Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-27
COUNCIL
AFRO MEXICAN
Discussion of Disfranchisement,
lynching, Jim Crow Laws
and Other Questions A.
fecting Negro Race.

| BALTIMORE, June 27.-The Jim Crow"
] car, the disfranchisement of the colored
! voters, lynch law and the Brownsville
| shooting-up" affair were matters freely
! discussed by Bishop Alexander Walters last
| night in his annual address before the
| National Afro-American Council assembled
| at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal
| Church. Bishop Walters is president of
| this body which began its tenth meeting
| yesterday at the Bethel Church, represen-
| tative colored men from all parts of the
country being In attendance.
The opening address at the morning ses
sion was made by Rev. DR.. A. l.. Gaines,
| pastor of Bethel Church and chairman of
the local committee Of the council. Ad-
dresses were also made by Revs. DR..
George F. Bragg, w. M. Alexander and
]. T. Jenifer, all of this city, and Rev. DR..
8. L. Corrothers Of Washington. D. c. At
the afternoon session, Mayor Mahool being
unable to attend, DR.. w. w. Cherry. presi-
dent Of the first branch city council deliv-
cred an address Of welcome behalf of
the city. Addresses were also made by
Rev. M. ]. Naylor. c. C. Fitzgerald, Heber
E. Wharton and John c. Dancy the latter
responding to DIR. Cherrys address.
Bishop Walters Address.
Bishop Walters address last night was
considered the feature Of the session. 1t
was. in part, as follows:
Dull must be the student of passing
events who has not noticed the change in
public sentiment for the better as 1t re-
lates to lynch law. While lynching has not
been banished from the land. which we all
greatly regret, still we rejoice that senti-
ment in the south, as we'll as the north, Is
against it. Ten years ago the entire press
Of the south openly and boldly advocated
lynch law; today you cannot find but a
few prominent papers of the south that
would dare to do such a thing. I believe
II we keep up the fight against the nefa-
rious business we will rid the land Of the
lynch demons 1t will never be done II we
fold our arms and sit idly by, but we must
be up and at work, and this must be done
by agitation. as well as by making better
negro citizens.
Just the other day a lynching occurred
near Anding Miss, and another at Gibbs
Landing, La; these are evidences that the
spirit of lawlessness still stalks abroad.
The strong arm Of the national government
is needed to deal q Knockout blow to the
lynch law.
1.-The humiliating Jim Crow law is still
with US and must be fought to the death.
Surely, we are not going to cry peace,
peace as long as the separate coaches are
stigma upon the race, a disgrace to our
civilization. We must ever fight it. There
must not be any let up until the last Jim
Crow car has passed into oblivion. The
council Of this organization protests against
the Jim Crow car.
LAS long as there are negro citizens de-
prived of the ballot by unjust enactments
there will be necessity for the Afro
American Council. The ballot is a badge of
political equality; indeed, 1t is the insignia
Of full citizenship, and the obtaining of it
should be the ambition of every man,
whether he be white or black. Our first
duty is to educate the masses to an appre-
citation of the ballot This can be done by
flooding the country with literature on the
subject There are many other discrimi-
nations to be done away with. The pulpit,
the schoolroom the negro press and other
organizations such as these are to do this
work
Il am sure that the leaven of intelli-
gence has entered and is slowly but surely
accomplishing the desired end; some of our
leaders are discouraged because the awak-
ening Of the masses to an appreciation of
their civil and political rights has not gone
as rapidly as they hoped.
Decrying Agitation.
Another crowd of our leaders are decry-
ing our agitation. They say we complain
too much; that we must not be on the de-
fensive; that We must wait and murumr
not. This doctrine is contrary to the ma
ture Of things. The worm is on the defen-
sive and will turn when you tread upon 1t:
the lioness their cubs. 1t is only the craven
and the cowardly who refuse to make some
kind of defense for ourselves when we are
imposed upon. AS far as our crowd is con-
cerned, we propose to protest against out
RACES and determinations as long as we
live, and in doing SO we simply follow in
the wake of the most intelligent, enlightened
and aggressive people that the world has
seen. Why, the American nation itself is a
protest against English tyranny. We in
tend to speak out against our wrongs no
matter who advises to the contrary. Our
work is twofold. First Is the DEVELOPMENT
of our own people, the fitting of them for
citizenship. Secondly we are to secure from
the rulers in the different states all the
rights as guaranteed to US by the federal
Constitution"
The speaker went at length into the
Brownsville affair. and then praised Sem
ator Foraker for his defense Of the colored
troops, saying:
'.All honor to Senator Foraker the no.
blest Roman of them all! But for his man
ly and courageous stand brave and
loyal black boys might have gone down in
shame and disgrace. The senator will go
down in history one Of the nations
greatest benefactors and will take his place
Side by side with Thaddeus Stevens and
Charles Sumner, who in their day wrought
nightly in the interest Of the oppressed
black man."
Mrs Fannie Barrier Williams of Chicago,
ILL.,; DR.. E. P. Roberts of New York city
and Rev. L. g. Jordan of Louisville Ky,
SECRETARY OF the council, also
delivered addresses at the night meeting,
and Rev. j. Francis Lee Of Norfolk, Va,
recited an original poem.
What DR.. Cherry Said.
DR.. Cherry in his address at the after
noon session. said In part:
1T is a pleasure to stand here as the
mayors representative, though l am sem
sible of the fact that no representative is
as welcome as the principal himself New
ertheless, the mayor was particularly anx-
ious that he should have some one here to
speak for him. and inasmuch as 1 am the
president Of the first branch city council,
which place he held before he became the
chief executive he has selected me to ex-
tend to you cordial welcome, which well
come Baltimore Is always too glad to offer
to any well-meaning organization.
Il have no doubt that you are intent upon
working out various problems which you
believe will be advantageous to your peo-
pie. 1t is perfectly natural that the leaders
Of your race should desire to see your peo-
pie advance and progress along lines that