Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-24
PLEA FOR SUFFRAGE
Mass Meeting at Metropolitan
A. M. E. Church.
CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTH
William Lloyd Garrison the Principal
Speaker.
THE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
Political Force Invoked to Enforce
Most Sacred and Fundamental
Laws of United States"


strict enforcement of the Constitution of
the United States and its amendments
formed the theme of the speakers and the
shibboleth of the auditors at a largely at
tended mass meeting last night In the Met
ropolitan a. NJ. Z. Church at which Will
lam Lloyd Garrison was the principal
speaker. The men and women in the large
audience We're very much in earnest and
the speakers, including several members of
Congress and leaders of the colored race,
were frequently interrupted by outbursts of
applause and the waving of handkerchief,
the scene at times being intensely dra-
matte.
The meeting was under the auspices of
one hundred representative colored citizens
in combination with the Sons of Allen and
the Constitution League, and it was called
for the consideration of suffrage conditions
In the south.
In opening the meeting the presiding Off
Ger, Prof. William II. Richards said: I'VE
have met together TO remind the members
OF Congress of the oath they subscribed to,
and TO urge that the amendments of the
Constitution be enforced If such enforce
ment requires all the guns in our army and
navy. This introduction called forth
volley of applause
Then followed the opening hymn by the
Metropolitan choir, and the Invocation by
Rev. Oscar ]. w. Scott after which for
North Carolina read the resolutions which
We're unanimously adopted by the meeting.
The Resolutions.
They were. In part, as follows:
This meeting Of citizens OF the United
States, held at the national capital, urgently
calls attention to the qualification of the
federal Constitution and to the growing dis
regard Of law In certain states of the Union
which, If unchecked, will sap the founda-
tons Of this government. Contempt for
constituted authority is the most fatal heri-
taee thar can be transmitted to the rising
generation The assumption by one of the
rights of another is not only contrary to
the principles and spirit OF democracy, but
Is dangerous to the welfare of all. Yet
American citizens are being deprived Of
their rights under the law, and an arrogant
oliSarChy usurps the power of the whole
people. These facts are within the kuowl-
edge OF all and are undisputed and undis-
putable. The continuance of this state of
things seriously threatens the perpetuIty of
our free institutions. The spirit of Ameri-
can institutions Is the equality of all men
in civil and political relations. Under this
government privilege gives place to rights
the ballot is the symbol OF sovereignty and
equality, and where the ballot IS withheld
rights are invaded and privilege is erected
In their place.
Demand for Free Ballot.
1T is the plain duty of every patriotic
American. therefore. to insist upon the rigid
enforcement of every provision Of the fun
damental law of the land. We demand for
all American citizens, in every state Of the
Union, free ballot and equal treatment
under the law. Since none Is exempted
from the responsibilities of citizenship none
should he denied its rights. Therefore we
believe IN manhood suffrage exoept In case
or disabilities arising from crime, insanity
or pauperism.
We believe in national aid to education
III those states where by reason of economic
conditions public school facilities are not
provided for all the people or where by
reason of hostile sentiment a part Of the
people .9,R2 are denied public school facilities.
We demand that the majority party in
the Fffty-ninth Congress shall redeem the
pledge made IN its national platform of
1904, and Which was indorsed by the Amer
WITT; We favor such congressional action
as shall determine whether by special dis
examinations the elective franchise In any
state has been unconstitutionaily limited
ana, II such is the case, we demand that
representation in Congress and In the cleo
toral colleges shall be proportfonately re-
ducea as directed by the Constitution of
The resolutions are signed by Geo. H.
White, H. j. Pinkett A. H. Grimke and l..
NJ. Hershaw.
Letters of Regret.
The secretary OF the meeting Mr.. A. g.
Gray. then read the letters of regret, One
Of these was from Prof. W. q. B. Dubois
of the Atlanta University. who said the
Georgia equal rights convention. consisting
Of 200 delegates had made a unanimous
declaration that:
I'VE have saved something from our pow
erty and today pay taxes on more than
$4,000 600 worth of property. Is it fair
that the possessors of this property should
r.. 81. t. to-
ton? Taxation without representation is
tyranny.
1--WE do not deny that some Of us are not
yet fit for the ballot; but we do affirm that
the majority of us are fit-7t by our grow
ing intelligence, our ownership of property
and our conservative. law-abiding tenden-
cies, and in any case certainly disfranchse-
ment and oppression Will not increase our
fitness, nor will they settle the race prob
lem, The right to vote is IN itself an edu-
cation, and If Georgia had taken as much
time and trouble to fit us for political re-
sponsibility as she has IN denying us our
rights she would have a safer and saner
electorate than that which IS today sway
ing her by appeals to her worst passions.
out the defense of the ballot we stand ma
ked to our enemies, the helpless victims Of
jealousy and hate, subjected to and hui
INFLATED by an unreasoning caste spirit,
which grows by what IL feeds upon II we
are good enough to be represented by five
Georgia congressman in the councils of the
nation we are surely good enough to choose
those representatives; and II we are not
good enough to be represented, at least as
human beings. we are too good to be mis-
represented by our enemies. We ask Of this
nation therefore the enforcement of the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
letter from Charles w. Chestnut of
Philadelphia was then read. He declared
that as the colored people have been dis
franchised they are not a free people. THE
only hope of the colored people in the south
lies in the recovery of the right OF suffage
of which they have been deprived"
Letter From Gen. Tremain.
A letter from Gen. Henry Edwin Trenain
of New York. president of the Constitution
League, was also read. He urged the car
rying out of the suffrage plank In the re-
publican national platform as the first
essential step" toward the restoration of
political equality to the colored man.
Rev. George w. Lee, d. D., then adj
dressed the meeting. Negro baiters and
negro haters in Congress" were referred TO
by the colored divine. He said the men
who fought and won the war for freadom
and died forty years ago would be shocked
and surprised IL they came back 10 earth
today and witnessed this big gathering of
representative colored men at the 1afianta