Citizens Mass Meeting.

CITIZENS MASS MEETING.

Under Auspices of Local Branch of
N. A. A. C. P.

Last Sunday afternoon St. James A. M. E. Church was crowded with an audience that responded to a call made by the local branch of the N. A. A. C. P. for a citizens’ mass meeting to refute the impression that seemed to have been made by an article in the daily papers to the effect that the colored people were about to establish a public playground and skating rink, expressly for colored people, on the block bounded by St. Anthony and Virginia Aves. Rondo street and Western Ave. The meeting was called to order by Dr. Valdo Turner, who stated the cause for calling the meeting.
He was followed by Mr. O. C. Hall. Mr. J. M. Clancy, Commissioner of Public Parks and Playgrounds, was the next speaker who declared that “there would be no public playground or skating rink in St. Paul, Exclusively for colored people.”
Rev. B. F. Hodge was the next speaker, Mrs. George A. Gooden followed. Mr. Johnson, supervisor of public playgrounds, was the next speaker and he too said there would be no such playground. Rev. T. J. Carr was the next speaker. All the speakers in unequivocal terms expressed themselves as utterly opposed to any such thing.
A committee was appointed by the chairman to draft resolutions expressing the sentiments of the meeting.
During the absence of the committee, Atty. F. L. Barnett, of Chicago, who was present, was introduced and told of the recent trials of the seven colored men imprisoned in Duluth, who are charged with raping a white woman on June 14^th. Lawyer Barnett was employed by the N. A. A. C. P. to defend the accused men. He was associated with Atty. C. W. Scrutchin of Bemedji and R. C. McCullough of Duluth.
Two of the men, Max Mason and William Miller were tried by jury, and the former was convicted, while Miller was acquitted. Miller was present at the meeting and received the congratulation of the audience. Before Atty. Barnett began to speak, he asked that a prayer be made, and Mr. Geo. W. Stewart addressed the throne of grace.
Atty. Barnett told the story of the alleged crime with which the public is familiar; though he told things that were not generally known before.
A collection was asked for and $75 was quickly raised to be added to the defense fund of the N. A. A. C. P. Rev. Carr reported $12 as having been raised at Memorial Baptist Church, and Rev. Hodge reported $16.80 raised at Pilgrim Baptist Church.
The committee on resolutions then reported the following:

Resolutions.

WHEREAS, there is a certain colored individual in St. Paul whom we believe has for a long time misrepresented the members of his race here;
AND WHEREAS this man is a minister of the Gospel and has had the ear of certain white people whom we believe he has deceived with respect to the members of his race in St. Paul and his position as a member of his race in St. Paul;
AND WHEREAS this man has so intrenched himself in the minds of certain good-intentioned white folk that attempts upon the part of colored people to make plain the true facts with regard to this individual were misunderstood;
AND WHEREAS the colored people of St. Paul have suffered in silence for several years in the vain hope that the true caliber of the man would become apparent to those who were misguided in giving and providing him with money in the belief that they were helping colored people in St. Paul in general.
AND WHEREAS since this individual now seeks to create Jim Crow conditions in St. Paul by establishing a colored playground;
AND WHEREAS we believe that there is no occasion for a colored playground in St. Paul; that it would be rank injustice to all citizens of St. Paul to establish a colored play-

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CITIZENS MASS MEETING
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ground in our city and against the general Americanization scheme which the people of this country are striving to perfect;
AND WHEREAS in the minds of the colored people of St. Paul patience with George Washington Camp has ceased to be a virtue;
BE IT RESOLVED that we, the colored people now assembled, after public call through the newspapers for that purpose, hereby denounce the said George Washington Camp and declare that we are not in sympathy with his methods and that we believe that he does not have the interest of his race at heart, but seeks his own personal welfare and advancement at the expense of his race and in methods calculated to create false and improper impressions.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the colored people of St. Paul, in mass meeting assembled, are unalterably opposed to the establishment of any separate playgrounds for colored people in St. Paul under the guidance of this man Camp or any one else.

W. T. Francis.

S. E. Hall.

C. W. Wigington.

R. C. Minor.

Cora Grissom.

–COMMITTEE.
The resolutions were unanimously adopted.