The national forum., 1910-07-23
or THE INDEPENDENT LEAGUE OF THE
DISTRICT HELD Ar TRUE REFORMERS
HALL, TUESDAY, July 10.
REV. S. L. CORROTHERS, PRESI
DENT. AND REV. j. MILTON WAL
DRON. NATIONAL ORGANIZER,
MAKE ROUSING SPEECHES.
SEVERELY ARRAIGN THE POLICY
OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO
WARD COLoRED OFFICE HOLD
ERS IN THE SOUTH.
(Reported by J. A. H.l

On last Tuesday night the True Re-
formers Hall was filled to the doors to
witness the proceedings of the Mass Con-
vention which had been called by the
Independent League of this city.
The purpose of the meeting, it was
learned, was to take some steps of pro-
test against what the league terms the
administration southern policy toward
Negro Federal officeholders, especially in
the South. Rev. Corrothers, who was
chairman of the meeting opened it with
a stirring speech to the sound of many
"amens' in the audience. He said among
other things that there had never been
Il policy Of this kind pursued before and
that it was ruinous to the Negro and
to the general welfare of the public;
that Grover Cleveland, even though a
Democrat, had never thought of intro
ducing such policy into his regime and
that it was an outrage. The Rev. gen
tleman also paid his respects to Mr..
Hitchcock, whom he characterized as
being one of the main offenders in this
NATTER in other words, the fellow who,
as he put it, "was moulding the bullets
while the President shot them" Rev,
Corrothers drew round ripple of laugh
ter from both the white reporters of
the Post and Herald when he aaid that
Mr. Carnegie could not pick Moses for
him; that no man who was paid could
ever make good leader; that leaders
were made by being born, not appointed.
He set up another howl when he laugh
,ngly said that the President had made
"a swing around the South, danced with
the beautiful and highly cultured solth-
ern ladies and then sold the Negro out
for Il mess of "possum." He closed by
saying that there were 46 congressional
districts in which the Negro held the
balance of power, and that it was in
these districts that the Independent
League was organizing
Rev. j. Milton Waldron was t!fth in
troduced and he said he was 'ather wont
to term this policy the NePfo policy in
stead of the Southern polly. He main.
tanned that he, thought IL was his spe-
cial mission to get the Negro dissatis-
fled with himself and his condition, Not
that dissatisfaction that leads to evil"
said he, "but that which makes Il man
want to aspire to higher things" DR..
'Waldron said he was glad to see Ne
goes in positions, either Federal or other
wise. That it did his heart good, but
said he: ut is our fighting that keeps
YOU there and feel that we really ought
to assess you all" He paid high com
pliment to the appointment of MIR. Whit
Mckinley as collector of customs at
Georgetown and hoped he would be con-
firmed, but felt that this was n stroke
of policy rather than anything else He
further stated that this policy had done
more harm than all the wars in the past
century, Speaking of his trip to Mont
gomery. Ala he said that Negroes were
not allowed to sit in the parks and not
allowed to visit or draw books from the
library, and that all of this had come
about indirectly by this policy, as it was
not in vogue before. He said by reason
of this policy labor unions have more
tightly closed their doors and the bust
ness world had narrowed its limitations
with reference to the Negro, and that
even England and the European coun-
tries had caught the spirit because it
had emanated from such a high and
mighty source, and were following in the
wake of the precedent established here.
He argued that not only was the Negro
being affected but all dark races. He
stated that the Gospel ministry had sig
nally failed to make any effort to rectify
the matter, but on the contrary has aid
ed and abetted it. He cited the instances
of Negroes not being allowed to enter
the lunch room of the Interior Depart
ment to eat, and of their being all seq
regated in one room and of the unfair
ness shown by the civil service board
toward Negro eligibles. After paying
his compliments also to Mr., Hitchcock
he spoke of the i'll treatment of the col
ored railway mail clerks, and finished
his speech by saying that of all the in
dependent Negroes the Negro minister
was the most independent, insomuch as
he did not live off the government and
therefore it was his duty to speak out
and he proposed to speak out.
Hon. N. B. Marshall was next intro
duced and in legal and clear-cut way
made an argument that threw new light
on the Brownsville affair. At the mem
ton of the name Of Foraker the audi
ence cheered wildly. Mr.. Marshall was
but convincing and argu-
in his talk and gave his hear
ers some food for thought. Resolutions
were read and adopted, after which the
meeting was concluded