The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-27
FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT.
The Independent Club Organized by
CoIored Voters.


The Independent Club Of the Colored
Citizens OF savannah and Chatham Coun-
ty'' was organized last night at the colored
odd Fellows hall on Duty street. York NJ
Nilledge was made temporary chairman.
and ". d. Armstrong temporary secreta-
~.
The meeting was late in getting under
way. At o'clock it had not begun. A few
minutes afterwards Rev. E. X Love. Rev
T. n. N. Smith and Prof. r. r. Wright
arrived and the crowd which had been
waiting outside followed them into the
hail. There We're less than 100 present when
Rev. Love called the meeting to order, but
the crowd continued to increase gradually
until that number was doubled.
After calling the meeting to order Rev.
Love proceeded to state its object at some
length. He dwelt on the necessity Of the
colored voters organizing for their own
interests. There were important issues to
be decided at the polls in the coming cleo
ton, he said, and II was the duty Of the
colored citizens to organize In order that
they might make their influence felt in IA
vor of good government.
The call for the meeting was read by
Prof Wright. after which Rev. Love call
ed on Rev. r. n. NJ Smith, the presiding
elder of the A. NJ L. church, to invoke the
divine guidance.
After the prayer Rev. Love proceeded
to discuss the call further. to the dissat-
isfaction of some OF those present who
thought he was trying to work
in a stump speech on them He insisted
however, that he was keeping within his
province of stating the object Of the meet
ing, and proceeded with his remarks.
Among other things. he said that things
were not as well as they should be in
the city of Savannah. Taxes are heavier
than they formerly were.
1T has gotten TO the point" he de-
clared, that we are taxed for the bed we
| lie on and for the quilt that covers us.
We have a board of appraisers now who
| look at our houses from the outside and
appraise their value. IL things keep on
as they now are the next thing we will
have a board which will come inside and
| appraise our household goods. l had to
| pay $3.50 taxes on my household furniture
| this year.
He said there was a primary recently,
| but he did not vote, because he was not
| invited. There will be an election, though,
/ he said, and il is the duty of the negroes
| TO organize, not TO pledge themselves to
| one side or the other, but to hold them
/ selves Independently and be ready to
throw their influence to the side that will
| give Savannah the best government.
The meeting had quite fight when IL
went to organize. w. d. Armstrong York
| III. Milledge and Rev. Love were nomina-
| ted for the temporary craftsmanship. A
| standing vote was taken, and Armstrong
/ received 20 and Milledge so. Before Rev.
| Loves name could be voted, so many ac-
| cessions had been made to the crowd that
a new ballot was demanded, to which Rev.
| Love agreed. Armstrong then Withdrew
| in favor of Milledge, who received 80 votes
| to Loves GO. Armstrong was then elect
ed secretary. 1t looked very much as II
| the younger men didn't propose to let the
| old hands run the machine
| Milledge, in taking the chair spoke In
\ favor of organization on the part of the
| colored voters. Rev. Smith Introduced a
| set of resolutions for the organization OF
| the independent club of colored voters The
! essential portion Of the resolutions is as
| follows:
THAT we, the colored citizens of savan-
/ nah and Chatham county, now in mass
| meeting do organize ourselves into an
organization to be known as the Independ-
/ vannah and Chatham County for the pur-
/ pose, first of obtaining and maintaining
| our rights politically and as laborers and
| to secure a fair share of the public patron
| age, which is due us as taxpayers and citi-
| zens."
The resolutions were adopted. The fol-
| lowing were appointed a committee on
| permanent organization to report at the
! meeting next Friday night: Rev. T. N. NJ.
| Smith, Rev. H. Maxwell, j. S. Brown,
| r. w. White, Frank Murphy, w H. Lo-
| was appointed to select three men from
each militia district to look after the mat
| ter of tax paying and registration.
| Speeches were made by Rev Love- Rev.
| Smith, Prof. Wright and r. w White.
! While the speakers did not SO state IN d.
| rect terms an antagonism TO the present
| city administration with a corresponding
| leaning towards the Liberal club was evil
| dent.