The San Francisco call., 1896-07-05
VIEWS OF MORTON.
Makes Special Plea to the Repub-
lican Party for Recognition OF
His People.

many years. ne ID bQe pIeSluent Oh the
State organization of the American
leagues, as we'll as president of the City
league. The prom inence and influence he
has obtained among the members of his
race springs from O desire TO benefit his
people.
In August next, at Los Angeles, will be
| held the second annual congress OF the
Afro American leagues. Matters of great
importance will be presented for intelli-
gent consideration by the delegates, who
come from ali parts of California to repre-
sent their respective leagues or clubs
ut is most difficult," said President
Morton yesterday, "for colored man to
OBTAIN employment in the general avoca-
tons OF life on account of the senseIess
prejudice that exists against the black
man. He is not allowed fair chance in
the race OF life, not even in the industries
that are protected in part by his vote,
many obstacles being placed in his way
when attempting to earn livelihood. On
this account the congress will no doubt
devote much attention as TO the means to
be employed and encouragement given to
better our present unfortunate condition.
"It will undoubtedly advise the race
generally to contribute bv their labor
more to the markets of their immediate
localities, but also of the entire State-in
hne to become more and more producers
and in this way be independent and more
self-reliant citizens. For instance to make
com binations so that business enterprises
can be engaged in on moderate scale; to
acquire the knack of manufacturing many
saleable articles; to engage in more indus
tries and callings than at present, such as
mining, farming, gardening, raising vari-
Gus KINDS OF produce, vegetables, fruits
and flowers.
''The young people of the race will be
encouraged by the congress to cultivate
their talents so that they will be fitted for
the various calllngs in the business world
and not be contented to live from hand to
mouth. We need TO show our ability, and
We have considera BILE, and thus receive
that recognition we deserve, and disarm
many good men and women who wish MS
prosperity of any lurking prejudice that
remains. The sight OF a colored man sue
cessiully managing little farm keeping
q book or grocery store, or as Booker e.
Washington says: The sight of a coIored
man owning and operating a brickyarG
that turns out $4,000 bricks per day is
worth more in convincing the world of our
worth than weeks, and even months, OF
abstract argument
'lt may be of interest to state that the
membership of the league has increased
from 5000 last year to something over
oOOO at the present time, so that it is ex-
pected that this large number WIN be well
represented at the coming congress, show
ing concerted movement in the enlarge
ment and work of our racial organizations
Indeed, there is an increasing desire to
pool our differences and cooperate for our
advantage individually and collectively
Now as to what action the con-
gress will take with regard to the
political parties and political issues, it
Is hard for me to outline the course that
Will be pursued. 1t is we'll known that
our people generally vote the Republican
ticket and Of right should do so. But
for several years past there has been stead
lily growing dissatisfaction all over the
country With the treatment that has been
accorded by the party that claims to be
the exponent OF equality before the law,
OF equal rights and equal common privi-
Ieges IN legal sense and from political
point OF view. The cause for this discon-
tent is that some of the leaders, and even
many of the rank and file, Enthusiastically
and most plainly show that thew care
nothing more than to secure the colored
man S vote at the polls, and then they turn
their backs upon him until another cam
palgn comes round.
What we want and what we shall fight
for Is to have our rights considered by the
republican party. | do not mean in
promises-we have had enough of that
kind OF talk-but something substantial
which will show that our low
atty to the party is appreciated. The
Democratic party is the natural enemy of |
sno blaCh ihdn, ana our only nope lies !
with the success of the Republican party
Not long ago one of the party Iea,iers |
from the Southern portion Of the State, +!
While IN this City on business connected I
with the Republican party, was spoken to /
as to the advisablity of placing one COL
ored man from the South and one from Ine /
North on the State Central Committee at /
large as the colored vote had increased ma
terially and it would be we'll for the party |
to pay little more attention to this ele- /
ment, esp p-cially since all the side-show |
parties were drawing heavily from the Re- i
publican party
The attention of the gentleman was
called to the fact that the Democrats had i
placed a colored man on their State com /
mlttee, and that he was also member of |
the executive committee. To this ne said /
That's nothing. What's the use to be |
worrying about fish we have cot skinned |
and ready to Try? ALI you need to do !
when the time comes is just to give him |
good, grand old whoop-up time, and mem /
ton the name of Lincoln, and you can't /
drive them from us. We have been irving
them for years, and with the names of /
Lincoln, Sumner, Grant and few others,
we can do II for years TO come-just let |
them alone; don't bother yourself about
them, and everything is all right.
Now this is pretty good evidence of |
tue loyalty OF the negroes to the Repubi-
can party and l am truly proud of it, but
cannot say that like to have q Repub-
Iican speak of our martyred presidents,
Lincoln and Garfield; nor of Sumner,
Grant and other great statesmen, as moth
ing more than old fish grease to FRY salt
behring's with; but he evidently meant no
on the noble records of these
truly distinguished men, but simply that
be and all these latter day saints OF Repub-
icanism could and would continue to ride
On the backs and votes of the black man
INTO official station, upon the brilliant
republican record of these illustrious
men named
If it is duty, and it certainly is. for
Ill of us as rule to vote for the white
Republican candidates all the time, it GER
,aiLly would be grateful as well as a
graceful act-indeed an act of simple 1us-
,ice-for the Republican party as a whole
to vote for men of our race some of the
time, if nothing more. But ] am firmly
that all of these petty wrongs
and personal sights can be, and trust
will be, remedied by a concerted action