Evening star., 1897-05-28

here Ought to leave the city and go to
work on farms"
1--WE are." said he, To-day where we are
because we have too long been aulled to
sleep with the old nursery hymn. Hush, NY
Babe, Lie Still and Slumber, Holy Angels
Guard Thy Bed The great trouble with
the colored man is that they are willing to
let the holy angels guard over them too
much for their own good Let the contract
for the sweeping go to the pickup ma
chine, and 1t will be found that the colored
people will have to leave this city, whether
they want to or not"
He urged with much earnestness that
every representative man in the District
ought to be compelled to place himself on
record in reference to the street sweeping
problem, or drop to the rear, and he felt
confident, he said, that the day was coming
when suffrage would be restored to- the
males OF the District.
Mr.. James A. Roston tried to read a series
of resolutions which, 1t was understood,
leader Of the colored people in the District;
also advocating the Cuban cause and de-
nouncing lynch law; but the chair refused
to allow him to proceed and the resolutions
tions: Subsequently the committee, through
Mr. Gray, chairman reported that they did
not think 1t advisable to report Mr.. Ros-
tons resolutions at this time.
Appeal for Suffrage.
Col. M. M. Holland made a speech, in
which he denounced the government of
the District Of Columbia as unAmerican.
and said the fact that SOC, 900 people were
deprived Of the right of suffrage disclosed
that there is no place in the country like
this. There is no reason, said he, why the
District Commissioners should not be elect
ed by the people, who, when they were in.
trusted with the ballot showed that they
used 1t with wisdom. Colonel Holland paid
hlgh tribute to te4rGovernor Alexander
r. Shepherd. for his success in making
Washington the handeomest city in the
world, but declared that it could not have
been done except With the aid Of the bal
lot OF the laboring people Of the District.
Police Court, Condemned,
He spoke at considerable length about
the manner in which trials are conducted
in the Police Court Of 4his city, and said
there were numerous instances in which
were the offenders Drought before any
other tribunal the charges would be w41is-
tied out Of doors. iiIie mentioned particu.
l4riy the numerous. profanity cases that
Esre brought UP. and said the very men
the name of the DstN, ,an ., profane man.
nsr were often ten times as bad in that
particular aa were the men whom they ar
rested. This city, he continued, has be-
come 2 city OF aristocJats. We are, get
ting to be entirely too nice.rI want to dis
tinctly state, however, that am opposed
to swearing, aud no oath ever passes my
lips, but II you want q demonstration OF
the truth Of what charge, go right out
here on the street, and you will hear plenty
of men swearing In the hearing of officers
and yet the officers do not even think of
arresting them.
The people Of the District. he declared,
have no rights except to pay taxes and
obey the laws.
Representative Whites Regrets.
A letter Of regret was read from Repre-
sentative George A. White, who stated
that although he could not he present at
the meeting, his sympathy was with them,
and he would do all he could to assist
them in securing what, they had set out
to accomplish.
E. N. Hewlett made a brief speech, in
the course of which he denounced Judge
Kmhall in unmeasured terms. and said
that he did more by his decisions in the
Police Court to create idleness among COL
ored people than could be the result of the
adoption of the pickup machine He
wanted, however, to be understood as be-
ing bitterly opposed to having the con-
tracts for the sweeping Of the streets
awarded to any one but those who are
willing to have the work performed by day
labor.
@. 7. Allaine addressed the audience,
eulogizing Colonel Carson for what he had
done for his race, and several others each
made q few remarks. - . .t,.