Evening star., 1907-06-29
RACE PREJUDICE TALK
Afro-American Council Dis
cusses Injustice to Negro.
ADDRESS TO THE COUNTRY
Door Of Opportunity Closed Even in
the North.
CITIZENS RIGHTS WITHHELD
Discharge Of "Black Battalion"
Scored - Roosevelt an Autocrat
and Booker Washington a Judas.

BALTIMORE, June 29.-"Injustice to-
ward us as a race is everywhere increas-
ing; race prejudice is growing in the re-
public, north and south alike"
This statement is made IN an Address
to the Country adopted by the National
Afro-American Council, which held the
closing sessions of its tenth annual meet
ing yesterday at Sharp Street Memorial
Church.
''1he story Of the year for the colored
people in America" the address continues,
has been but a repetition of the old story
| OF their struggles and wrongs. Unex-
ampled have been their expressions, and
unexampled have been their successes,
also. Denied nearly everywhere in the
south the rights of American citizens,
equality at the ballot box, equality in the
schools, equality in the courts. equality
| on the railroads, equality of opportunity
| and equality Of protection from mob vio-
lence the race has gone on doing the
labor Of the south and piling up for it its
vast increasing wealth and lifting the
level of its own life in many lines at one
and the same time.
AT the north the race has been knock
Ing at the door of opportunity, open to
all races in the republic, but closed to 1t
alone-closed to it, alone not because 1t
was bad, worse than other races but
solely because it was black darker than
other races. 1t was counseled everywhere
to be Industrious and decent, while it was
denied equal opportunities to obtain en-
ployment and the sort Of contact in the
churches, in labor clubs and in unions
and in residential neighborhoods which
| may be raised to the scale of industrial
efficiency, of moral, mental and material
worth and value to itself and the nation
at the same time.
White People Prevent Progress.
MANY of the white people say to the
colored people:' You are weaker than we
are; you are inferior to u.s. But when
the colored people seek, as they are doing,
along Industrial, educational and political
lines, to strengthen themselves where they
are weak, the white people of the nation,
In spite Of their boasted freedom, Christian
ity and civilization, put themselves in the
path of the colored races progress.
1--WE are here in the midst of ou- coun-
try, here where we have given our love,
| our best blood and our most devoted service
in peace and in many wars. Gratitude
seems to be dying in the heart Of the ma
ton, and a bitter and relentless race hatred
strength in the souls Of the American
people. Our faithfulness to the women and
children during the war Of the rebellion,
| our heroism and self-sa crifice in defense Of
the Union during the same war, are almost
| forgotten, forgotten by the south. forgot
| ten by the north. in this period Of reaction
and commercial glorification. ---...,..
Roosevelt in behalf of fair play and
square deal for ali American citizens as
exemplifed In the appointment of DR..
Crum and the Indianola post Office affair."
We deplore his discharge Of 167 soldiers
of the 25th United States Infantry without
any competent legal evidence Of guilt as
subversive of fundamental right. We trust
that he will yet see the Injustice done these
patriotic soldiers who have devoted their
best years to make the nation glorious
and will exercise his characteristic courage
in correcting this great wrong. We also
| nual message, by implication at least, holds
| the whole negro race responsible for crime
committed by a few-a pernicious principle
which is applied to no other class.
I'VE advocate all modes of education for
| colored youth applicable to other classes
| in like condition and needs. We are un-
alterably opposed to any special educational
brand as badge to racial inferiority.
Unworthy Counselors.
1--WE, as a race, suffer great wrongs at the
hands of the south, at the hands of the
| nation, and we are counseled by those In
| high places In and out of Office to be
silent and patient, in which counsel there
are some colored men who are base enough
| to join; but, as colored men, we declare now
| and here that we will not be silent or pa
tient at the bidding Of such unworthy coun-
selors, regardless Of their high official po-
sition or their race color. We will cry
aloud on the platform, from the pulpit, in
the press. against our enemies and op-
pressors, and wherever we can we will indi-
| cate our position at the polls-smite them in
municipal elections, in state elections and
next year at the national election. Let US
| dience to American colorphobia, preach to
the colored people patience and submission
| to intolerable conditions and wrongs.
"At great peril-at the peril of his polit-
| ical life-Senator Foraker has championed
| the cause Of the black battalion against the
enormous and unexampled injustice and
abuse Of executive authority. Let them re-
pay him part of this debt by standing as
| bravely by him in his fight for his political
| life as he stood by the black battalion on
the floor Of the Senate. in the Senate COM
| mittee on military affairs and on the plat
| form and in the press. We also record our
sense Of deep gratitude to the Constitutional
League of the United States for its brave
and effective defense of the black battalion
and other organizations which have assisted
| in it's defense, and to such individuals as ex-
| Gov. Northen, .ex-Representative Fleming
and Rev. Quincy A! Ewing.
Call President Autocrat
'In politics we must learn to love our
| friends and serve them, at whatever cost
| of personal or party sacrifice and loss, and
/
| seek their destruction at the polls, regard
| less of any Ill consequences to party or
| self. With a free ballot in our hands in
| the north, if we have the manly independ-
| ence and the will to WELD it as a weapon
| Of defense and offense, we can punish our
| enemies and reward our friends, and ad-
vance, at the same time, unselfshly the in
| terests and the rights of the race north and
| south alike. We can make this vote ter
ror even to so powerful and autocratic a
| ticians like Senator Lodge of Massachu-
setts and Senator Warner of Missouri. who
| have We'd with each other to do the bidding
| of President Roosevelt in relation to the
| black battalion. Let colored men unite,
| organize, concentrate everywhere in the
| north to defeat at the polls the enemies of
| the race, and in the south to defeat those
| same enemies. Justice. liberty, equality be-
| fore the law we desire for ourselves and
| posterity above all things, and with nothing