The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-27
STATE SUMNER LEAGUE
THIRD ANNUAL MEETING HELD AT
 SATIN ROCK.

A Large Attendance From All Parts of Connecticut-Prominen Colored Citizens Address the Gathering--Oh hicers Elected and Other Business Transacted. The third annual meeting of the Sum Savin Rock yesterday and was attend ed by large delegations of representa- tive colored people from all parts of the state. With the ladies' auxiliary corps it now numbers 5000.
 The meeting yesterday was thorough ly successful and a credit to the colored people of the state.
 In the election of officers there was considerable rivalry between the pres ent president, J. P. Peaker of New | Haven, and Isaiah Evans of Hartford. Finally a compromise was affected whereby Mir. Peaker was continued in the office another year and MT. Evans was made first vice president.
  l President, J. P, Peaker of New Haven; l first vice president, Isaiah r. Evans of Hartford; second vice president, W. H. Barr of Norwich; third vice president, W. H. Griffin of Ansonia; corresponding secretary, w. H. Ransom of New Ha- ven; recording secretary, A. B. Mitchell of Hartford; treasurer, Frederick Fitch of Watertown; chaplain, Rev. A. c. Powell of New Haven; executive com- mittee, G. Grant Williams of Hartford, J. H. Wilkins of New Haven, and one member each from thirteen clubs of the state. ...
 Following the business meeting was the public meeting at which several ad- dresses were made.
 President Peaker delivered long address, his annual, and was followed by G. Grant Williams of Hartford, pres ident of Sumner club No. 1, of that city.
 MT. Williams is gentleman with an intellectual face, and an eloquent and forcible speaker. His address was cheered to the echo.
 In the few following words taken from his speech, he characterized the progress the colored race have made in the last thirty years, it's position to- day and the future which it has reason to anticipate with an earnestness and prophetic foresight that no white orator could possibly have done
 Where did you find the negroes for ty years ago? And where are they to- day? You find them in every avenue of life. You find them filling positions Just the same as any other class of people of the world. Do you know of any class or race of people who have advanced in the past thirty years as far as the Afro-Americans. In 1865, when the last gun was fired and peace was declared, and the soldiers ordered home and discharged, the negro, after having served as a slave servant and soldier, was not only left homeless and penniless but unacquainted with the responsibility or care of himself or of his family; with nothing but the strong brawny arms, the blessing of good, common sense, and the storehouse of nature to draw from; he went forth to build for himself a character that would give him a place among other races of mankind, and to-day he stands at the head of the class of race ad- vancement.
 1 This remarkable record ought to en- courage us to unite for in union there is strength) and struggle harder than ever before. notwithstanding the ne- gro has been lynched, shot, burned at stakes and insulted in every way men, tionable, he has proved himself to be a 1 +,,,yo nd 1o1y al lz to defend his countrys flag whenever duty calls him. I feel proud to say, that with all of the hardships the race has endured, that I have ever heard of negro anarchist"
 Following him the Hon. T. Thomas Fortune of New York, the able editor of the New York Age, made an eloquent extemporaneous address. a model of its kind.
 Other addresses were made by promi- nent members of the league and the meeting closed with the singing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julia Ward Howe.
 The towns represented yesterday were: Hartford, New Haven, Ansonia, Norwich, Danbury, Plainville, Meriden, Middltown, East Hampton, Rockville, Willimantic, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Stamford, Bridgeport, East Hartford, Berlin, Burnside, Norwalk, Milford New Britain, Stratford Bristol. Cromwell, Torrington, Winsted, Watertown, Co., bait and East Windsor.
 The state league has arranged to give a banquet in honor of Dr. George H. Jackson, who was recently appointed United States consul at Cognac, France. The affair will take place at Stewards, Savin Rock, on the evening of Au- gust 30.