Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-06

delegations from Florida had beer
barred from the convention.
This matter isn't settled yet sait
the Mississippi negroes when they
learned of the decision of the ere.
dentials committee. I'VE will lay the
matter before Colonel Roosevelt him.
self today, and If necessary we will
carry the fight to the floor of the con-
vention."
The negroes were indignant and
excitably voluble throughout the ses-
sion of the committee, which began
at 8 o'clock last night and continued
until nearly daybreak. The Missis-
sippi contest was the last to be taken
up, and it was begun 500 after mid
night. The national committee had
voted to unseat the negroes, and they
appeared primed for oratory. Half
a dozen of them told the committee
that to seat the white delegation
headed by Provisional National Com
mitteeman B. f. Fridge, was equiva-
lent to DISTINGUISHING the negro.
Hold Dual Conventions.
The Fridge delegation was elected
at a convention, the call to which was
addressed to white" citizens of Mis-
s%issippi. The negroes were not al
lowed to participate. Fridge told the
| committee that the call was written
for him by John NJ. Parker. of Loui-
siana. who had urged him to accept
the place as Roosevelt committeeman
for Mississippi.
Several of the negroes in the ousted
delegation were among the delegates
to the Republican national convention
who stood by Colonel Roosevelt and
deserted the Republican convention
in Chicago to attend the first Pro-
gressive meeting when plans were
made for the third party. They had
issued a call for a Progressive on
vention in Mississippi before Fridge
was selected as national committee
man. At the instance of Senator
Dixon, they said, they withdrew this
call, to allow Fridge to assume
charge. But when they discovered
that Fridge's call was addressed only
to white" voters they called another
convention and elected ten white men
and ten negroes to asst Mississippfs
vote III the GTOSItSSlNc 0OhN ~
The negroes bitterly complained
that the limiting of the Fridge con-
vention to white. citizens invali-
dated that gathering. They declared
that the seating of the Fridge dele
gates would mean a lilly white Pro-
gressive party in the South. After a
long debate Committeeman Richard
w, Child, of Massachusetts, pro-
posed a motion seating the Fridge
delegates, but disayowing the Fridge
plan of calling a white convention.
This precipitated a bitter argument
in the committee, whose members,
weary with hours of deliberations,
were in peevish mood, When it be-
came apparent that the struggle
would be stormy, the committee wen
into executive session.
An hour of wrangling ensued. The
raised voices of the committeeman
earnestly wrangling and denouncing,
could be heard in the corridors out
side the committee room. At the end
of an hour many of the committee
left the room. A vote was taken. 1t
was so close thai half a dozen COM
mitteemen scurried out to round up
the absent members. But they had
regarded and another vote was taken.
New Jersey Man Leads Fight.
This time by a vote of II to 16 the
following resolution was passed:
Resolved, That we regard the
Fridge delegates as entitled to seats
l.. FIs- I..% ls.-.ro.xv 4Iof
part of the call containing the word
white We approve the position
taken in the letter written to Julian
Harris, of Georgia. by Theodore
Roosevelt"
julius T. Mitchell, of Rhode Island,
and DIR. George l.. Cannon, OF New
Jersey, both negroes. and members of
the committee. led the fight for the
negroes and they were in a bitter
mood when the struggle ended.
Mitchell declared that the deciding
vote in the committee was cast by
a questionable proxy, given in blank
and hurriedly obtained.
we are willing to do almost any
thing in the name of harmony" SAID
DIR. Cannon, but not in the name o.
Injustice"
Confronted with this decision of
the credentials committee, and the
mass-meeting Of indignant negroes
held here last night to protest against
Colonel Roosevelt's position in the
matter. the negro question today had
the delegates in an uproar. The colo
mel was determined to stand by his
announced views, and his influence
was seen in the action of the Gre
dentials committee.
Jane adams Takes Up Negro Fight.
The situation threatened a bitter
fight on the floor of the convention,
should the negroes adhere to their
intention of carrying the contests to
hat point.
The negroe have found several
warm defenders among the white del
egates and on the credentials COM
mittee, and while the great majority
of the delegates desire to do exactly
as is wanted by Colonel Roosevelt,
there is a marked division of opin-
ion in the negro cases. Miss Jane
Adams, of Hull House, Chicago. a
member of the Illinois delegation,
was among those to talk up tie
cause of the Southern negroes.
Colonel Roosevelt, however, was
plain and emphatic in the statement
that he wants the Progressive party
in the South to be in the hands
of the whites. Early efforts to get
him to comment upon the credentials
committee vote in the Mississippi
case were vain.
1t is expected that the report of the
credentials committee will be taken
up late today. prior to the establish