Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-22
The C0lorcd Members Appeal.


which deserves the wide attention it
Is receiving. 1t was a forcefui'
eloquent and pathetic effort, ana was
more than the personal valedictory Of
"A man In public life In several papers
1t has been referred to as the politicaf
swan song of the cOlored race. Mr.
White declared To be only too evident
that the negro has been forsaken by
political parties and social organiz-
tons. All the help he is to get from
the white race. according 10 the pres
ent outlook must come from nigh
minded ana public-apirited individuals
who have not forgotten their Christian
responsibilities. to say nothing OF those
that belong to them as citizens.
Mr.. White has not been prominent in
Congress. except to bc pointed out
from the gallery as the only man Of
negro blood ON the floor. lie Is a man
of education. and his speech SHOWS
that ne possesses clear reasoning power.
great earnestncsS and a sense Of JUS
associates. Yet the intensifyin% prej-
udice against his color has continually
handicapped him. kept him from
having influence which otherwise
would have been his. and tiilcd his
political career AZ wei NV his pr!vat"
life with unhappiness. one party haS
treated him with an aversion bori"rin;
on bitterness and hatred; the othe.. il
rs TO be feared. has treated him Titf
little better than Indifference. Allowed
an opportunity to speak on tho agricu!-
tural appropriation bill ne took oc-
casion to say some shings On behalf Of
his race for which privilege had not
been given him when hr had earlier
sought IT. His address was dignticd
ana eloquent ana as rcholIrly as a
ma jority ~ his fellow members could
have delivered. He answered dispas-
aionately Yet convincingly the insin-
uation of southern member that the
blacks had been thrust upon the whites
OF their section. Forgetting he said.
the horrors Of the slave trade ana the
unspeakable horrors Of the transit
from the shores Of Africa by means Of
the middle passage 10 the American
cline. the enforced bondage nf the
blacks and their descendants for two
ana half centuries III the United
States, now, for the first time perhaps
in the history Of our lives. the inform
alton comes that these poor. helpless.
ana in the main inoneusive people
Were thrust upon our southern
brethren" In his own words We give
his statement Of the advancement
made by his race in a generation:
IF the gentleman to whom ! have
referred will pardon me. | would like
TO advance the statement that the
musty records Of 1865. filed away in the
archives of Southern capitols. as to
what the negro was thirty-two years
ago, are not a proper standard by
which the negro living on the threshold
| of the twentieth century should be
| measured. Since that time we have
| reduced the illiteracy Of the race at
least forty-tive per cent. We have
| written ana published near five hum
| dred books. We have nearly three
hundred newspapers. three OF which
are dailies. We have now in practice
over two thousand lawyers and cor
responding number of doctors. We
have accumulated over Sl2U00, 900
worth of school property ana about
| $40 900. 900 worth of church property.
| We have about 10000 farms and
| homes. valued at in the neighborhood
, of $3.50, 600 900 and personal property
| valued at about 100000. 600 We have
| raised about $lI 900 900 for educational
purposes. and the property per capita
| for every colored man, woman and
child in the United States is estimated
AZ $15.'
His closing exhortation and appeal
was both dramatic and pathetic. 1t
was the appeal of one who seemed u
think that he must make the most OF 4
/ liii'ti 'll''i thiiltN- s'l'tAhlIlS I'VE lily
negro. he said:
Help him to overcome his weak
ncsses. punish the crime-committins
class by the courts of the land. meas
ure the standard of the race by its best
| material. cease to mold prejudCial and
unjust public sentiment against him.
and my word for it. he will learn To
support, hold up the hands Of and join
in with that political party. that insti-
| tuition. whether secular or religious. in
! every community where he lives,
which is destined to do the greatest
good for the greatest number. Obit-
crate race hatred. party prejudice, and
| help us to achieve nobler ends. greater
results. and become more satisfactory
citizens to our brother III white
In conclusion he said: The only
apology that | have to make for the
earnestness with which | have spoken
is that | am pleading for the life, the
liberty. the future happiness and man
hood suffrage for one-eighth of the
entire population of the United States.
In less than month, this man, who
was at least able to command admir-
alton for his utterances if not sym