Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-28

Meeting at OsthOm's Hall an Enthu-
siastic Gathering.

Meeting at OsthOn's Hall an Enthu-
siastic Gathering.
Rev. ]. A. Williams of the African Meth
odist Episcopal church presided at a largely
attended meeting of colored republicans
at Osthoffs hall on North Sixteenth street
Friday evening. The first speaker was
John p Breen, republican candidate for
city attorney, who dwelt upon the i'm
portance of the campaign and the necessity
of electing the entire republican ticket as
rebuke to the democratic scheme of
carrying the city and county as a pre-
llminary to the fall elections, which meant
the election Of a democratic congressman
and United States senator.
Mr. Benson" he said lis not Jim,
but a man of the highest personal char
acter, who would be capable at all times
to represent the city both as a business
man and in events of importance where
character and dignity were essential in CIV
ing credit and dignity to the city"
Candidates Frank Crawford and Leroy
Lucas from the Eleventh and Fifth wards,
respectively for the city council, both coun-
selled the election of the entire republican
ticket.
E. A. Benson was the next speaker and
his entrance into the hall was greeted
with a veritable ovation. His address was
very brief, but at the outset he said
''CoIored citizens of the Third ward. one
OF the very first things 1 will do when I
am elected mayor will be to emancipate
you from the CALLING slavery now imposed
upon you as citizens That slavery Shall
cease when / am mayor. You can go down
there and tell Tom Dennison what is com
ing. / believe that you are entitled to the
same privileges and beautiful surroundings
as are your white brethren, and that there
should be Fairgrounds in that district for
your children rather than the miserable
tumble down shacks that disgrace that part
OF the city. In aspiring to the ONCE / do
so that I may do something for the city
| OF my home and my love. / am So years old
today and have always borne my own name,
and 1 defy any man to point to one dis
honorable act have committed from baby
hood 10 this day. / have got backbone
enough TO let every man know my history
since April q, 1854, when I first came into
| life in my Old Iowa home"
Mr. Benson was asked II II was true
that he refused to rent any of his proper
ties TO colored people. He replied: That
/ question is suggestive of the many lies
that have been told OF me. 1 will say that
| do not rent houses to colored people
nor to any other people. do not do any
| rental business at all. Ny traducers have
evidently got me mixed up with the rental
Arm OF Benson and Myers, but I do not
even know that they have refused to rent
properties 20 colored people"
| A resolution was unanimously adopted
endorsing the candidacy OF Mr.. Benson
and giving assurances that the colored peo-
pie OF Omaha would support him on Tues
day, next as well as the entire republican
/ ticket
Following q short talk by Mr. Anderson,
candidate for the city council, Victor b.
Walker addressed the meeting. He said:
mo eolored man can possibly find any
reason for voting for Jim Dahlman.
heard him say at Washington hall not
long ago that when he was elected mayor
he was going 70 give one half of the city
| appointments TO the oolored people. There
arc 1877 appointments to give out from the
city hall which would mean eighty-four
appointments TO the colored race. Do you or
any sane man believe that he Will give
one solitary appointment TO a eolred mani
A Texas democrat Is not that kind OF a
| democrat About the only colored men
who viii vote for Jim Dahlman are the
densely ignorant or a few smart alexis"