The Washington bee., 1899-04-29
OUR NEW LEADERSHIP.
A REPRESENTATIVE AUDIENCE AT
TENDED THE CONGRESSIONAL LY-
cEI-M cPnMnS TURNED AWAY.

CEUM CROWDS TURNED AWAY
The announcement through the
press that w. Calvin Chase, Esq,
would discuss the subject, "Our new
leadership before the Congression.
al Lyceum, Odd Fellows Hall, brought
out, Sunday afternoon last, the largest
and most Representative audience ever
present After singing America,
prayer was offer by Rev. Dr. X. r.
Hart of Israel church. Mr.. Chase was
introduced by w. c. Martin, Esq,
president of the lyceum and said In
part:
What is leadership? In its broad
sense it is morally the fact OF leading,
a process which may or may not be
based in right or ability. In the sense
in which the colored people would
construe a leader, it is far more. Lead
ership from a colored mans stand
point means that there must be hrSt,
a principle; second, a policy; and
third, following As regards prln
Ciple the leader must entertain full
and perfect conception of the place tC
which he is entitled. He must be &C.
quainted with the many sides of our
political edihce. He must know its
valuable points and must know the
letter of the law as il relates to such
principles.
When the chair announced that the
subject was before the lyceun for con-
sideration, ex-Gov. p. B. s. PinchbaCk
of La, rose and said, that while he
highly complimented Mr. Chase for the
h.. n -,
saving that there were no race lead
ers. He was cabin boy on a Miss
iSsippi river steamer In the COS and in
sixteen years he was promoted to
the state legislature, then lieut.
governor and to the federal senate
He referred to a number of the old
leaders who are now dead, and said
there had always been leaders, that
there are leaders now and that there
alway would be leaders. Congress-
man Geo. II. White of North Carolina
said that as he had never posed as a
leader he was wholly unable to debate
the paper. Col w. A. Pledger, of Ga,
observed that for good and sufficient
reasons he would say nothing. Law
yer /. l.. ones, agreed with Mr..
Chase In saying that the race never
had a real leader, but admitted that
Frederick Dougla lass was a great think
er and beacon light for the race. Mr.
Jones had warmed up the subject and
was getting off some Websterian Pc
riods when the chairman's gavel
raped, "time The gavel had
hardly fallen when Justice of Peace
l.. Nj. Hewlett was recognized by the
chair and at once proceeded to pay
his respects to Mr.. Jones by saying that
the latter'S admission that douglass
was beacon light for the race was
admission that Douglass was a real
leader.
The presence of ex-collector of
taxes, John +. Cook, caused no little
favorable comment among the distin-
guIshed audience. Mr. Cook is one of
the old leaders is easily the wealthiest
Colored man In the District, and evil
IDENTIFY was present to hear what the
essayiSt had to say. His introduction
by the chair was greeted by prolonged
applau e which was generally renew
ed when he rose TO speak.
He said among other things that
while the paper was thoughtful and
contained much with which he would
heartily agree, there were some state
mentS with which he could not agee,
official elevation did not necessarily
make a man great or leader and that
practical man with good common
sense might become a leader. If there
were no leaders, the reason might be
found in the fact that the masses
would not support or stand by them.
L.,
said he had never posed as or consid-
cred himself leader, that for twenty
seven wears he had practiced law, and
u he was leader in his profession so
be il.
MIR. l.. H. Peterson said that in the
main he agreed with the paper. He
characterized Mr. chase as a great
leader, equal to any in the District
Col. Perry Carson not excepted,
daughter and prolonged apulauseD
DIR. Geo. II. Richardson, as was
conceded by all, made the speech of
the occasion. His argument was con-
else, pointed, releva t and logical and
said that among neither the old lead
erS nor the new could there be found
a man who would come within the
puryiew of Mr.. Chase'S definition of
leader.
Rev. Dr. Hart said that he believed
that there were race leaders, but as
rule it required but a very small
official loaf to stop them from talking
or'acing.
I. Thomas Fortune, ESQ.,, of New
York, SAID he had been in the newspa-
per business for twenty years and that
he had always supported the leaders
including Booker T. Washington.
A few of the prominent persons
present were Miss Eva Chase, princi-
pal Slater school; Misses Lula Chase,
Jackson, and jeanette E. Anderson,
teachers; Miss Emma F. @. Merritt,
supervising principal of the primary
department; Miss Mamie Burroughs,
Madam icy of Hapti, Messrs. Costin,
Hearsey, ] H. Stewart, Rev. ]. A.
Taylor, DIR. w. Bruce Evans, principal
of Mott school; Lieut.. Il. II. r. Clarke
and +. II. Wright, trustee of public
schools
The solo by Miss Marie lanes was
beautifully rendered.
Tomorrow at o'clock Prof. l.. NJ.
Hershaw will address the lyceum.
Subject Organization and negro or.
carnations.
President Martin deserves great