The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1917-10-13
EQUAL RIGHTS LEAGUE.
Holds Well Attended Meeting in New
York City.

New York, N. Y.-Vigorous protest
against undemOcratic treatment of COL
0red American citizens in the land of
their birth by the national government
in times OF peace and in military ar
rangements in time of war were
adopted by the National Equal Rights
League at it's 10th annual meeting in
this city.
Want Lynching Made Federal Crime.
In the report on Military Race Dis
elimination and in the formal address
TO the country separate officer train
ing, soldier training and cantonment
provision were vigorously denounced
as based on race prejudice. Pres.
wilson was quoted as giving the
United States mission in the Euro
pean War to be that of real democracy
and in turn the League demanded in
precise terms that Pres. Wilson abol-
lsh segregation of government clerks
ana recommended to Congress enact
ment of laws:
(a) To enforce the 18th and 18th
Amendments which forbid peonage
and Acknowledgement; Co TO make
lynching a federal crime; (c) To for
bid segregation by race in interstate
travel, or in federal territory.
Many Delegates Present.
Nearly 200 delegates were in attend
ance at the League meeting and at the
Race Congress called" by the League
Tor authoritative purposes. Rev. M.
r. Sydes, K. l., was elected president;
Rev. J. w. Brown of Mother Zion and
Rev. j. W. Hill, vice-presidents; Rev.
r: r. Dixon of Mass, secretary; Rev.
w. S. Smith of N. j., Chaplain; Mr..
J. c. Ford of Mich, Sergeant-atArms:
Rev Sydes, Rev. Hill, Mr.. Ford, Hon.
l. B. Allen of N. Y, Mrs. B. w. Bar
rett of ILL.,, A. B. Cosey of N. Y, and
M. T. Jones of Ark. were elected and
accepted by the League as delegates
to the National Liberty Congress at
Washington, D. c., in December.
Endorsement of a race pilgrimage
to the National capitol in the Liberty
Congress to lay the grievances of the
race before the federal authorities in
December, and the raising of fund
to provide salary for travelling or
ganizer who should raise the means
whereby to employ legislative agent
at Congress and organize the race to
fight the battle for it's rights, were
outstanding features of the three days.
Great Mass Meetings Held.
Delegates were present from as far
south as No. Carolina, Georgia and
Arkansas, as far west as California.
Large audiences attended the mass
meetings Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday nights. Addresses were
made by Mrs. Ida 3. w. Barnett of
~, Pres. Byron Gunner, Rev. J. M.
Waldron and Judge E. NJ Hewlett of
ID. c., M. T. Jones of Ark, William D.
Brigham of Boston, only white dele
gate; Rev. J. w. Brown, pastor of
Mother Zion; Hon. I. B. Allen, Rev.
w. S. Holder and Rev. J. M. Summers
of N. j., Mrs. M. c. Simpson, J. F..
Monroe of N. Y, Rev M. F.. Sydes,
Hon. Geo. w. Murray, Prof. Allen W.
! Whaley, organizer for the Liberty
Congress and others. DR.. VIM. A. Sim
clair read the address to the Country
framed by Judge Hewlett and William
Monroe Trotter.
ReV Gunner was reelected presi-
dent, J. L. Neill, recording secretary;
VIM. Monroe Trotter, corresponding
secretary; Thomas Walker, treasurer:
c: S. Whitfield of Conn.,, and Mrs. G. j.
walker OF N. Y. were elected vice.
presidents at large. G. L. Mitchell,
N. Y, E. M. Hewlett, Thomas Walker
of D.. c., were elected general counsel
for League. 49,
The Leagues committee on Labor
Migration declared that in the North
there was a deficiency in the labor
market, real need of laborers, and
hence the labor exodus from the South
met an economic need of the nation.
The League endorsed the migration
because of it's system of degrading,
robbing and terrorizing the race in the
South and urged that the churches and
other bodies look out for conditions
when employed.
The next annual meeting will be
held in Chicago, Ill.