Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-02-17

|
stitution League and all to begin
their letters with Dear CorraSe's
and end with Yours for the Con-
stitution. (Long applause)
He further stated that the League
depended on no one policy but wait
ed all the people to move together
in the direction OF equal rights. He
sad the meeting began in Boston last
November under the auspices OF the
New England and Boston Suffrage
Leagues, and that meetings will be
held in Philadelphia. Baltimore,
Washington, ID. G. and from there
TO Chicago and throughout the
South. (Applause)
CONGRESSMAN WHITE SPEAKS.
Address by Ex-congressman Geo.
II. White, introduced by Mr.. Milhol-
land, who said that the programme
was mistaken in putting him down
as the last colored congressman as
the last cOlored congressman could
not be spoken of for at least 1000
years. much laughter and APP
plause) Mr.. White was elected con-
gresham from North Carolina. He
said in part that TO come from the
miasmatic air of the political slums
OF State In the Southern oligarchy
to New York to breathe the free O.
zone OF its political decency was
most invigoratiRg
He said the 14th and 18th amend
ment of the Constitution have been
modified by the Southerners, AMI
that If any State North. South. gast
or West be allowed TO pick ont a
certain section of the Constitution
which it does not like aud Lullify
IL. then every other State should be
allowed the same privilege. BY this
process the whole instrument would
go TO pieces.
The only way to hold the instru-
ment together was to have every
section of the country and State to
be compelled TO obey every part of
the law. The South has disfran-
chised all the citizens OF the race to
which ! belong and yet IL has the
temerity to demand that It should
be allowed to keep ali its represen-
tativcs. One vote down there of
sets five votes in New York. Shall
one man in one state be allowed to
onset FIVE men in another State in
voting?
WANTED REPRESENTATION RE
DUCED.
II such a proposition was offered
70 Congress IL would not get a vote.
Why even Tillman and Vardaman
(hisses) would not vote for such a
measure IL IL was a new and origi-
nal propositionl (Applause) The
Southerners, say that you dare not
interfere.
They are the most impudent.
brazen, cheeky fellows I ever saw.
tLaughter) They tell us that 70
cut down their representation means
TO perpetuate Acknowledgement TO
punish their violation is to perpst-
uate the crime. They might as well
say that TO punish a thief who steals
my watch is 70 perpetuate stealing.
Naughter)
The Southern outrages began in
broken doses. Lynching sprang
from neglect TO stop violations or
the law. First 10 was sporadic and
applied for the crime of rape. Now
~ Is even applied TO an fmpudent
Negro. IL is Ike disease and is
spreading all over the country. The
only remedy is for every state 10
live up 70 its own local laws and to
the National laws and 20 punish the
law-breakers to deter others.
PROF. KELLEY MILLER SPEAKS. /
Prof. Kelley Miller of Howard
University. Washington, d. c., said
in part:
In this day OF material engross-
ment those who would insist upon
the ancient land marks of human
liberty must approach the subject IN
an apologize spirit. or be branded as
mischievOus Missionaries and doctrfn-
aire promoters of strife. But zeal
Is UNFOLDING the organic law is of
fensive only TO those who profit by
It's violations. (Applause)
God forbid that the time should |
ever come when an American citi- !
zen must apologize for advocating |
those principles promulgated in the |.
Declaration OF independence and EN- /
bodied In the original and amended |
constitution OF the United States. |
The National Constitution is boast |
fully defed and efectually annulled |
by tricky evasion, while patriotic A
mericaas look lstlessly on with re- !
luctant knowledge and connivance.
The evil is gnawing at the vItals /
OF the Nation, for II the fundamental |
law can be trodden under foot with
IMMUNITY, what compact can have
binding sanction?
EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW.
In dealing with the broad plat
form OF American institutions, there
Is no North, no South, no East. no
West, no credal schism or chromat-
&c scheme OF color; but the Consti- !
tuition and the law is in all and a
boye all. (Applause) What profit is
II Tor a nation to gain the whole
world and lose its own liberty? Cap
plause) Oppression has never righted !
wrong or solved a problem in the
history OF human experience. CAD
plause) Equality before the law and
behind the law is the surer solvent
for all the complexities of this vexed
and tangled problem. (Applause)
Whatever may have been the
shortcomings OF the reconstruction
governments due in large part to un