The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-17
BABBITT AROUSES NEGROES.
Brooklyn Preacher Makes Reply to
Graves Speech.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
The Rev. DR.. Dean Richmond Bah
bitt addressed the Commercial Amer
foan Negro National Convention in
the Bridge street African Methodist
Episcopal Church in Brooklyn last
night on the race question in general
and John Temple Graves utterances
in particular. The audience was made
up of about $50 colored men and WON
en-. DR.. Rabbits remarks aroused
great enthusiasm. Once he was in
terrupted by a deep and exultant shout
from under the gallery:
May the good God on His glitter
ing throne be thanked for such grand
men as you, doctor!"
AT another time when he was de-
nouncing Mr.. Graves proposed pen
ATTY OF mutilation for crimes against
women committed by negroes a voice
cried:
20 Lord, listen you to the only friend
the black man has!"
Part of DR.. Rabbits argument was
directed to the idea that a strict and
stern punishment of crimes of white
men against negro women would rob
bruta1ized and degraded negroes of
such little color of justification and re-
venge as they felt themselves possess
ed OF. DR.. Rabbits remarks along
this line fairly set his audience
wild.
Tell the truth, you white mani"
Praise God, he's shouting out all
he knows and isn't afraid of any
body"
it right out!'
Praise God for an honest mani"
These were but few of the ejacula-
tons which echoed through the build.
ing at the end of almost every sen.
tence.
DR.. Rabbit said in part:
Here is the great danger to the coll
ored people, viz. a deliberate. svste-
matte, we'll planned propaganda
throughout the South, and reaching
from the South to the North, to make
a deep, lasting, persuasive prejudice
against your race.
The only equality guaranteed by the
law and the Constitution is the equal
ity sought by any race, an equality
which has nothing to do with that other
equality used so often by the South
ern politician to influence the South
that of the drawing room and the par
lor-which is the gift, in any race, of
the individuals of that race and not
of the laws.
deep spreading prejudice are mobs and
lynchings. We are approaching a heat
ed campaign. Your race in the South
will surely suffer. The word to-day
for you is self-control, forbearance,
organization under respected leaders
of your race, firmness, dignity self-re-
straint, insistence on civil and POLITICAL
rights and an enduring, patient, intel
ligent conduct as Christian men and
women.
DR.. Rabbit commented on what he
called that savagery of the suggestion
of John Temple Graves of Chautaudua
that mutilation be the punishments for
black men. He said that until the
same law prevailed for white and black
no remedy and no penalty could have
the approval of this people, and that
est suggestion of any punishment, how
ever inadequate, for the white assail-
ant of negro women. He continued:
What a cry of horror Is raised
throughout our country when a white
woman is assaulted by a negro! He is
taken out and burned at the stake as
AN example to the race But who
black woman? Is not her womanhood
as sacred?
who was II that turned the black
race yellow. applause, laughter and
up-roar.)
Does not the negro, as he goes TO
the stake after committing a crime
against a woman of the white race,
find in his brutalized brain the right
to believe that reorisal has been made
in some measure for similar crimes
committed against the women of his
own race by white men? / suggest
some protection for black woman
hoodi
James A. Rostond presided at the
meeting. Before DR.. Babbitt spoke
an address was made by the Rev. DR..