The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-06
A LIFE OF STRUGGLES
J. r. WHEATON, DELEGATE FROM
MINNESOTA TO ST. LOUIS.

MINNESOTA TO ST. LOUIS.
First Negro Ever Sent From That State Co
Into Politics-Has Had n Checkered Ca
rcer.
For the first time in her history Min
nesota is to be represented at national
convention by a colored man Although
it is several weeks since J. Frank
Wheaton was elected alternate delegate
from Minneapolis-theF Fifth Minnesota
congressional district-so little COM
ment has been made on his election that
it is question if more than small
part of the people Of his own state know
that he is colored man and of the
most undoubted black too. ~ 81
The story Of Wheaton's life would be
the record of series of successful strug-
giles against the bondage of race preju-
dice. He was born in Maryland in 1865
and began to black shoes on the streets
of Hagerstown before he was years
old. AT that early age he had fixed
purpose to get an education, and the
nickels and dimes which he earned in
shining shoes were saved to pay the ex-
penses of the schooling which the boy
managed to get later in life. He attend
ed successfully the Hagerstown public
schools. the state normal school of West
Virginia, tho Dixon Business college,
Dixon, Ills, and the Howard university,
Washington.
His first work after getting an edu-
CDfIOn Init hn
was soon drawn into politics Before he
was 10 he was elected delegate to u
Maryland Republican state convention.
At the age of 81 he was elected to the
Republican national convention in Chi
cago In 1888 as a delegate from the
Sixth Maryland district During the
campaign of that year he showed great
ability as u public speaker and was en-
ployed as stump speaker by the Re-
publican national committee After the
election he secured clerkship in the
house of representatives, which he held
until the Fifty second congress replaced
him with a Democrat.
Returning to his home in Maryland,
Wheaton began stubborn and bitter
fight for admission to the bar, having
qualified himself by careful course of
study. Race prejudice was dominant in
his part of tho state, and his undertake
ing was all up hill. He was finally al
lowed TO take an examination, which
he passed successfully. After that every
obstacle was thrown In his way to pre-
vent his admission to the bar. So de-
termined We're those who opposed him
that it was only after ten months Of
persistent effort that Judge R. II.
Alvey, now chief Justice of the supreme
court of appeals of the District of Co
lumbia and a member OF the Venezuelan
commission. admitted him. Wheaton's
victory Is all the moro remarkable when
it Is remembered that Mt that time there
was state law forbidding colored men
to practice. and that he was the first
negro admitted outside of the city Of
Baltimore and the fourth in the state.
In 1899 an Afro American convention
elected him as delegate to the Repub-
lican national convention In Mime
apolis. but his credentials were not 40
| cepted. firing Of the continual struggle
against the disadvantages imposed upon
men of his color, Wheaton moved to
Minneapolis i'll 1898. That he might be
admitted to practice before the Mime
sofa courts he took two years law
course at tho University Of Minnesota
in one year. He was elected orator of
the class and acquitted himself with
distinction He figured oonspicuously
in the campaign of 1894 and entered
the lists Us candidate for the office of
reading clerk in the lower house of the
Minnesota legislature. After hard
| contest he was beaten by one ballot.
| Subsequently he was elected as special
| clerk
While acting as clerk his ejectment
| from u ST. Paul restaurant caused q
sensation Wheaton sued the proprietor
of the restaurant under the civil rights
act, but the case was withdrawn when
the proprietor publicly apologized.
Wheaton is now deputy clerk OF the
municipal court.-Chicago Record.