Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-28
DEFENSE OF THE PRESIDENT
FRICTION AT SESSION OF THE
AFRo-AMERICAN COUNCIL.
John c. Dancy, Recorder of Deeds of
District, Says Roosevelt Is
Friend Of the Negro.

BALTIMORE, June 2s.-The Afro-Ameri-
can Council met again yesterday at the
Leadenhall Street Baptist Church.
Yelled attacks on the President. the Sec
rotary of War and Booker Washington
were made by most of the speakers, but
it seldom that the names were men,
toned.
The features of the session were the de-
Tense of President Roosevelt for his atti-
tude in the Brownsville affair, by John c.
Dancy of Washington, and the censure of
Prof. H. Bates Stephens. by Rev. G. r.
Waller of Baltimore, for his remark at
Jamestown on Tuesday that the academic
work in the colored schools should be cut
out and manual training substituted.
The defense of the President came as a
result of the speech of James E. McGirt
of Philadelphia, in which that speaker Sc
verely denounced the chief magistrate and
warmly praised Senator Foraker of Ohio.
Mr.. McGirt denounced lynchnss and re-
marked that the negro in the south does
not get the same protection from the law
that the white man docs. He went deeply
into the discussion of the negro problem
and pointed out that the ballot was the
best weapon the men of his race have to
withstand the entertainments of the whites
In considering lynching and the criminal
problem which confronts the negro, he said,
in part:
Like Other Men.
I'VE do not mean to say that the negro
is innocent every time he is accused Of a
crime. He is human being, just like any
other man, with all of mans weaknesses
and virtues, no more base or vile than his
white brother. Then why deal with him IN
such an inhuman manner when he COM
m1tS or is accused of committing some
crime? One of the fundamental principles
OF our Constitution provides for an i'm
partial judgment of all criminals within
its jurisdiction. When these lynchings oc-
cur those principles are grossly violated,
yet in almost every case the violators go
free.
so general has this practice become
that only five states have escaped It's bale
full and communicating influence. After
careful consideration we have found no
other method of preventing them save the
whom will these atrocities be stopped. The
answer will naturally be, BY the proper
use of the law in the hands of it's repre-
sentatives.' People who are most anxious
to give the negro race the same privileges
as the whites must step In and see that
their lawmakers grant us this right"
Roosevelt Negroes Friend.
Replying to James E. McGirt's speech,
John c. Dancy said:
Il have always voted the republican
ticket and have worked increasingly for
the success of my party. In North Caro-
lima l went all over the state during the
campaign of 1898 fighting against dis
franc hisement. l have been with you since
your inception, and stand with the council
Ior the restoration OF every right now de-
those who have been our friends in
thousand instances because of one mistake
on their part; neither do 1 believe in con-
demning President Roosevelt for his posi-
ton in the Brownsville matter, because he
has been the negro's friend in any number
of instances
Senator Timan, Gov Vardaman and Rev
Thomas Dixon were condemned by DR..
Jordan, who declared that a negro and a
dead animal were linked together as the
only two things that the black mans
enemy will discuss without asking any
question about results. In part DR.. Jordan
said: Senator Tilman, Rev Thomas
Dixon and Gov. &ardaman would risk their
political fortunes by attacking any other
people as they do us. A dead animal and
the negro race are the only two things
which an enemy will proceed to discuss
without asking any questions as to the re-
suits. But be it known to all, we are bet
ter organized and more ready to with
stand men and parties which do not stand
for the political and civil rights of all the
people than at any time since the war.
Collecting Money for Cause.
"The National Afro-American Council is
seeking no office and boosting no man, but
| contendng for fair play for the oppressed
We are organizing the Afro-American
voters in states where they can vote, and
they are going to vote for men and meas
ures looking to the overthrow Of the con-
Wet and peOnage systems of the south
They will rally around men who believe
that race that furnished 100000 brave
black men to defend the nation against
those who would destroy it are as worthy
of a vote as those who shot the Stars and
Stripes on a hundred battlefeds
"A supreme effort will be made to collect
one dollar each from million of the
l0.UcoCD0 negroes in this country With
this money We hope to employ the best
legal talent from our own race and from
our white friends
DR.. J. R. Francis of Washington pre-
sented a report on the mortality and birth
rate OF the negro The closing session will