Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-12-16
Platform Of Negro Party.

Chattanooga, Tenn, December 10.
As the result of meeting of the
prominent negro leaders of this and
other Southern States, held here re-
Gently, the committee on platform
gave out the declaration of it's prin-
oiples and Importance of the other
parties.
After reciting that conditions in
the South are such as to demand a
"negro party" the declaration con.
tinues:
"When, in the course of political
affairs, it becomes necessary for any
race to sever its connection with po-
litical parties in order to preserve its
existence, it is wisdom to call upon
all peoples Immediately concerned
for aid we, therefore, call upon all
races and classes for aid and moral
support, not only in organizing a
separate party in opposition to whis-
key and cocaine, but in remon-
strances and petitions to the powers
that be, for the enactment of such
laws as will suppress the evils com
planned of. We call upon our
brethren in the States which have
disfranohised them, to meet en-
masse, to organize and petition their
respective legislatures for the pas
sage of laws TO protect them against
negro white baudy houses run by
negro women, cocaine, whiskey and
peonage. The right to peaceably
assemble and petition the law making
power shall forever remain inviola-
BILE, says the constitution.
"Another evil worth mentionino
demands attention of every lover of
humanity. Forty years of freedom
and civilization have not taught
many negroes that it is crime not
to care for and ,pport their wives
and children, inasmuch as human
pride and natural affection of many
negro parents have no lodgment in
their conscience, stringent laws
should be passed, forcing them to
do 80.
"We pledge our sacred honor to
stand by the principles herein enun-
ciated and will endeavor with all our
power to have them preserved and
enacted into law, for the good of the
public morals, the salvation of minds,
bodies and souls.
"We demand the enactment of a
law making it an offense for negro
woman to run, or to be concerned in
running, house of prostitution for
white men, punishable with fine of
$500 and imprisonment in the work
house for six months.
ave demand the enactment of a
law making it an offense for any we'll
and able bodied man or woman tc
desert his or her family, and refuse
to care for and support his or her
children unless for infidelity, or i'm
morality on the part of the husband
or wife, and failure to support the
children shall incur a penalty, this
offense punishable with fine of 5000
and six months in the work house.
eve respectfully insist that a law
should be enacted making it high
misdemeanor to sell cocaine unless
mixed with ether medicine By q
pharmacist or physician, and that no
physician be allowed to prescribe it
unless he holds certificate from the
State board of health--that the sale
of this deadly drug be an offens Q
punishable by a fine of $3.50 with six
days. imprisonment.
"We call upon the moral and
Christian people everywhere to help
us fight the whiskey evil, and il |
necessary tus present solid front
in favor OF submitting the wbi .ey
question to all the big cities of 4 en-
nessee. And we Gall upon our
brethren in other States to fight the
whiskey and cocaine evils"