The Washington bee., 1910-04-16
The NEGRO S Friend
HON. w. Z. HUMPHREY

when the oppressed people were toIC-
ed to look for men, to defend them,
who had thoughts of their own and
would dare not express them. There
are some brave men in Congress
who never fail to defend those who
are oppressed. The State of Wash
1ngton. one of the greatest States IN
the United States honors the men
who represent them. There is one IN
Dart1ceiar, Hon. William E. Hum
Dhrey, VINO has the honor to represent
seven counties in the First District
If Washington, Republican of Seat
lie. was born March 81, 1862, near
Alamo, Montgomery county, Ind. /;
was reared on a farm; attended
common schools, and graduated from
Wabash College. Charlottesville,
Ind, in 1887; was admitted to the
tar in 1887, and practiced law at
Charlottesville till 1898; in 1898
moved to Seattle, Washington, where
he has since practiced his Profes-
sion; in 1893 was elected to the OF
fee of corporation counsel of the city
Of Seattle; was reelected to same OF
fee in 1000; was elected to theFltty-
ninth and Sixtieth Congresses, and
reelected to the Sixty-frst Congress
from the newly constituted First
District, receiving 39,643 votes, to
2ro8o for Charles r. Miller, Demo
crat I,468 for D. Burgess, Socialist
and z6 for A. H. Sherwood, Prohibi-
zionist.
With such a record The Bee as well
as the people of this country Will
honor such a man. In a recent speech
on the Negro question delivered on
the occasion of an Emancipation An
niversary celebration, among other
things. Mr.. Humphrey said:
"The progress of the Negro race.
since the emancipation has been the.
most marvellous in all the annals OF
the human race. Do you say that
this race is lacking in moral and
spiritual life? I deny it. Look at
their schools and churches. Contrast
these with the ignorance and bru-
talitv of slavery, Do you say they
are lacking in honesty, and their
tendency is criminal? | deny 1t, and
point to our jails and penitentiaries.
For in spite of the fact that they
are often not granted fair and I'M
partial trial, and are often brutalIy
murdered without even a pretense OF
hearing, yet in proportion to the
population they do not furnish as,
many criminals as the dominant race.
Do you say they are indoient and I'M
provident? l deny it ard point to
our charitable institutions and poor
houses. They do not furnish their
proportion of paupers. Do you ask
for their politicians and statesmen!
I reply they have never been permit
ted to honestly and fairly participate
in the affairs of this government do
YOU ask for their orators? | point to
Fred Douglass in many particulars
the equal of any man that ever pro-
nounced the English language. Dol
YOU ask for their philanthroplsts and
great men? l point to Booker l.
Washington that stands today the
peer of any man living, in any coun-
try, of any race. Do you ask tor
bravery? l point to almost every bat
tie of the Rebellion. l point to San
Tuan, and ask you to remember how
our soldiers went up that hill IN the
very laws of death and hell. | ask
YOU to remember that among the
bravest of the brave, the foremost
fighting fell on that fearful day, that
went down in the fierce whirlwlnd
Of the charge, that first placed their
country's flag in victory on the crest
of that bloody slope, were members
of the colored race.
For patriotism. loyalty and patti
ence the Negro surpasses that OF any
people of any nation, of any race, of
any time.
When I remember the past of the
Negro race, when l remember that
prior to Appomattox its whole his
tory was written in blood and tears,
that since then it has been subjected
TO the most unjust and inhuman in
dignities and outrages; that 1t has
horne these with patience and forti-