The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-17
|ANTI.RAPE MASS MEETING
Was Held Last Night at the City
Hall.
coLoRED MEN CONDEMN THE CRIME.
Arranging for the Anti-Rape Con.
vention to He Held at Coiumbus,
Texas, october 4 and =.

81 A small crowd OF the representative col
x, ored men Of Houston assembled at market
ISL hall last evening for the purpose OF hold
IA ing an anti-rape mass meeting.
IA The audience was addressed by N. Q.
n Henderson, a prominent colored man OF
Fl Columbus. Texas. who said in part:
came from the interior OF Texas and
Il from town where we do not have police
n men on every corner TO preserve the dig
"A nifty OF the law. You colorod people who
Il live in the cities do not know the condi-
y tons existing among the colored citizens
a published IN the country towns contain
n reports of every rape case that occurs
e throughout the country. and they are made
y special features OF publication. These re-
y ports are In many cases exaggerated. and
y IN nine out OF ten cases the hend com
q fesses his crime before being lynched. The
4 effect of these reports cause white ladies'
4 and their daughters In those districts to
\ be afraid to venture out alone. This is
prejudIcing public sentiment against the
\ whole colored race and the great question
! among us is how can We soften public
sentiment In the rural distrcts?"
The crime OF lynchlug Is foul: II Is
brutal. and 1t gDawa al the very founda-
+ ton Of our government. Laws wero passed
Z In our last legislature and heavy penalties
placed upon lynchers, but Judge Lynchs
court still exists.
Possibly you gentlemen have had no
experience with lynchlng and you need
some one TO talk to you who has. Any maa
\ who has been In q community where Judge
( Lynch has rcigned and goes along Oh a
dark and gloomy night and runs against
: q human body. stark and cold, hanging
( from limb. experiences feeling OF in
desoribable horror
The object Of lynchlng Is to set an ex-
ample. Now. Is 1t not possible for the
I colored man to put himself on record as
not needing this example? II not, then /
say II is pitiful condition OF affairs. |
believe we can show 10 tho world that We
are worthy OF citizenship and overthrow
the tide Of public sentiment that now pre-
walls against us. We say we condemn
lynching and the question ia hurled back
at us: why don't you stop III" The drst
thing to DO done is tc show to the world
that the negro looka upon the crime Of
rape with as much horror as anybody cIsc
Let us convince the world that we look
up TO. honor and respect womanhood. viz
tue aud home sanctty.
In the coming convention at Columbus
we ask every negro who "a Interested In
the welfare Of his race to attend and lend
his wisdom aud intelligence toward solv-
Ing this great problem. We want to demon
strate 20 the world that tho negro is a
worthy citizen and the few exceptions
ought not TO cause the whole race to suf-
fer.
Let us go into the core OF this great
question aud attack the cause. Lynchug
can only be stopped by putting a stop to
rape.
Or. D. G.. Forril made a short speech.
An which he assured the speaker who pre-
ceded him that he would lend his influence
toward making the coming convention at
Columbus success.
Henry Ferguson was asked 70 say some
thing aud responded az follows;
| don't believe all reports but where !
there Is smoke there Is fire. and IL behoovcs !
the hctttr class Of oolorod citizens to pnt |
forth every effort to put ont the fire.
whenever you disturb the ducenoy OF Il
mans family you outage his household
and disturb the household Of his ueighbor |
and something must De done While |
don't believe In lynch law, yet In every
case where this damnablc deed has been |
none' and there has been no question OF
the guilt OF the rapist. | must confess |
that my sympathlts have been with the |
lynchers.
approve OF calling this convention |
that we may bring enough respectable
men together 10 inaugurate some plan by !
which this stain may be removed from |
the oolored race. | am tired OF being ac-
'cuscd OF or held responsible for what the
tasea's OF our race do want to express
my condemnation OF such acts and | be-
,iieye every man In the house feels the
'same way.
JOSH Watson said among other things.
;that while he did not approve Of lynchlnc
tyet ne thought the law ought to b. re-
,versed, so that such criminals could he
'hung up In public. so that the whole pop
fuiation. men, women and children, could |
see The penalty OF such cnmc
IN closing the meeting the chairman
announced that the Columbus mt. rans
convention would be held October and .
Y
nonOrinp nm ola N.,,t,..