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vr; -r,- ? 13- , HEW TO THE LINE; LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY iy Lr.. r Vol. XXII. Attorney William L. Martin Eloquently Declared at Entertainer's Hall on Wednesday Evening at a Meeting in the Interest of Alderman Oscar DePriest; That the People Must Not Sit in Pre-Judgment of Mr. DePriest, on Complaint and Indictment; That Indictments Are Not Convictions ; That a Jury of Twelve Men Had Yet to Pass Upon His Guilt or Innocence AMONG OTHER THINGS HE DECLARED THAT IN MANY INSTANCES A BLACK MAN HAS BEEN CHABGED WITH CRIME AND LYNCHED TO DEATH WITHOUT A TRIAL, THEN LATER IT WAS CLEARLY PROVEN THAT HE WAS NEVER GUILTY OF COMMITTING THE CRIME HE WAS CHARGED WITH. RE FURTHER DECLARED THAT ALDERMAN DE PRIEST MUST NOT BE POLITICALLY LYNCHED BY COLORED MEN WITHOUT A TRIAL IN THE CRIMINAL COURT OF COOK COUNTY. MANY MEN IN THIS CITY HAVE REDDENED THEIR HANDS IN THE BLOOD OF THEIR FELLOW MEN AND THEY HAVE BEEN LIBER ATED ON BONDS RANGING FROM $10,000 TO $25,000. THIS IS NOT TRUE, HOWEVER, IN THE CASE OF ALDERMAN DE PRIEST FOR HE HAS BEEN TREATED T.TTTF! UNTO THE MOST DESPERATE CRIMINAL, BEING REQUIRED TO FURNISH BONDS FOR HIS FREEDOM FOR MORE THAN" $50,000. MANY COLORED MEN ARE IN THE SCHEME TO ASSASSINATE HTM POLITICALLY AND TO PREVENT ANY OTHER COLORED MAN FROM SUCCEEDING HIM IN THE CITY COUNCIL. BY AIDING IN THIS COLD BLOODED SCHEME, THEY ARE SIMPLY ASSISTING TO BRING DOWN UPON THEIR OWN HEADS EVERLASTING WOE AND DESTRUCTION. IT WILL BE RECALLED THAT IN 1906 THAT HON. F. L. BARNETT WAS SEAMLESSLY DEPRIVED FROM SERVING AS ONE OF THE MUNIC IPAL COURT JUDGES EVEN AFTER HE WAS FAIRLY ELECTED AND FROM THAT DAY TO THIS NO OTHER COLORED LAWYER HAS HAD A LOOK IN THAT DIRECTION. IT IS CLAIMED THAT COL. ARCH3BOLD NAPOLEON FIELDS WHO WAS ONE OF THE CHIEF WITNESSES BEFORE THE GRAND JURY AGAINST ALDERMAN DE PRIEST HAS SUCCESSFULLY MADE HIS "GET AWAY." IT IS ALSO REPORTED THAT COL. JOSEPH S. DAVIS WHO WAS ALSO ONE OF THE CHIEF WITNESSES BEFORE THE GRAND JURY IS TOTING AROUND TWO BIG REVOLVERS IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE SPORTING ELEMENT FROM JUMPING ON HTM. At this stage of the game when i -itoinent is running high a most bit ter feeling is continuing to be worked up hot ween the "White and Colored peo f If in this city by the daily news papers, whose editors and wildcat writers are successfully aiding the Col ored people to belittle themselves to bitterly hate each other and to turn upon themselves like bloodthirsty ravages. It is very risky and extremc U dangerous for a Colored editor con ducting a little one horse newspaper to attempt to raise his voice in behalf ot right and even handed justice with out running the fearful risk of being a nked up and thrown into jail by the lowers that be, nevertheless we shall niliere to at least a part of the abso lute truth in this respect, though the heavens fall and tho sun refuse to "lime forth in all of its splendor. Moro than four months ago it was Mated in the columns of the daily newspapers of this city that later on or within two or three months from ll.at timo an effort would be made to Kill Alderman Oscar Do Priest off just hefore the primaries, that the chances w.-re ton to one that by the time he w.in ready to make his second raco for Hi. city council that he would have several indictments hanging over his independent head, it was also contended at that timo that Alderman Do Priest as very objectionable to some of the powers that be; that at all times ho :i ever ready to fight and contend fur everything that morally or rightly belonged to tho Colored peoplo; that Ho timo had arrived for tho Colored people to stop permitting milk and water dishonest White politicians to feed them on soft soap from the end of a long silver spoon; that some of the powers that he and many pin-headed "Whito and Colored peoplo hate him with all of their being simply because ho has been successful in business main- J tains his family in good shape and as a free American citizen carries his head up in the air and feels that he is just as good as any other human being on the face of the earth. Right here we must pause for a few moments to state for all time to come namely that the vast majority of the narrow minded and prejudiced ridden Colored people always hate to see or hear of any Colored man becoming in dependent and they dearly love him much better as long as he is dependent. On Wednesday evening many of the friends of Alderman De Priest held a meeting at Entertainer's Hall, to con sider the crisis existing at this time in Second Ward politics and the leading speakers at tho meeting were Dr. Ros coe C. Giles, George W. Ellis, Louis B. Anderson, Edward D. Green, Adelbert H. Roberts, Attorney William L. Mar tin, Dr. Spencer C. Dickerson, Edward II. Wright, Rev. John T. Jenifer, Rev. J. C. Anderson, Pastor of Quinn Chapel, Mrs. Cordelia West and Mrs. Ada Mc- Kinloy. The result of the meeting was one of confidence in tho integrity of Mr. De Priest until proven guilty, and a con tinuation of support to him politically if he determined to be a candidate. In a masterful address Attorney W. L. Martin pointed out that indictments are not convictions and that a jury of 12 men had yet to sit on the case; that we deplore pre-judgment of a man on complaint and indictment. Ho reas oned that many instances have occurred where a black man was charged with crime and lynched to death without a trial. Said he, are wo as black men going to accept as true the complaint and indictment against Alderman De Priest and politically lynch him without a trial f 2Sk. Martin related that which is absolutely true, for almost every day in the year in this country some Col GHIGAGO,. JANUARY 27, 1917 ored man, woman or child are simply charged with committing some crime, then they are mobbed and lynched in the most horrible manner and after their bodies have been burned at tho stake and slices of their quivering flesh has been sold to the highly civil ized White Christians for cash, it was proven that they, the Colored men, women and children were not guilty of committing the crimes thej' were charged with committing. There is no desire on our part to con trol the actions of any other human being residing in this city in relation to Alderman De Priest, but as far as we are concerned we intend to give the full benefit of all doubts until he is proven guilty of committing the crimes he is charged with committing beyond a reasonable doubt. On many occasions in the past many men in .this city have reddened their" i hands in the blood of their fellowmcn and after committing a thousand crimes (as it were) they have been given their liberty pending their trial on bonds ranging anywhere from ten to twenty-five thousand dollars, that is not true, however, in "the ease of Alder man De Priest, seemingly he is classed with the most desperate criminals that ! have ever disgraeed the name of man and therefore he has been compelled to furnish bonds for his freedom for more than fifty thousand dollars but in the estimation of some people that is even handed justice in this boasted land of freedom and home of the brave. Many short sighted Colored men it seems arc in the cold blooded scheme to assassinate Alderman De Priest polit ically and to prevent any Colored man from succeeding him in the City Coun cil, they are so blinded to their best interest that they are perfectly willing to assist to pull down on their own heads everlasting woe and destruction. It will be recalled that Hon. F. L. Barnett was elected one of the Judges of the Municipal Court in 1906 and afterwards he was counted out or some way or other tricked out of that honor and his election even after many of his race loving friends donated money to aid him to contest it, and the present scheme is to kill off Alderman De Priest at any cost and for all time to come to prevent any other Colored man from being elected to the City Council from the Second Ward, for ever since the election and the counting out of Mr. Barnett no other Colored lawyer has come within ten thousand miles of securing the nomination for Judge of the Municipal Court. THE APPOMATTOX CLUB, THE LEADING NEGRO ORGANIZA TION OF THE COUNTRY IN A BIG DRIVE FOR RACE UPLIFT. Beauregard F. Moseley Appointed Chairman of the Civic and Public Affairs Committee. Big " Symposi um' at Club Parlors, February 4th, on "Negro Migration." All Ly ceums and Literary Clubs of the City Invited to Have Representatives Present. President CoL J. H. John son Requests Presence of All Mem bers, Wives and Friends. The Appomattox Club seems to have at last struck the real note of the pur pose of its organization, Raco Uplift, and will commence it's 1917 program on Sunday, February 4th, 1917, at 4 P. M., at the Club Parlors, in a big "Symposium" upon the livest ques X tion now before the American people, "Negro Migration." The program is in charge of one of Chicago's most active and public spir ited citizens, Beauregard F. Moseley, a lawj-er of repute and great practice, who will be remembered as having put the Club on record last year in a big speech at Wendell Phillips High School, on the occasion of the Lincoln and Douglass anniversaries. He is sur rounding himself as Chairman of -the Civic & Public Affairs Committee, with some of the best talent in the Club, and purposes, with tho co-operation of Col. J. H. Johnson, President, and the Board of Directors, to make things hum. On tho occasion of February 4th, next, the program will indeed be in teresting, as not only the representa tives of the Grace Lyceum, the St. Mark's Literary and that of Bethel, Olivet, Quinn Chapel, Wayman Chapel, St. Paul's M. E., Mt. Zion of Evanston, and other leading churches of the city will speak or read papers upon this subject, but each member of the Civic Committee will be heard, thus giving an opportunity to all who- may attend to hear tho best discussions possible upon this subject. Illl clubs or literaries, desiring to have representatives present, should forward the name to Chairman Mose ley not later than Saturday, February 3rd, or sooner. On Sunday, February 11th, 1917, at 4 P. M., the Club will celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Abra ham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass jRPB&B&."- ''. vxvBBBn?3v?o-vvtyxSBWBiBt ALDERMAN OSCAR DE PRIEST. Still stoutly maintains that at no time since he was elected to the City Council from the Second Ward has he accepted one dollar as graft or easy money from any source whatever. with speeches. The day will be known as the "Douglass Centenary" and ap propriate speeches will be made by the Hon. Albert C. Barnes, of the Appel late Court, upon the subject of "Abra ham Lincoln," and Dr. Geo. Cleveland Hall, one of the noted physicians of the race, upon the subject of "Fred erick Douglass" at the Club Parlors. Dr. Dickerson promises a real treat by first class musical program on each oc casion. Tho members of the Civic & Public Speakers Committee, as announced l3 President Johnson are as follows: Beauregard F. Moseley, Chairman, Hon. L. B. Anderson, Hon. S. B. Tur ner, Col. John R. Marshall, Hon. S. A. T. Watkins, Mr. D. French, Hon. II. S. Daniels, Hon. Henry S. Anderson, non. E. H. Wright, Hon. Oscar De Priest, Dr. S. C. Dickerson, Hon. R. S. Abbott, Hon. W. R. Cowan, Major R. R. Jackson, Hon. A. L. Jackson, Hon. A. A. Wells. "C. M. F." It is hoped that the Hou. Henry S. Anderson and the many other honor ables will accomplish wonders in be half of civic betterment. Editor. ALDERMAN OSCAR DE PRIEST WITHDRAWS FROM THE RACE FOR RE-ELECTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM THE SECOND WARD. Alderman Oscar De Priest has with drawn from the raco for re-election to the City Council from the Second Ward and Col. James H. Johnson will make tho race in his stead. "" No. 19 DEATH OF BEN SUMMERS. Sunday, January 21st, Ben Summers, who was well known on the South Side, passed away at the Fort Dearborn Hos pital after a spell of sickness lasting for eleven weeks. Funeral services wero held over his remains, at his lato residence, 3426 Forest avenue, Wednes day afternoon. Mr. Summers was born in Quincy, 111., coining to Chicago when ho was quite a young man. For a number of years he railroaded, lately he assumed the presidency of tho Pioneer Club, 3512 S. Stato street, which was organ ized and is run in the interest or for the benefit of railroad men. Charles E. Morrison, special messen ger to Mayor William Halo Thompson, who was a warm friend of Mr. Sum mers feels sure that he will bo greatly missed, by his former associates and friends. GOV. STANLEY WHO DEFIED KY. MOB WAS ELECTED BY AID OF COLORED DEMOCRATS. (Louisville News). Gov. Stanley was elected Chief Executive of this State by a very small majority less than a thousand, and they do say that to local Colored Democrats is due tho credit. At any rate in this instanco it was good for Kentucky, good for Martin and maybo good for Judgo Bush that A. O. Stanley was Governor. In fact nor fiction have wo ever heard before the invitation "HANG THE GOVERNOR FIBST." J-VfeMfii