The Twin City star., 1914-02-06
SP|NCARN MAKES
STRONG PROTEST
O0nounCss Race Segregation
at Meeting In Chicago.
PLEADS FOR EQUAL JUSTICE

StaIwart Defender Of Human Rights In
Lincoln Center Speech Says Fight
Against Color Prejudice Has Just Be-
gun-Avers That LineoIn's Unfinished
Task Shall Be Completed.
Chicago. 1900 people attended
the meeting in Abraham Lincoln Cen.
ter, Oakwood boulevard and Langley
avenue, in this city. recently to hear
Professor Joel e. Spingarn speak
against race segregation. 1t was the
second great public meeting in the
tour Of DR.. Spingarn through the mid
die west. BE Is chairman Of the board
Of directors Of the National Associa-
ton For the Advancement of Colored
People, with headquarters in New
York and branches in most of the
large cities throughout the country.
The speaker referred to the move
ment to eliminate racial prejudice be-
tween the races as the new abolition
ism. A remarkable fact about the
movement is that Professor Spingarn
is bearing his own expenses. Every
dollar Of the cost of this great cam
paign is being borne by the author Of
the movement This ought to bring
the blush of shame to the cheeks Of
colOred men who are unwilling to con-
tribute to movements to fight racial
wrongs.
. The audience which listened to Pro-
fessor Spingarn was highly cultured
one and included prominent people Of
several races, including Afro-Ameri-
cans, Caucasians, East Indians, Japa-
nese, Persians, Africans, American In
dams and one Fiji islander. On the
platform were DR.. George @. Hall,
Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones, Dr. @. e.
Bentley, Judge Julian Mack, DR.. A. w.
Williams. 8. Laing Williams, Mrs. Ce-
liza Parker Wooley, Rev. ]. B. Messiah.
Mr.. George w. Ellis and others.
Every good point made by the speak
er was applauded to the echo, and
when he finished there was an out
burst of applause which lasted for sew
eral minutes. 81 come west to pro-
test against the treatment Of 10000
600 American citizens" he said. 81
come to riddle with the light Of pub
licity the policy of the administration
In separating the white and colored
races while at work In the depart
ments at Washington.
"Our fight is just begun, and it will
not end until we are triumphant. This
is not merely a colored mans Ques-
tion-it is an American question. For
twenty years after the civil war the
colored men and women Of this coun-
try knew not what to do nor where
to turn. Suddenly given their free
dom. they were in confusion and
chaos. Then there arose a great lead
er who brought them message, and
for twenty-five years they have known
no other message than that.
'The message was, Hard work and
the making of money You have to
show for it $1,OOO,OOO.OO0 worth Of
property. But what else have you to
show for it? The disfranchisement Of
nearly 100000 colored men in the
south. The jimcrow car which runs
on every southern railroad. lnequali-
ties in the school laws which prevent
colored people from securing their just
share of the school funds in the south.
although they are taxed the same pro
rata as their white fellow citizens.
"School laws in Florida whereby
white teachers are prevented from
teaching colored children schools, even
Sunday schools Segregation in a
number of cities, first in the south and
later in the north. Hundreds Of injus-
tices by laws and thousands by custom
"Lynchings to the number Of 5000
show how safe your lives are. You
have great educational institutions and
great business places, but your rights
have been gradually taken from you.
and of what use is the accumulation Of
property If you have not the ballot
with which to protect it?"
The speaker showed that. while the
race was better of than in slavery. yet
little was held by right, nearly every
W ohu Ihot ShC pCoP'O
who had stolen the rights Of the race
might also have taken the property,
and the owners would have been pow
erless to prevent It.
The truth is. so far as rights are con-
cerned, the race Is in the most serious
crisis since the civil war. Abraham
Lincoln's unfinished business must be
completed, and 1t will be done.
DR.. Charles q. Bentley read the re-
port of the Chicago branch and called
attention to many specific instances Of
the work In eliminating racial discrlm-
nations. He also reported that the
parent organization was out Of debt
and had money In the treasury.
Roger Baldwin, secretary Of the City
club Of St. Louis. made an excellent
speech. telling Of the successful fight
against segregation In that city.
Among other good things he said: mo
segregated people can ever hope for
Justice. II is absolutely impossible un-
der such conditions"
B. O. Davis to Reside In New Mexico.