The Washington Bee Newspaper, December 12, 1891, Page 1

meg ante ath par BVe ies, ed, hie een ant er tu- ol- sh lot, re nd m er e, ove ith- m, on, er. aa” aoe ~ ‘Terms. $1.50 Per year in Avan VoL. X_ That 500 dollars bad better be forth coming. | Why does’t the sheet of the con- victs make a chargeand have the courts to settle it. It will not be any play busines and don’t you forget it. Will Kennedy has been of five handred dollars. The conyict in the [Interior De- partment will be given an oppor- tuuity to use his broad sider. robbed His occupation is about gone. Wait afew days old boy and watcb the result. The japin the Folding R om of the Government Printing Uffice has played his last trick. His jack has been caught. Men on the laboring gang have been turned off because they de- cline to join the Lnvincible club aad pay two dollars entrance fee and so mach per moath. This is a shame. The ides of men being dis- | charged because they will not pay | two dotlars to join the Invincible club and three dollars monthly. This is a case for investigation by the central committee. This isa new way to collect a fee. The man who thinks he is going to have a walk over will get left. The Kee is loaded and don’t your tor get it. The sheet of the convict should say something. Look out for interesting reading. A very interesting docament will be published from the Olerk of the Court of Rochester, New York. He has never been properly in- trodaced to the people of this city. His false colorsshall have the reflection of a calcium light. The criticisms of this convict sheet reminds one of a chastise- | meat from a harlot toa virtuous; woman. Thrashing a manis one thing and doing it is another. Trustee Cornish isa friend to normal school graduates. He will doall in his power to appoint them all. The people will be with him, The industrial feature of the public schools is a success. Dr. Parvis can stand more pub- lic criticism than apy public man. It will be acold day when the Negro press will be able to knock out the recorder. The press will be knoced out first, People who know so much will put itin writing or they will priot it. Some people have the cheek of a monkey, but they are without moral courage. A brave man 1s not acheeky man nor isa cheeky man very brave. The attacks of the convicts will never get the sage of Anacostia the recordership. A little back history will no doubt be interesting reading to| these ducks. A ticket of leave man has been made oat for the duck in the Iuter- ior Department. Salt will not save his head from the official axe. | Minor Hamlin will play his game | Ce. WASHINGTON, D. O., SATU RDAY, DECEMBER 12, 18 Threats will not deter the Ber from its course. Superintendent Cook favors the appointment of normal school graduates. The Republicans will win in 92. _In reply to the sheet of the con- victs, perhaps the President bas the same opinion of the man re- ferred to as he bas of the Bre. The Bug does not exist on the opinion of the convict who wrote the article. ——— THE IMPENDING POLITI- CAL EPOCH, “As the fatal dogma of session was buried in a common grave with the Great Rebellion; it is fitting and proper that the Na- tional constitation should be so amended as to conform to the new and broader conditions of onr Na‘ional life.” Ex Gov. James M: AsHLer. These words, instinct with broad-statesmanship and the wis- dom derived from a half century of experience in the public affairs of t.e Republic. were uttered by ex-Governor James M., Ashley of QObio, at the Annual Re-Union of the Obio Society of New York on the ninth day of November, 1891. I believe the words are prophetic of changes to be wrought in the coustitution of the Nation; so that the fundamental Jaw may be made to conform to the dogmas of absolute equality of citizenship defined with the inspiration and the lucidity of genius in the De- claratiou of Independence, which wrested a whole continent from the tyranny of a foreign and im- pertivent jurisdiction and conse- rated it to freedom, The history ot the formation of the Republic discloses the fact that tne main difficulty in ex- emplifying in the constitution all of the broad principles laid down in the Declaration of Indepen- dence was the conflict precipi« tated by the spokesmen of the slave holding power and tbose of free Jabor. ~ * * A wise man should have seen that the advantage given to the slave-holding States in tbe basis of congressional and electoral representation would eventuate iu war; and when the productivity of slave labor was so greatly en- chanced by the invention of the cotton-gin aud the extension of slave territory, consequent upon the opening of the great }ortb- west to actual settlers, was cir- cumecribed, that this eventuation was an absolute certainty became a disagreeable but accepted fact in our politics. No one saw this more clearly than Henry Clay, who fora half century was the dominating force in our legisla- tion, aud the compromises be de- vised prolonged but could -not eliminate the probable corflict from the equation of evenuations. The provision in the Fed ral Constitution defining the basis of representation of the slave-holding States, and which has caused more conflict of one kind and another tban all other provisions in the Cousttution besides, is to be found in seciion three of articie one, as follows: teat “Representatives aud district taxes shall be appointed among the several States which mvy be iucluded within. this Union, ac- cording to their respective num- on the out side. He will find out that isa game that two can play. pers, which shall be determived by adding to the whole pumber of tree persons, including those bound to service fora term of years, and exculding Indiands not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons” — (meaning African slaves.) This basis of re presentation was destroyed by the adoption of section one of article thirteen of Amendment; and the new basis is defined by section two of article fourteen of Amendment, as fol- lows: “Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respec= tive numbers, counting the whole number ot persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.” It is a curious fact in our con- Stitutional history that while slavery bas been abolished and the basis of representation chang- ed the methods of election haves not been changed to conform to the new conditions nor for the matter of that to conform to the highest conception of justice and fair play. The advantage given to the slave-holding minority is still enjoyed by the minority of all the States, especially of tbe smaller States, in the selection of the President, the Senators and the Representatives in Congress. Why the State of Rhode Ieland should be equally represented 10 the Senate, and proportionately in the Electoral College, with New York can be explained upon no grounds of justice. A remedy for this injustice has long been recognized to be a necessity. The party thatcan carry the solid South, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, can elect the President under the existing apportionment of 444 members of the Etectoral Colleges,—that is, the people of sixteeu States, a tremendous minority, can dictate tothe people of the remaining thirty-two States. An electoral system which yields such results 1s a manifest monstrosity. Well may Governor Ashley declare that “‘it is fitting and proper that the National Constitution should be so amended as to conform to the new and broader conditions of our National life” Fitting? im- perative, rather. As I believe the recommenda- tions of Governor Agbley will eventually be adopted ih the main by the peeple of the country. I shall bere give a synopsis of his plan: ‘ibere shall be College of Depu- ties in the several States. equal to the number of its representatives in the congress, to be elected by direct vote and to serve for six years, charged with the duty of conducting ut National elections in their several States, and with power to fillany vancancies that may occur in the office of Presi- dent, of Senator, of members of the house of Representatives or of its own body. The office of Vice President is abolished. ‘the President shall be elected by direct vote and shall serve for six years and be ineligible for re-election. 1 feel that, under the plan out- lined by Governor Ashley, be- sides purifying our electoral sys~ tem, Afro-Americans would be enabled, by culmulating their votes in given Congressional districts to secur a measure of represenatiton in the College of Deputies aud in in the Congress to which they are justly entitled, but of which they are defrauded ander the existing system. I confess that itis this view of the proposed plan that has struck me more forcibly and moved me 10 give the matter the review of it here presented. And I sincerely trust that the editors of the Afro-American newspapers will give the plan such considera- tisn as its importance merits, to the end that a thorough discussion of it may be bad. I also trust that thinkers of the race in other than newspaper occupation will take upthe matter thoroughly and contribute their share to a discussion of it. Under the ex- isting ballot system we are prac~ tically without representation in the Congress. Under the pro- posed system it would be imposi- ble to prevent us from having some representation. T, Tuomas ForTUNE. New York, Nov. 30, 1891. Penna Wnt aI a5 SA AND SIT Ro Sc nn Ue a Caos RPO TeRRDRPE yn er are er ee eT cl ee. Si cc SST ca ee” NOTES AND COMMENTS, Who that has felt the hand of Jesus clasp his hand will go and lay the hand that toucbed the Lord upon the dead hand of these youth and lead them to take hold on life? Ifdone at all, it must be done by young men, and we want an Association to accomplish this. The young men who are straying do not see Ohrist; be 1s locked up in a book written in what to them is a dead language. He must be trauslated to them through the life and loving earnestness of Christian young men; if they are eyer to see the beauty of his character. We want aa Association, therefore, to lay upon young men the responsibil ity which;the voice from heaven lays upon them when it cries, “Where is Abel, thy brother?” We want it to save us from that other word, ‘The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” Ihear thatcry. “Help me in the name of humanity and of him who died for it, held me back and up to manhood.” ButI hear no auswer. I hear the despairing voice of a man with @ soul and a heart like my own crying,1 know not whether to God or man. ‘There was bo man willingto know me: refage fails me;no mancares for my soul.” May God help him, for I hear no human answer. It is nobody’s business in particular to look afterhim, This is why we want an Association. I want it to be s'mebody’s business. It was somebody’s business in the name of Satan to rain him; why isn’t it somebody’s business in the name of Christ to help him? We want something practical, something that his flesh and blood in it. Sentiment will not do. The things that lie far off aud need a telescope, or that lie under the Indian summer’s haziness, attrack us inour town, David’s troubles a8 a young man outlawed, Naomi’s sorrows. In order that a great big thought in the cause of humanity may reach more of the good thinking people of our country we reproduce from our contemporary an editor- ial of Dec. 2, 1891. PREJUDICE IN PHILADELPHIA, Referring to an editorial article in last Sunday’s ‘Post’ contrasting the feeling toward the colored peo- ple in Virginia and in Philadelphia, a correspondent inquires. ‘Is the editor of the ‘Post’ aware that there is a provision in the will of Stephen Girard, by whom Girard College was founded, that it should be for “poor white male orphans?’ Yes, the editor of the “Post” is quite aware of it. We were not, however, discussing Stephen Gir- ard’s will, but the openly-express~ ed prejudice of the Philadelphia people and their notorious hostiity toany and evry proposition to throw open to colored people the very smallest advantage or oppor- tunity. This feeling 13 so flagrant that it has been often criticised by Philadelphia papers, and has long been a subject of comment by the outside world. It is not, indeed more than @ fortnight since a very eminent colored edacator delivered an address in this city advising the people of his race to return to the Southern States, and assuring them that they would encounter there less opposition to their mater- ial advancemeat than they find on this side of the Potomac. The speaker had evidently made an intelligent study of sentiment of the two sections toward the Negro, and had found in the South more kindly feeling, more sympathy, less personal prejudice and race anti- patby. It was merely tocall at- tention to this well-known condi- tion of affairs that the Post indulg- | ed iu the observations under dis- cussion. The will of Stephen Girard was not in question—it was the invariable and inevitable out- barst of prejudice that follows every effort of the colored people in Philadelphia to obtain a more kindly and helpfal recognition. Truly—and this reminds us to say that brother Hatton, may once in a while fret a bit on the wrong side of the race problem, buat on general principles, he is generally right, On the question ef the “Smart young colored bucks,” Col. Hatton— we don’t agree; we shall call you some time very soon. The meeting to protest against being discriminated against tailed ; some body—‘+A wheel that can’t spin won’t turn.” The pulpit orators and “air chasers” of both races, ranted and roard so about the liquor tratlic,— are very earnestly invited to stand up intheir pulpits, and have a word to say about mob violcuce, lynching and murder of a helpless and defenceless race in the South. Rev. F. D. Power, pastor of the Vermont Avenue Church, writes to the Commissioners to-day stating that at the morning services held at the church yesterday the con- gregation, nunbering about a thousand people unanimously de- cided by a rising vote to petitiou the Commissioners to refuse all ap plications for licenses to sell intox- icatiog liquor in that section known as Hell’s Bottom. The church, he states is witbin six squares of that neighborhood a:d many of the congregation are called to pass through or near it in attending the services, and for years it has been a source of dread and peril to all good citizens, especially women and children. Concluding he says: ‘May we not ask the honorable Commissioners to consider tie safety and moral and material in- terests of the people in this part of our good city and withhold from the men who seek it the legal permission tocarry onthe work which has been such a curse to many and such a cause of terror to all, disgracing the cipital with so unsavory and yet so fitly named a section as Heli’s Bottom ?” Well, suppose they do pass through ‘Paradise Found,” what of it? people just as good and sanc- | timonious as they pass through “Hookers Division” every day ono their way to work in the Bureau of government ‘‘over the way’’—they go all the same. Dr. Power, define a place in Paradise Found that is dangerous to even any of your folks, Did you hear what the very philosophical Elder Johnson of the Metropolitan church said, “We are no longer Hell’s Bottom.” Out of the darkness shall come forth the light. Last Sunday night the Kev. W. W. Landram declared from the pulpit of the Second Baptist eburch in Richmond, Southern whites should commem- orate their obligations to the col-— ored people. He spoke of latter’s devotion, their protection of white women and children during the war, the beautiful fidelity with which they did their duty, and more than duty, he added, what was'true, that al- though the whites have done much for the Negroes since 1865, they can never do enough to offset thai magnificent account, The speaker wasa native Southerner, address- ing a Southern-born congregation, and yet his sentiments were not! only received kindly at the time, but have been commented on with favor and approval by Southern newspapers since their utterance in church. The relief and satisfac tion with which Philadelphia bails the verdict of exclusion against »| the colored people is fully equaled by the approval which Southern feeling bestows on the proposition to honor them. To INTERVIEW RECORDER BRUCE At a largely attended meetiug otf the Blaine Invincible Clab at Car- sou’s Hotel last night ex Gov. R H. Gleaves presided and made ay address. A letter was read from chairman Clarkson of the national committee acknowledging receip: of $100, contribution from the club to the compaign fund. Addresses were made by J. W. Bell, John H. Smyth and P. H. Carson. Mr. Car son said that he had been informed that Recorder Bruce had endeavor- ed to secure the removal frum oftice ofa member of the club who had criticised his public acts. Mr. Car- son moved the appointment of a cemuittee of nine to wait on Mi. Bruce in relation tothe matter. The chair appointed P. H. Carson, John H. Smyth, A.C. Bryant, C. W. Scott, J, H. Dade, Ralph Wormley, H.C. Saunders, J. W. Bell, RB. L. B. Wilkinson. secretary was directed to notify Mr. Brace that this committee would call on him at 10 o’clock a. m., on Monday uext at his office — Star Dec. 4, 1891. Mr. Brace, you do not need our advice but we venture this much, advise these gentlemen to attend to their individual affairs; advise some of them to get their over- some of our would be leaders, just finished in leading of in a wild goose hunt to discriminate against coats from their uncle and to try and get a job to go to work. Also ask them who ceustituted the that the throughout a! period of license and disorder, and | The} — ————— | Blaine Invincible Clab a political | janta. THE SERVANT GIRL. If you are competent and able to hire a service girl put heron her merit, give her a responsibility | and encourage her to maintain it. Make her a part of your household and treat ber as she was buman, by this method yon may catch an angel unaware. Butif you hire one and demand herto do the work of three or four; down her before she has had atrial; suspi- cion, dog—and condemn her; you will hardly get a girl, and all you can do is to go on from parlor to parlor and pour out you sickening ‘tale of woe’’—about hired girl, this and that and the folks will continue to-laugh when you are gone and say, ‘She has no busi- ness with a servent.” The service girl of to-day isa very different piece of goods to the slaves of the past. Ifyou want them you must treat/em right, otherwise they will not stay. Some people hire ser- vants and buy horses and earri- ages and have footmen long before they are really prepaired. Sudden riches turn some people’s beads. It is better to flutter for a long time like a sparrow than try all of a sudden to soar like an eagle. Itis a good thing, no doubt to be rich, but dont become atterly rediculous. Don’t have a coat of arms on your carriage antil you bave been taught its meaning and significance, and for the sake of your poor old ancestry do hush filling your conversation about the hired man‘ the cook woman, the nurse, the horses, the carriages, |and the bundreds of other things | that people whoare up to snuff don’t want to hear. Remember Mis. Malaprop, “Patience on a mouth-piece smiling in grease,” Cheating is cheating and it makes no difference whether it is oyer a bar counter or realestate transaction, cheating is cheating, and you will not escape be you a dealer or realestate rpeculator. You can fool men, but you can’t— well you know the rest? ime W. vu. =. Uiius Convention, m session at Boston, has adopted a resolu- tion recommending the use of unfer- mented wine at communion. Governor Pattison has notified the authorities in charge of the Huntingdon Reformatory that on and after January { next eight hours shall constitute a day’s tabor in that institution. Brazilian Republicans are fortifying the city of Rio Grande against Dictator Fonseca. South Wales tinplate workers are re- ported quite destitute through dull trade. A great fire in Minneapolis on Wednes- day last devoured $1,000,000 worth of property. J. F. Chesney, a prommentattorney of Natchez, Mieh., has been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for pension frauds, ome ay ow en UCU LUO %,UUU,UUU parts and a cubic inch into 9,523,809,523 parts, each of which may be distinctly seen by the naked eye. A grain and a half of gold may beaten into leaves of one inch square, which, if intersected by parallel lines drawn at right angles to each other and distance only the one-hundredth part of an inch, will produce 25,000,000 little squares, each of which may be distinctly seen without the aid of a glass! The surface of any given quantity of gold, according to the best authorities, may be extended by the hammer 310,814 times. The thickness of the metal thus extended appears to be no more than the 566,020th part of an inch. Eight ounces of this wonderful metal would gild a silver wire of sufficient length to extend entirely around the globel | dae Badiessed the stranger: | “is not this stupendous?” The stranger bowed his head, as if he felt the inability of words to describe his emotions. “Do you think,” pursued the traveler, “that this terrific gorge was caused by some Titanic upheaval from below? Or is it the result of glacial action? What are your views, if any, as to——” “My views,” blandly interposed the stranger, opening a valise he carried in bis hand, “are only $1.50 a dozen and cheap at twice the money. Permit me co show you a few samples. "—Chicago | fribune. Roofs That Last a Long Time. Morgan Mory, of Upper Saucon, Pa., has just had his barn reroofed with tin. The structure was built in 1753, when it was roofed with cedar. A number of years later pine shingles took the place of the cedar. It has been roofed only three times during its existence. The barn is still in a good state of preservation, and will outlast a few more roofs.—New York Sun. It is the | —_——_--e— | Subscribe to ihe BEE. paper to advertise in.