The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-28
Montgomery Negroes De. nounce Him Strongly.
MASS MEETINGS AGREEMENT
General Policy is Against Present
 Administration.
e,.hop AIstorlk's Remarks on Negroes statu. Clearly Expressed--Reso- lus,ons op General civic Cos
 aitlons FulI of Meaning.

Although deprived Of their place ot appointment by the order of the sher- if of Montgomery County yesterday upwards of 200 negroes gathered in mass meeting at the Peoples Church last night and amid ringing applause denounced President Roosevelt for his action In the Brownsville affair and unanimously endorse6 Senator Joseph B. Foraker for the Republican nomina- tion for the prtadency.
 The meeting had been called to em- body the sentiment of the negroes or Montgomery County so far as possible with reference to the election of dele- gates to the Republican convention 10 be held at Bay Minetts. These dele- gates are to be named at a county convention of Republicans to be held In Montgomery today.
 The negroes who. after the order of the sheriff excluding them from the. use of the court house. got ear Of the hastily appointed place. fairly packed the Peoples Church.
 Never. perhaps, have speeches more condemnatory of President Roosevelt and Secretary Taft been uttered In one gathering than passed from the lips of the speakers at last nights mass meeting. The President was pie cured as a man who has through all ais public career acted as deceiver and traitor to the negrosTace. The de- chalmers Of last evening seemed to be inaamea the more because they were the black soldiers at the famous battle Of San Juan President Roosevelt would perhaps not be living to share In the glory of that victory"
 presfdent Criticized.
 "And then for the chief magistrate af altar thfa hArnfc deavor for the nations prestige. to turn against the colored race in their hour of greatest need. It is, indeed. de- pIorabie show of justice" declared one of the speakers at the height of the indignation.
 W H Taft, Secretary of War. whom the speakers recognized as the chosen candidate of the President. came In for very much roast himself. He was re- ferred to as the "Big. Fat Secretary of War;" who has been pushed forward as Mir. Roosevelt's Neandidate for Pres fdent. and who is to carry out the pol dcles of his present chief.
 The chief speakers at the meeting were Bishop-J. Q. Alstork of the A. NJ. E.. zioh Church of Montgomery, N Neaiy. pr. s. H. H. washington and Rev. Brandon.
 one of the most surprising senti- ments voiced at the gathering last night was that Tt were better for the. negroes to unite In mass and support William Jennings Bryan for the Pres idency than for any man of our race to cast vote for President Roosevelt or any man whom he shall put fcts ward in the race.s
 Rev. N. N. Neaiy made the remaflxrs rs able statement that he was In every way a qualified voter under the rel QuIrements of the Alabama Constitu- ton and that he could have been FeGsf istered had he so chosen.
 "Bnt, my fellow citizens I have chosen not to register and have chos- en not to east a vote in any election in this land until I see some hope for my fellows to join me In the ballot ing.r he declared. q have chosen to 1 go down with nay brothers. If they are7 going down in this great struggle of life. ana if they are to rlse shall rise with them. That ls, the reason that have not exercised my suffrage rights"
 Speaks of PaHeify of Votes.
 The negroes assembled last night seemed to realize that in' the entira County they had but handful of votes to offer to any party. They know, however. they were 52,o00 strong in the County and, as they declared. they sim ply wanted to get together and pro- claim to the world on which side tn ey were. They claimed that their inf1u- ence as race had brought about the retraction of President Roosevelt who recently assured Congress that -shouid any of tho battalion If negro troops at Brownsville prove 10 the satisfaction of himself that thev were innocent they would be re-enllsted."
 The resolutions adopted last night, formulated and presented by pr. s. H IT. Washington. were as follows:
 Resolved that should the Republi- can party attemtp to foist upon the country the nomination of nnAu op- posed to. or controlled by any ele- ment of the party opposed to the ad- vaneement and development of the Me- gro through his own inhe efforts and fair fieid of opportunity, 10 the highest plain of American Citizenship and American ideals. that we shall ad- wise and urge our people to let the party realize it's dependence upon our votes in many of the doubtful statSs by staying away from the polls. Resolved that we realize the im- possibility of alignment with the De- moeracy in it's present attitude. but we can at least maintain our race res pset by, refusing to oonhpensate the Republican party for injury and in- dignity.
 deeply grateful to Senator ]. B. forak- CT for the heroic and self sacrificing efforts he has made to secure for our troops justice and a fair deal, and we pray for him eternal blessings.
 we desire to offer the following re- solutions as the capitalization of the trend of thought contained in the ad- dresses delivered here this evening.
 'Be it resolved That the rash and impetuous conduct of the President in dealing with the negro troops at Brownsville be condemned as an act Of tyranny directed against a weak and struggling element in the nations population. and that we recognize the retractIon and equalization now being manifested to be the result of political expediency.
 hResolved that we urge our negro brothers all over the country 70 srand firm and united. and to feel assured that that same unanimity of sentiment in resentment against wrong and out rage that has forced Presidential re- tractioA will in due course of time se- cure to us many mora of the funda- mental rights of citizenship than we now enjoy, if VIC but have the courage by a masterIy Inactivity to leave to it's fate this party that had its birth az an exponent Of moral Ideas and human rights. but that now seems so forsetful of its mission. as interpreted k..k kl.L t,sE@ @E