Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-06
NEGROES PLAN ACTION
TO HALT REMOVAL OF
POLICE OF THEIR RACE
Mass-Meeting Scheduled for To-
morrow Night as Effort to
Prevent Elimination
From Force
CLASH WITH MERCHANTS

| Negroes will hold an Indignation meeting
tomorrow night, when action will be taken
In an attempt TO prevent what Bishop l.. j.
Coppin described today as "a preliminary
effort to eliminate negroes entirely from the
police force Of Philadelphia" The meeting
will be held at the Allen A. NJ. E. Church.
18th and cambridge streets G. Grant
Williams will preside and Andrew F.
Stevens will be secretary. The list of
speakers has not been announced, but it was
said that 1t would include the "clty's repre-
sentative colored men,"
The South Street Business Mems Asso-
citation Is held responsible by the negroes
for the removal of the policemen over
whom the war is being fought with econo-
mic weapons. Harry Levy, its president.
today denied this, and offered to give 500
TO any negro charity II the assertion could
be proved. He also said that boycott
against the white merchants was being
waged for political reasons, and that the
better element of "colored people" is being
blamed for condition which 1t had mo
hand in making"
PROTESTS MAILED.
In circulars mailed to every negro house,
hold In the neighborhood affected, 1t is as
serted that "the South Street Business
Mems Association has, by petition re-
quested the withdrawal of colored policemen
Public Safety has granted 1t. II the colored
policemen are Objectionable to the mer-
chants of South street, so should the colored
customers be- who make It possible for
them TO exist. We want every colored per-
son to withhold his patronage from the
stores on this street conducted by white
merchants, even IL at q sacrifice, and make
purchases at other places"
Mr.. Levy said that about a month ago
the merchants west OF 11th street com.
plained 10 us of the inefficient police pro.
lection. The public was held up and robbed
in the broad daylight at the intersections
of South street with 18th and 18th streets
We went to the Director OF Public Safety
and asked for better police protection, also
for mounted officers. There was absolutely
nothing said about certain officers, The Di-
rector evidently has acted for the good of
the service. Now come some persons eERinR
on the colored people for political purposes
The better element of the negroes is getting
the blame which should be put on rowdies
who come from other sections OF the CITY
The better element should be glad IL a more
efficient police protection is granted them"
BISHOP coPPINs VIEWS
Bishop L. ]. Coppn, member of a COM
mttee which recently drafted the resolution
setting in operation the boycott by negroes
against the South street merchants asserted
that the white merchants now have virtu4
ally a monopoly on trading conditions,
Dul AHhl Schlli0Hi dlHOlB members OF MS
race was growing TO such an extent that
negro business houses may very shortly
be opened to compete with the stores now
in operation.
zone man alone has promised to give
$1,000 toward a fund which will be raised to
establish negroes in business" he said
preparedness, you know is a pretty good
thing"
Philadelphia has about 100 negro police
men, Bishop Coppin said. and members OF
their race fear that this is simply a move
TO eliminate negroes from the police depart
ment.
I'VE want to know why this removal has
been accomplished" he asserted. IF il
were because negro policemen have been
inefficient and incompetent we want to know
what is 10 be done with them-in what
section Of the city are they to be sent? It
is certainly untrue that negroes do not
respect members of their own race who are
in authority l have 1000 men under me,
and they respect me as much as the
Kaisers men respect him."