Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-02
COLORED PEOPLE AROUSED
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED CONDEMN.
ING COMMISSIONER WIGHT.
His Remarks on COIored Population
Resented-COmm ittee Appointed to
Wait Upon the President.

remarks were about the Commissioner
utterances before congressional committee
when he said, among other things, Il say
it with all kindness, but 1 state 1t a
fact, that the 10000 colored people here
are equal to the criminal conditions in any
city They regard life as of no value what
ever
Before adjournment the meeting adopted
a series of resolutions and appointed a COM
mittee TO wait on the President and present
the resolutions, which were to the effect
that in a recent investigation of the po-
lice department one John B. Wight, Come
missioner of the District of Columbia, did
outrageously Islander. libel and condemn the
entire colOred population of the District of
Columbia in the following language. After
quoting the remarks made by Commissioner
Wight the resolutions continue:
Therefore be it resolved, That a commit
tee of five from this meeting be appointed
to wait upon the President of the United
States and request of him. in the name of
the 10000 of his fellow citizens. two-thirds
of whom are taxpayers, the immediate re-
moval Of said John B. Wight. If this re-
quest cannot be compiled with we, in the
name of 10000 people of the District and
in the name of 10.oO0,6OO of colored people
of the United States, protest against his
reappointment at the expiration of his term
Commissioner.
Resolved further, That similar COM
llitiee De appointed by tnc CHAIRMAN 1Or
the purpose of presenting to Congress the
request of the people on the school ques
ton, and said committee is hereby instruct
ed to use all honorable means with any
senator or party to carry out the wishes
of the people"
Those who were appointed members of the
committee to present the resolutions to the
President are w. Calvin Chase, chairman;
j. w Patterson. Lewis II. Douglass, e. L.
Marshall and S. G. Thompson.
Change i'm ScbOoI Sxsfep,
The meeting also adopted a resolution
concerning the proposed change in the
school law. which is to be presented to the
committees of Congress by f. F. Merritt,
Lucy E. Moten. N. E. Weatherless, John
G. Simms and W. II. II. Hart This reso-
luton says:
Whereas the colored population of the
District of Columbia is from $4,000 to 80 900
and the said population pays taxes on from
Sl2e0o,Ooo 10 $4,000. 900 worth of real es-
tate, we,' the colored citizens, request tho
Congress of the United States to so amend
the pending bill creating two superintend-
ents of the public schools and five mem
bers of a board of education so that both
OF the superintendent be appointed by the
President of the United States: one of the
superintendent, who shall be colored. shall
manage the coiored schools and the board
of education shall be increased to seven,
three of whom shall be colored, who shall
manage the colOred schools, a majority of
Wnom IN all instances shall SUPERVISE the
entire public school system
Yesterdays meeting of the 1yceum was
called for the purpose of discussing the
school question, and when Mr. w Calvin
ChaSe called up the matter of denouncing
Mr. Wight the president of the Iyceum Mr.
r. w. Thompson. declared he was out of
order. 1t was apparent. however that the
cause champiOned by Mr.. Chase was con-
sidered more important by the audience
than the question announced for discussion
President Thompson found that he had but
few supporters and he was obliged to allow
the discussion of both questions.
John G. Green spoke at length upon the
school question. He commented upon the
hourishinS condition Of the Colored schools
and deplored the possibility of a change in
the system. lie advised immediate and en-
erSetic action on the part of the colored
people to defeat the proposed reorganiza-
ton Of their schools MIR. Green advised
that the COlOrrd people in the states be APP
pealed to in order that they might use their
influence with their representatives in Con-
gress. The colored people, he said. will
only become known by their white brethren
by coming in contact with them. He
thought tn, present system of governing
the colored schools was such an excellent
one that change is not needed.
Tr. Chase's Demand.
Mr.. Chase then arose and said it was his
desire that the audience denounce Commits
siOner Wight for his utterances against the
10000 colored people of the District. 1t
was at this juncture that President Thomp-
son announced that the meeting had been
called for the discussion of the school ques-
ton, and not for the purpose of ndulging
in personalities. Mr.. Chase said he would
then speak on the school question. The
c0lored schools. he said. could certainly not
be expected to be successful under a Com
missioner who held opinion of the col
ored people such as was expressed by Com
missioner Wight. The colored people of the
al
he intended to speak about it both in and
out of church.
These people have not come here to hear
about the schools said the speaker. They
want to hear about the man in high po-
sition who has slandered and libeled our
race. The President, l think, viii feel that
he cannot afford to renOminate Mr. Wight"
He concluded his remarks by sd wing: Il
denounce John p. Wight as d coward for
libeling the negro.
W. H. H. Hart addressed the meeting at
considerable length upon the school ques-
ton. and referred to the Jim Crow car
law of Virginia being on a footing with
the Jim Crow schools here.
Greeted With Kisses.
Referring to the question of denouncing
Commissioner Wight he said there is such
a thing as being too quick upon the trigger
and of taking offense where no offense is
meant. He said he had the good fortune
to know Mr.. Wight, and said the latter had
given more appointments to colored people
than any other Commissioner had ever
given them He spoke in the highest terms
of Mr.. Wight, and said he was certain
that in his remarks Mr.. Wight referred to
the lawbreakeiS among the $4,000 colored
people and not to the entire co.ored popu-
lation. His remarks were greeted with a
storm of hisses and he was charged with
champiOnng the cause of the Commissioner
because the latter had assisted him to
build up his school.
Prof WeatheresS of the Colored High
School. Miss Merritt. a supervising princi-
pal in the colored schools, and others made
short addresses.
on motion of Mr. Chase the rules of the
lyceum were suspended and the resolutions
We're adopted. A letter from the Rev. w.
Bishop johnson, pastor of the church, was
read He was detained at home on account
of sickness In his letter he denounced the
position taken by Commissioner Wight and
advised that there should be no mincing of
words nor apologize utterances during the
discussion.
With the public schools torn from our
control and the republican Commissioner
pouring from his high place streams of
vituperation and SANDER upon u.s. wrote
the pastor. cit seems to me the race must
act Immediately, unitedly, inteligently and
with determination. -