Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-15
READY FOR BUSINESS
Colored Sufragists Form a
National League.
OFFICERS ELECTED
AN EXECUTIVE SESSION HELD
THIS MORNING.
Some Strenuous Addresses Made-Pro-
test From Dissenters-The Dis
trict Divided.
OFFICERS ELECTED


The attempt to organize National Amer
| lean Negro Suffrage League at the Metro
politan Baptist Church, street between
18th and 18th streets, which created so
much excitement among the colored men
| about noon yesterday, was ultimately sue
| cessful. The convention called by the Suf-
| frage Leaguers of Pennsylvania, and COM
posed of over $50 delegates. representing
| twenty-five states and territories and the
District of Columbia, finally succeeded in
| electing Rev. DR.. Oscar ]. w. Scott, pastor
| of the Metropolitan African Methodist
! Episcopal Church of this city, temporary
| chairman. Under his leadership the con-
| venton then elected the following perma-
| nent officers:
| Chairman, Robert J. Nelson of Pennsyl-
| vania: secretary, James E. Dixon of Rhode
| Island: assistant secretary, James +. Arm
| strong of Alabama; treasurer, Thomas L..
Jones of Washington; sergeant-at-arms,
| John e. Hagins of Massachusetts; assist
| ant sergeant-at-armS, E. Nutter of Mary
| land.
| The session this morning opened shortly
after 10 o'clock. There was boisterous
/ discussion shortly after as to the status of
| two unaccredited Maryland delegates, dur
| ing which there were special outbursts of
|
! aggressive-looking lady delegates near the
| front. making necessary the services of the
| sergeant and his squad. The as
| sembly decided finally, however, to go into
| executive session for the discussion of many
| and sundry important and burning ques-
| tons in respect of the actions of the Presi-
| dent of the United States and the republic
! can party.
| Orders were given by President Nelson
| to eject all but delegates from the church
| auditorium, but some time elapsed before
| the proper officials were successful in this.
| A reporter for The Evening Star was seat
| ed comfortably in a pew half way to the
| front, studiously scribbling the record OF
| events, when he was touched on the
| shoulder and told he must leave. He ap-
pealed to the president, who put the cues
| ton of allowing him to remain before the
| assembly. Thereupon number of speeches
We're made concerning the treatment which
| the convention had received from the press,
| yesterday evening and this morning, in the
| course Of which The Star was repeatedly
| referred to as 'all right" and las treating
| the colored man fairly"
Nevertheless it was thought to be better,
by a majority of the delegates when an
executive session is to be held to have a
real one, and The Stars representative
was courteously escorted to the vestbule
and given a seat on the stairway to await
developments From his position the sounds
of heated debate and the accompaniment
of applause and laughter were continuous
ly audible.
Merely the Usual Detail.
During the morning Police Lieutenant
Jordon of the eighth precinct looked in,
but left almost Immediately, promising to
call again. He stated to The Star reporter
that no trouble had been anticipated by the
three policemen present yesterday, and that
the latter were the usual detail for a public
gathering. Their presence he said, was
a matter of courtesy to the assembly,"
1t was afterward learned that the follow
ing business was transacted in the execu-
tive session:
The speakers for this evening were
chosen as follows: w. NJ Trotter, editor
of the Boston Guardian; Rev. F. J. Grimke
of this city, Rev. Geo. w. Lee of this city.
Rev. P. A. Wallace of Tennessee, Thomas
l.. Jones of this city, Geo. H. White of
North Carolina.
w. Calvin Chase. chairman Of the execu-
tive committee of the local suffrage league,
was elected chairman Of a committee on
organization.
Rev. Geo. w. Lee of this city addressed
the convention for some time on various
phases of the question of suffrage.
Some Resolutions.
Rev. Mr.. Lee in his address, BEST es tell
ing many funny stories, intimated that his
position was unfavorable to Roosevelt and
the republican party, because they were
not attempting to remedy the colored
mans political condition.
10 MI. Lee rev. .. L. COrfOtGetS, DreSl-
dent of the local suffrage league, responded
feeling!y Mr.. Corrothers offered certain
resolutions. which are considered as voicing
the sentiment Of his faction.
Included in the resolutions were the fol-
lowing:
I'VE believe in the principles of the re-
publican party, the principles of freedom,
manhood suffrage and the civil and political
equality of all men before the law, and do
hereby pledge ourselves, individually and
collectively, to do all within our power for
the success Of the party that stands for the
principles encouched in the declarations
above
I'VE call upon the negro voters of every
state and congressional district of this
Union, In which their vote Is essential to
the election from said state their repre-
sentatives and senators, to request Of said
representatives and senators to see that en-
Reimbursement and political robbery go no
further.
I'VE believe in a reasonable distribu-
ton of the colored people from the con-
gested districts of the south to the more
favorable sections of the north, east and
west. where they can have better OPP
portunity to educate and qualify them
selves for the strenuous responsibilities
Of American citizenship.
We iDdorse the courageous statesman
ship of Theodore Roose. cit and call upon
the national Republican party to name
him as standard bearer for the party of
freedom and human liberty in 1904; and
we, the three hundred thousand colored
and west, pledge to him our loyal support
I'VE cali upon the colored citizens of this
country to contribute to the national fund
now being raised to contest the legality
of the southern constitutions in the Su-
preme Court Of the United States. We are
in present need of ten thousand dollars
and every black man and woman who loves
God. their race and freedom should re-
spond."
The resolutions were referred to the COM
mittee on resolutions which is expected
to report late this afternoon
Mr.. Corrothers then answered the state
ments made by Mr.. Lee. He made a ring
ing address, which expressed sentiments
so opposite to those held by some of the
delegates that an attempt was made to
rule the speaker off the floor.
He was allowed to continue. however, and
held that the negroes of the country should
not bolt from the republican party as Mr.,
Lee had suggested. Loud applause greeted
his words on this phase of the matter,
Following Mr.. Corrothers the committees
on resolutions. organization and creden-
tails retired to consider matters in their
hands
The report from the committee on or
ganization was presented shortly after It
provided that the name OF the association