The Star will at last champion
our cause. If it only would, 1 tell you,
friends, W. could not fail then"
Another colored minister. the Rev. E. J.
Lovett, DR.. Robert Reyburn and one or two
others briefly addressed the meeting.