Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-31
Commissioner Wight's Statement Be-
fore a Congressional Committee.
REFERENCE TO IRISH and NEGROES
\ Circular Being Distributed
Broadcast in the City.
QUESTION OF APPOINTMENT


John B. Wight regarding the colored peo-
pie of the District and the Irish and Ital-
ians as well, which was taken to be indi-
Gated in some of his statements made
recently before the subcommittee of the
House committee on appropriations having
in charge the District appropriation bill
for 1901.
The publicity given the matter was due
to a circular issued yesterday containing
Commissioner Wight's remarks, and it is
believed the discussion in progress and to
follow, and which, 1t Is stated, will be
vigorously participated in by the colored.
Irish and Italian citizens and the social re-
formers well. may have an important
bearing the question of the commission
erships which the President must shortly
settle.
The utterances for which Mr.. Wight is
being criticised by the classes mentioned
We're made February 20 last before the SUBJ
committee which is composed of Repre-
SentativeS w. w. Grout, II. H. Bingham,
]. T. McCleary, John NJ. Allen and M. E.
Benton. The section of the bill relating to
the metropolitan police was under consd-
Grafton. On page 40 of the printed report
of the hearing occurs the following:
Before the Committee.
Mr.. Wight say it with all kindness,
but 1 state it as fact, that the $4,000
cclored people here are equal to the crimi-
nal conditions in any city. They regard
life as of no value whatever
The chairman-"But they are not safe
crackers"
Mr. Wight-"They are worse
Major Syl-ester-''We had eighteen mur-
ders last year. We captured some Of the
most notorious criminals in the United
States in the District. We had 25,OO0 ar
rests"
Mr. Wight-"And to handle these 10000
colored people, with the Irish and Italians
and other classes that are here and in
considerable numbers, speaks well, l think,
for the police department, and / will defy
any city in this country to show better
handled prostitutes than is shown here.
You never see these women Haunting
themselves on the street. You never hear
of men being solicited the street as is
in London, New York and other cities. The
| business is confined to one section; the
houses are all located and are cared for in
such way as to confine the business there,
so not to be disgrace to the city or
disagreeable in any way, and that is done
in the first district with very few men.
and the women are kept from going into
the city,
The circular alluded to has been widely
distributed. 5000 copies, it is said, having
been printed. 1t is the intention of the
colored people to circulate petitions to the
President against Commissioner Wight's
reappointment, and calls have been already
issued for indignation meetings, the first of
which will be held tomorrow at the Second
Baptist Church, and be conducted by X.
W. Thompson.
Mr.. Wights Explanation.
Referring to the statement made by him
before the House committee on appropria-
| tions during the recent discussion of the
District appropriation act in which he said:
''The 10000 colored people here are equal
| to the criminal conditions in any city. They
| regard life of no value whatever" Dis
trict Commissioner John b. Wight
a TODAY
| that. in making the statement. he referred
| only to the criminal classes and not to the
colOred race whole.
THE committee said Mr.. Wight was
discussing the necessity for increased
| police force. and in making the statement
mentioned had only in mind, and supposed
at the time that | was fully understood to
refer only to the criminal class of our col
ored population, and not to the race
whole. Any other construction of the
statement made by me is wholly unWar-
ranted, and this explanation is also true as
| to what | said about our Irish and Italian
population
MIR. Calvin Chase's Views.
Mr.. W. Calvin Chase expressed his views
on the subject of the circular to a reporter
| for The Star this morning and in the
course of his conversation said:
Mr.. Wight has made an unwarranted at
| tack upon the 10000 coored people In this
District. We have some of the most re-
| fined and cultured people of color in this
] city that you can find anywhere in this
country. We pay taxes on over S12OOoOOO
worth of property. We have the same five
senses that the white man possesses We
| assist in paying the salary Mr.. Wight and
| his family enjoy He has never had any
| fair estimate of the colored race. He show
| ed this in a speech he made at Shiloh Bap-
tist Church, when he described the negro's
record as driver bootblack and coachman
| Mr.. Wight will not deny this.
| The negroes OF this country have the
| highest respect and consideration for Pres
| ident Mckinley" continued Mr.. Chase.
''and are faithful to him and to his admin
| istration. but in view of Mr.. Wight's attack
| upon us the question now is, does the Pres
| ident want the negro or Mr.. Wight?
| Mr.. Wight does not only lioel the negro,
but the Irish people, who are good and
| loyal citizens. and the Italians as well.
| Does the President want the Irish or Mr.
| Wight? Does he want the Italians or Mr.
| Wight?'
Races Aroused.
! Mr.. Wight's reference to the colored.
Irish and Italian population of the District
| was the subject of general discussion
in the vicinity Of the District building and
| the city hall today, and the members of the
| three races made no concealment of an in
| tention to take the matter before the Presi-
| dent. 1t was stated by more than one
| Irishman that the Ancient Society of
| Hibernians intends to take official notice
| of the Commissioners reference to the
| Irish local population, and 1t is said this
will be done at the meetings of the various
| branches of this society tomorrow The
| organization is looked upon as the most
| powerful of it's kind in the country, it
4 being claimed that fully nine-tenths of the
| Irish-Americans hold membership therein
| 1t is in close intimacy with the Catholic
| Church, and 1t is claimed by its members
| that 1t has the entire approval of the
| church, and that it will have its sympathy.
| If not active cooperation, in the societys
| expected movement against Mr.. Wight be-
| cause of his alleged reflection against Irish
| men.
| The cofored people are said to be no less
insulted because of Mr.. Wight's remarks.
and today they did not hesitate to declare
that they will use every endeavor to defeat
his denomination. If nominated for sec
ond term by the President. they assert, with
| every degree of confidence, that they will
| bring such influence and pressure to bear
upon the republican pembers of the Sem
ate as to serure his rejection. This is said