The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-08-31
SUMNER LEAGUERS MEET
ANNUAL SUMMER GATHERING 1T
 SATIN ROCK.
Congressman White Unable to be Pres- eMt-Joseph Peal1er, of this City, rylected Presttlent-An After-Dinner Address by Rev. \. P. Miller.

Sumner LeagueTs were much disap' pointed yesterday that Congressman White was unable to be present with them at their annual meeting in Stew arts Savin Rock, Casino. The colored congressman accepted an invitation to address the gathering nearly a month ago and would have attended had 1t not been that he was detained unex- rectedly in Indianapolis.
 The meeting was attended by colorcd men from all over the state, nearly 400 being present.
 Officers elected for the ensuing year are the following: J. P. Peaker of this city, president his election being a unanimous vote Frank G. Stedman of Easthampton was elected first vice president w A. Waterman of Hart ford second vice president, and A. P. Miller of this city third vice president. The chairman of the executive commit tee is George A. Jenkins of Bristol, whose election was also unanimous.
 The members of the executive cOn- mfttee are the following: New Haven, w. s. Miller; Hartford, G. w E. Boyd; Ansoria, Captain Charles Totten; Wa terbury, Shedrock M Williams; New London, F. s. Jones; Norwich, Walter H. Burr; Danbury, George Johnson; Plainvile, w. Douglass Mason; Meri- den, P. A. Butler; Middletown, George Clark: East Hampton, Lyman Thomas; Rockville, Henry Vanness; Willimantic, D. B. Bently; Burial George A. Jen- kins; Manchester, William Thomas; Glastonbury, William Thompson; Ber- lin. K. c. Brown; Watertown, Freder- ick Fi-ch.
 After the meeting a shore dinner was served by Stewart, which was greatly enjoyed. After dinner speeches were made by President Peaker, Dr. Powell and Rev. A. P. Miller. The subject on which the latter spoke was "The Ptes- ent Situation of the Negro; No Cause for Alarm for the Future" and the ad- dress, aside from being well delivered, was a very logical argument through out Parts of his manuscript are re- printed as Bellows:
 'To the casual observer and ill-in- formed and superficial thinker the con- dition of our race is growing worse real ly instead of better, and the outlook for the future is becoming more and more uninviting.
 ''In sizing up the situation we must let history speak and reason in the light Of the past calmly aid us in reaching our conclusions. We do not deny the fact of the gravity of the situation. While the lines or all sides are being more tightly drawn-not only in poli- tics but also in the industrial world where the negro is struggling for a foot ing. The fact Is, we have. for political reasons, since the war, and especially since the passing of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the federal constitution, been showed forward too rapidly under conditions for mastering which we were lily prepared, almost from every point of view"
 Mir. Miller called attention to the ie- norance of the race at the time when they were first made citizens, to their extreme poverty and lack of experience in matters of self-directions and the pc culiar new and trying relations into which they were suddenly ushered
 "In the halls of national legislation, continued Mir. Miller, southern men never hesitated to express their opinion and had the courage of their convic- l tions and when they realized that their cause was losing ground In public sen- 1 timent, they were prepared to, and did, | back up their convictions on a thousand | rloody battleields by planting in south | ern soil half million of their brave | sons.
 Could these men be expected to yield | to a change so sweeping. as 1t involved | in the wholesale enfranchisement of | this recently enslaved race, in their ig ! norance and poverty?