The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-20
NEGRO SAYS ST. PAUL
DRAWS COLOR LINE
Presidentof Sunday Club Makes
Plain Talk for Separate
CIubroOms

In a spirited discussion arising dur
ing the meeting of the Young Mems
Sunday club at the st. James A. NJ E.
church yesterday concerning the adj
stability Of establishing downtown
clubrooms for the reception Of colored
men during the week days, F. D. Par
ker, president of the club, spoke at
some length regarding the position &C.
Cupied by the colOred race in st. Paul
at the present day.
There is no use trying to dodge the facts
in this matter (said Mr. Parker) the color
line is drawn in St Paul and is more or
less clearly drawn and defined 1t is very
possible that it is not drawn so tightly as
1t is in other cities. and I am glad to be
able to say that, as the colored citizens of
st. Paul shows signs of development and
improvement that development and i'm
provement is recognized substantially by
the white citizens.
Color Line Exists
But nevertheless the color line is in
existence. AT the present time the only
place where the colored man is welcome
during his noon hour or his leisure in the
evening is the low saloon and the dive. 1t
Is true, of course, that the rooms of the
Y. M. c. A. are open to him IL he wishes
to go to them. But you know, as l know,
congregate in those rooms every evening
and during the daytime their presence
would be, serious impeachment to the
good work which the association is de-
signed to do and is doing.
What the colored men of st. Paul should
nave is an open clubroo,n carried along
Of the Y. NJ. c. A, where every colored
man would be welcome during the week
days and Sundays. 1t is for us, as a club
organized, to do what may be in our
power to improve race conditions. to start
this room. Once it was opened and in
operation we would have interested suf-
nclently great number of philanthropic
men and women in the project so that we
could be assured that it would ever be
maintained as long as it did good work
L know, If we started this clubroom, of
people who / am sure would be glad to
give books, furniture and financial assist
ance to the club. We should keep the
place neat and clean, have on the tables
good and interesting books, the daily pa
pers and the publications devoted to the
Interests of our race. Games of harmless
character should be installed and every
thing done to lend to the comfort and
amusement of those who awaited them
selves of its privileges.
Clubroom Necessary
Until this clubroom is established I in
tend to keep working towards its estab-
Hshment may live long time and I
may live but few days, but when 1 die
l want to have lived SO that people may
be able to say Of me that L worked faith
fully in an effort to advance the interests
of my people. 1 believe that In no other
way can good be done in ST. Paul for the
negro than in the establishment of such a
Clubroom.
While President Parker's remarks
received a generous amount of applause
from his auditors, there We're many
timid Of undertaking the project pro-
posed because of their fear of flnan-
ctal difficulties which might ultimately
upset the whole plan. S. p. Kemp
strongly agitated a union Of the club
with the mems club of the Afro-Amer-
lean Baptist church, saying that he be-
heved with the additional force gained
In that manner the accomplishment of
, the scheme would be comparatively
easy.
The suggestion of Mr.. Kemp did not
meet with much favor. however, and
no steps towards the proposed union
were taken, nor were any towards
opening the proposed clubrooms. The
investigation of the possibilities of Sc
curing rooms has been left with COM
mittee with instructions to report at
the earliest convenient day.