The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-08
WORK OF FREEDMEN
Cyrus Field Adams Tells
What His Race Achieved
Since Slavery
HE DENOUNCES MOB LAW
National Afro American Press Asso-
citation Holds Its Annual Con-
vention and Elects
Officers.

The twenty-th third annual meeting of
the National Afro American Press as
ISOLATION convened at the Pilgrim Bap-
| fist church, Twelfth and Cedar streets,
yesterday morning. The principal bust
ness Of the days session was the cleo
| ton of officers, which occurred in the
| afternoon. The officers elected were
as follows: Cyrus Field Adams, rep
resenting the Appeal, of Chicago, and
assistant registrar of the United
| States treasury at Washington, re-
elected president for the fourth term;
John G.. Dancy, recorder of deeds at
| Washington, vice president; T.. Thorn
as Fortune, representing the New York
| Age, secretary; William H. Steward,
| of Louisville, KY, treasurer; Emma J.
| Scott, private secretary to Prof. Book
er T. Washington, chairman of the ex-
! ecutive committee.
There were about thirty-five dele
| gates in attendance The session yes
terday morning was opened with pray
er by Rev. w. D. Carter, D. D., and
the address of welcome was made by
H. P. Hall. Mr.. Halls address of well
! L.
Steward, OF Louisville, KY. The rest
of the morning was taken up in hear
ing papers read by F. l.. Barnett, of
1 Omaha, Neb., on practical Men in De-
! mand," and Emmett: ]. Scott, of Ala
bama, on How to Make a Newspaper
Pay" Mrs. Maggie w. Steward, of
Bristol, Tenn, also gave an address
on Women in Journalism" and Will
| liam A. Pledgef, of Atlanta, Ga, spoke
on "The Press as an Educator" At
the afternoon session brief talks were
made by Hon. j. c.. Dancy, T. Thomas
| Fortune, DR.. 1. B. Scott, of New Or
leans, and M. S. Alexander, of st.
Mary, La.
Last night an excellent programme
Of musical numbers was given, and af-
ter the evening session had adjourned
! the ladies of Pilgrim church gave a
reception to the delegates. The fea-
ture Of the evenings programme was
the annual address of President Cyrus
| Field Adams:
President Adams Address.
| Mr. Adams commenced by giving a
history of the Afro-American press
| and said:@
The man who first saw the posi-
bilities of the Afro-American press as
| factor in the development Of the
| race and as a means of educating the
whites toNia proper appreciation of the
abilities of1the race to rise in the scale
OF humanity, was John b. Russworm,
who issued the first Afro American
newspaper, Freedoms Journal, March
| 80, 1927. Mr.. Russworn's publication
met with more and greater obstacles
! than any paper ever. published. AT that
1 time the Afro-AmeriCarS of the North
who would patronize the paper were
few, while the white abolitionists were
| not very numerous! Now the journal
| lSt contends for our rights as citizens;
then it contended for our deliverance
| from the curse, of human slavery
ON the lst day Of November, 1847,
| Frederick Douglas began the publica-
! ton of the North Star, at Rochester,
| n. The editor of the North Star be-
| ing head and shoulders above many of
his colleagues, his paper. was readily
| accepted as one of the most formidable
/ enemies of American slavery The
| North Star was conducted on a much
! higher plane than any of the preceding
| publications. Mr. Douglas had by his
/ eloquent appeals in behalf of the abol-
| ton cause created widespread senti-
| ment and he was known as an orator.
For sixteen years, against much OPP
| position, singfe- handed and alone,
! Frederick Douglass demonstrated that
/ the Afro -Amefieans was equal to the
/ white man in conducting a useful and
popular journal.
I'm 1850, thenanae of the North Star
was changed to them of Frederick
| Douglas Paper, Which was published
until 1t was able to chronicle the
| emancipation of the slaves. 1t was
| then discontinued, having triumphed
| in the cause fer which &C so vigorously
| fought 81
| I'VE, should revei e the memory Of
| this noble band of men who sacrificed
4 themselves upon the editorial altar for
! the race. They we're Door in pocket,
/ but noble in Spirit Their time, their
| talents, their money, were freely CIV
en- that we might enjoy the fruits Of
their labors, for itSis scarcely probable
that they hoped to- see the direct re-
suits of their works, yet some Of them
| lived to see emancipation and enfran-
chisement, and we who live today,
! thirty-five years after, see the Afro
| American making progress along lines
wholly unlocked for, unthought of be-
| fore the war;"
Mr.. Adams gave some statistics
/ showing the progress Vi the Afro
American race along educational lines.
He also called attention to the fact that
! 100000 freedmen and their children
have gained possession of 100000
/ acres of land in a generation Through
out the limited states, according to the
| latest statistics and estimates. of
! 1.410, 700 Afro American heads of fam
lilies, 264,288 own their homes and
farms and in this commercial age this
means power and prestige.
National Disgrace.
ut is noticeable fact that while
1 the infamy of mob law has apparently
1 gained firmer footing than hereto
fore, If that were possible, not only in
the Southern states, which may be re-
| garded as the storm center of lawless-
ness, but in other sections of the coun-
1 try, the national sentiment against it
| becomes stronger and more asserted
Here and there an honest and courage
/ Gus governor in the South, like Gov.
Longino of Mississippi, has taken such
| a strong position against mob law as
to attract the sattention and admiration
of the peopleAof the republic, and to