The Washington bee., 1910-07-02
NEGRO DEMOCRAT
ANOTHER SELL
To DEMOCRATS.
Negro Democrats Issues a Call-Not
Satisfied with Existing Conditions.

thirty States:
low Countrymen, Greetings:
Rv vote Of the Executive Commit
tee and by order of the President
this call OF the National Independent
formerly Negro-AmeTlCan) Political
league IS issued for the 3rd annual
meeting at Atlantic City, New Jersey, |
August and 5, 1910. !
This national convention OF COlOred
citizens IS called under what grave
conditions touching the object OF this
organization, the supreme ann OF
which is to maintain and secure tor
ali COlored Americans the same rights
and privileges of citizenship as are
enioyed by the Otlfer citizens OF these
United States of America. In the
Southern States 95 per cent OF the
nine million COlOred citizens OF the
United States are deprived OF the eN-
ercise OF the ballot, the fundamental
right under our system Of government,
without which there Is for citizens
neither protection nor freedom. This
rape of the ballot Is COnsummated IN
plain violation of the national con-
stitution which forbids denial OF the
right to vote because of race or color,
The executive head of the federal
government within sixteen months OF
6ciallv admitted this disfTanChIsement
IN inaugural address and palllated the
violation OF the federal constitution
instead Of declaring his purpose to en-
force the law in obedience to the oath
he had lust solmenly taken. President
VIM. II. Taft even intimated the le-
gality of those devices for nullltylng
the 18th amendment by State laws
which are as much worse than traudu-
lent practices, as law IS stronger than
CUSTOM The legislative branch OF the
federal government, specially clothed
with power to enforce the suffrage
articles of the constitution, has viewed
with apathy and inaCtIOn their ttagTant
violation, save when actively cOndOn-
ing it by seating Congressman elected
under the violation, as against contest
ants entitled to seats If the federal
law had been obeyed in their districts
in the South. The Judicial branch
has lodged the issue in all cases
brought involving Southern dlStran-
Chisement laws, thus by persistent re-
fusal of relief, strengthening the null
LITIGATION and cmbOldenlng the null1-
fers of the supreme law Of the land.
In view of the very nature OF our
Republican institutions, as well as OF
the declared reasons for our existence
as an independent government, Is not
this condition sufficiently serious to
twelve millions of Colored Americans
to Justify and neCessItate national
convention, and sufficiently alarming
to all believers in our COuntrys des-
tiny and defenders of her democracy
and of her fair name to compel their
sympathy and support?
But what train of evils were let
loose upon Colored Americans with
disfranchisementi In the Southern
States unequal and oppressive laws
have destroyed all their civil rights,
excluding them from public places OF
business, of accommodation, or resort,
even public parks and public libraries,
barring from State, quasi-publ1c and
the public schools, forcing them INTO
separate and inferior schools, fasten-
ing upon them the public lgnomlny
and caste stigma of segregation III
public travel, casting them even into
peOnage. They are under the tyr
amy of taxation without representa-
ton Left in that hapless and help
less condition of citizens without voice
as to law-maker, law-enforcer, or law
interpreter, they are not only the VIC
TINS Of injustice IN the courts, but de
MED all trial by court or jury; are the
prey of the fiendish. white mob, until
now the almost daily lynChing of hu-
man beings has disgTaCed our country
before the civilized world.
Inevitably this race persecution IN
fectS the North Color prejudice Is on
the increase Discrimination based on
color in civil rights and in economic
opportunities Is gaining ground, Jim
crow cars have reached the borders
of the national capitol, twice Coi0C
disfranChisement has raised its hOrrid
head above Mason and DixOn'S line
while bloody race riots aud barbarOus
lynchings have reached up to Illinois,
even TO the home of the martyred
Lincoln
Most harmful and portentous of all
in this crusade of race hate and color
prejudice is the action, under the pres
ent administration, of the federal gov
ernment itself For the first time in
the United States a president has Off
cially proclaimed color a political dis
ability By this declaration that he
would not appoint Colored citizens
to office where white citizens objected,
he completed Southern disfranchise-
ment. 1t is Colored soldiers who are
the victims when for the first time
battalion is discharged wholesale and
without trial because of an alleged
affrav with civilians, and the new de-
parture. aggravated by the failure to
establish individual guilt after trial, IS
boldly continued The unique degra-
dation of free citizens, segregation by
color in public carriers, has been sane
toned and nationaliZed by federal
commission, while the federal court
in support. declares the right of even
an interstate railroad to segregate
COlored passengers
Unless one-eighth of the citizens of
the United States are 10 be reduced
to political serfdom, unless our Re
public is to abandon democracy for
the caste of color, this present trend
must be resolutely opposed. Graver
crisis in a republic could hardly be.