The sun., 1903-04-04
NEGROES MEET TO PROTEST.
TWO THOUSAND GATHER IN THE
BROOKLYN ACADEMY.

stirred 70 Enthusiasm and Iadiguatiss
BY an Eloquent Plea Against Negro
Disfranchisemeut BY james A. Hayes
VINO 10 Called the Btack Rssseveit
James A. Hayes. . oolored lawyer OF
Richmond. Va, who 10 associated with
John 8. Wise and John @. CarliAle in con.
testing the oonstitutionality OF the Law
which has practically didranchised the
negroes OF Virginia. was the principal
! speaker at mass meeting held In the
Academy Of Music in Brooklyn last night
to protest against the movement in the
South to deprive the negro OF the right 10
vote.
Last nights meeting was . very large
| one. about 1000 persona, most Of them
oolored. being present. number Of Brook
lyn clergymen, who helped to get up the
meeting. we're present and took part In the
exercises. Among them were the Rev.
DR.. Harry Dewey Of the Church Of the
Pilgrims and the Rev. DR.. H. Parkes Cad
man Of the Central Congregational Church.
The Rev. DR.. Newell Dwight Hills Of Plym-
outh Church was to have been present
and to have made . speech, but he was
called away at the last minute and his
assistant, the Rsv. Willard p. Harmon,
spoke In his place. ..-... --.
George W. Wibecan. Jr., q well-known
colored politician OF Brooklyn. presided
at the meeting. He said that the colored
people Of Brooklyn had dedicated the night
to the cause Of liberty
Mr.. Hayes. who was introduced next,
was greeted enthusiastically. Among the
negroes he Il known as the Black Roosevelt.
Ha n n Uav Ass sx ks- III s~k g.
very bright eyes and very white teeth.
He is very eloquent and although he spoke
for over an hour and half last night and
only stopped when his voice gave out. his
every utterance received the closest at
tention and be was warmly applauded
when he finished. Mr.. Hayes said in part:
Il come to you from Virginia, the mother
Of States, the mother Of Presidents, tho
mother Of slavery. Alasl abe has ceased
to out Presidential timber; she has erased
to make States Of her splendid domain. and
abe u to-day harboring q worse system
Of slavery than existed before the war.
To-day Is the thirty-eighth anniversary
OF the evacuation OF the Southern
capital. the thirty-eighth anniversary
Of the day the Southern President went
fleeing South for his life. and it Is prophetic
that this day has been unconsciously selected
for this magnificent protest Of the negroes
Of the North against the disfranohisemen
Of their brothers In the South. We In the |
South have been disfranchised, which il |
only a nice. sweet way Of saying that we |
have again been enslaved.
We have but one explanation OF IL, |
and that We got when We begged that our |
be not taken from us. The |
white men of the South said 1t was the |
only yay To ave the whites from the crime
Of stealing the ballots Of the black man.
Mr.. Hayes reused his audience to the
highest pitch by his recital Of the services
Of the oolored man TO this country, from
The day Of those who served at Bunker Hill
With Warren TO the day Of those who went |
up San Juan Hill TO save Roosevelt and his
Rough Riders.
North to keep your hands on. as you don't
nS:. he Srdf
nsn sno Iii you there his sosSSs Ss Vii: thi:
~ Of negro domination. II is bugaboo.
xhitss. and yet ths ssvsntssn prstend % Se
lfraid Of the eight. There arc only two
as: nsfsS D. tas n:sos: s o9aSpes aa
"XSli this cry of negro domination ). to hide
sspS Tssi. Tsss sasisa Ts
Isy and said that ..li i.soysSnmsn. was not
Stewart l.. Woodford. who spoke next,
old the negroes that their cause was con-
family gaining and that they should not
ret discouraged. Other speakers were
bishop Derrick, DR.. Cadman and the Rev.
)r. j. NJ. Palmer. Resolutions congratu-
hey have taken against their disfranchise-
nent Were unanimously pASaed