Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-07-08
Ask Aid From Employers.
Claim Discrimination Retards the
Progress of the Race.

We deplore the fact that our skilled
and educated laborers are not accord
ed the same opportunity to earn a
livelihood that is accorded to those of
the dominant race, who have had
similar preparation and training; and
call upon all fair-minded employers
of labor, trained, skilled or profess
sional, who do not believe it right
to, by thus discriminating, drive our
boys to acts of lawlessness and our
girls to lives OF shame, to allow merit,
and merit only, to be- the criterion by
which all applicants for positions
The foregoing resolution was adopt
ed by the A1ro-American council at
their session at Burns III. e. church
recently. The passage of the resolu-
tions was the signal for much enthusi-
asm. The resolutions contained the
following:
We affirm and indorse the resolu-
tions and declarations in the public
address issued by this council at its
second annual session in this city on
August 27, 1903 and congratulate our
selves upon the fact that the declara-
ton contained in said address de-
manding the reduction of southern
representation in congress, as provd-
ed for by section of the fourteenth
amendment, has been approved by the
national republican party and has, in
substance, been incorporated into it's
platform issued at it's convention at
Chicago June %, 1904, and we reiter-
ate that we will and do hereby advise
ou rpeople everywhere to sacredly
adhere to said declaration and to
positively refuse to support any party
or candidate who fails to guard the
rights, civil, political or otherwise, of
all American citizens, whomsoever
Wheresoever. N..s..
We congratulate the negroes of
Iowa upon the progress that they have
made during the past year along in
dustrial, business and professional
lines, and exhort them to continue to
improve their condition in these re-
spects by instructing their children in
habits of industry and economy and
by establishing and patronizing their
own business and professional enter
prises.
We also congratulate the negroes
Of the state upon the progress that
they are making Intellectually and
morally, and upon the fact that dur
ing the past year number of our
boys and girls have been graduated
from the public and high schools and
several from the various colleges and
universities of the state, which is
abundant evidence of the fact that we
are educating the brain as well as the
heart and the hand ~
S. Joe Brown, chairman, Rev. 0. A.
Johnson, /. M. Jones and G. M. Hen
bricks, committee. &
This was the third annual session Of
the state Afro-American council and
was called to order by is president,
Attorney George H. Woodson of
Muchikonock. There were many dele
gates in attendance. The president
IN his address made an appeal to the
colored people of the state to acquire
and invest wealth, and suggested that
! the erection of business block in
Des Moines would be good invest
nent. An address given by S. Joe
Grown, president of the local coun-
Gil was responded to by e. M. Hen
| bricks Of Saylor The meeting was
addressed by Rev. H. W. Porter, the
new pastor of Union Congregational
! church, who has just arrived from
| Charleston, S. c. There were address
| es in the afternoon by Mrs. H. S.
! Graves, president of the Iowa FEEDER
alton of Afro-American women; Hon.
| R. N. Hyde, the first president OF the
state council; Rev. Henry Cravens.
| Rev. 0. A. Johnson and MI. }. d.
| Rush.
At the evening session the princi,
! pal address was delivered by Edward
! A. Carter, Phi. B., the young negro
who graduated with honors from the
4 college of liberal arts at the State
university last year, and who is now a
student in the college Of medicine al
Iowa City. His subject was The Ne
/! gro and the Fourth Of July, which
was an earnest as well as eloquent
appeal to the patriotism OF the negro
Other speakers at the evening ses
| sen were Editor John L. Thompson
/ Of the Iowa State &Bystander, who re
counted some experiences at the re
publican convention in Chicago sever eve