Franklin's paper the statesman., 1912-02-03
THE RACES
FIRST AID
LONG AGO

a perfect right to every immunity which
every other society has under its act Of
incorpora ton. and the city is bound by
its obligation to preserve the peace. to
protect and defend you. but such is the
malignity of public prejudice that the au-
thorities would be entirely powerless to
protect you on the streets. and you would
be torn in pieces by bowling mobs-" New
ertheless arrangements were completed.
and the society. headed by a full band
composed OF Negroes, marched through
the streets of the city.
We Will go though death stares US in
the face" said Hamilton Latham Teas
man and the rest of them. and they did
go with hearts OF true men. By their dar-
Ing they compelled the monster public
prejudice to falter in its step. So the men
grnsped him by the throat. hurling him 10
the earth. tramplcd under foot his pros
trate body. proclaiming themselves victor
over him with the right secured to march
through the public streets OF the city at
will then and thereafter forever.
AT this celebration memorable in the
history of the Negroes of New York
city and state. the constitution and
dispatches OF congratulatory nature
were rend. An ode composed and set
20 music by james Latham. one of the
founders of the society. was sung. The
procession marched past the homes of
the gentry in the fashionable and aris-
tocratc sections and was greeted with
cheers and the waving OF handker-
chiefs. Being thus recognized by the
best people in the city. the rowcy e.e-
ment feared the consequences OF any
Interference with them
These celebrations were kept up for
a number of years and were the prin-
% I. ,.i 20 Of h.
colored people. The example set by
the African society was followed by
other benevolent societies. But after
few years the African Society For
Mutual Relief abandoned this form of
celebration and substituted one more
suitable
on March 10. 1910. on motion of the
Hon. A. II. Livingstone. n state sena-
tor. bill granting n renewal of the
charter of the society or TO extend the
act OF incorporating the New York AZ
rican Society For Mutual Relief was
read third time in the senate and
passed. receiving the necessary two
thirds votes of all the members pres
cnt.
Those voting for the bill we're Sena-
tors Clark. A. b. Dickinson. Dixon. ID.
S. Dickinson. Edwards. Ely. Furman.
Hawkins. Hopkins. Hull. Hunt. John
son. Lee, II. A. Livingstone. Moseley,
Nichols. Peck. Skinner. Tallmage. Van
Dyck, Wager. Works. Young %;
nays, o. 1t was thereupon ordered
that the clerk deliver said bill to the
assembly and inform that body that
the senate had passed the same with
out amendment
A message was received from the
senate informing the house of its ac-
ton and n later message from the gov
ernor stating that he had signed the
bill to extend the act Incorporating
the New York African Society For
Mutual Relief.
Mr.. ZuiIle adds. Referring back to
the first organization OF our society
in lSoS, we find that it was formed
one year after the rganization of the
Society of Physicians and Surgeons of
New York. that we We're Incorporated
six years after the American Bible So
ciety was formed and thirty-two Years
before the introduction of Croton wa
ter into the city of New York, eighteen
years before the American institute
was founded, forty-two years before
the founding of the Young Mems
Christian association, forty ty-seven years
before Central park was set apart as
"A place of popular resort
The society got right down to busi-
ness after II had acquired Its charter
in 1920 and began buying property.
1t owned n house Mt ~ Baxter street
valued at 100000. one on Greenwich
avenue valued at $1,000 and other
real estate In sections of New York
city where the prices are now almost
prohibitivc valued at $4,000 dig val
ues for those days.. One OF Its treas
urers with an Itching palm decamped
with over 81 100 OF the society's funds,
but 1t kept right on doing and achiev-
ing to Its everlasting credit.