The Colored American from Washington, District of Columbia • Page 2

Ml SKV a iUuMWJKAjC UNITED COLORED DEMOCRACY How the Famous Adjunct to New Yorks Tamnany Organization was Conceived and Made Strong Chief Edward a Bora Leader of Men the Black Croker witn among the colored voters EDWARD LEE KE31 me oomM AiossioiJr trissiisioit a Lee New York Special -When Richard Croker installed Edward Lee as powers to his own among the white voters of Tammany Hall and recognized Lees TJuifced Colored Democracy jlt9 of all the borcugbs of the greater city of New York as adjunct to Tammany Hail it Btiuck republicans generally with dismay and dazed thousands of democrats Many of the politically wise ones of all parties snook their heads with negative nods as if in doubt ae to the wisdom of eo radical amove Bui Mr Oroker Baw things differently and assumed entire responsibility for his action How well the whole thing has woiked will show by a glance at tne following figures There are in Borough of Manhattan Alone about nine thousand colored voters ninety seven per cent of whom voted the republican ticket from the day the Fifteenth Amendment went into fleet up to 1697 In the campaign of that year Mr Croker put Edward IS Lee in charge of the colored voters telling him if he made a good Bhowing that he Croker would recognize and treat the colored democrats just as be did the white voters of that party ac cording to the number of votes cast by them And Lee wtnt to workorganized the United Colored Democracy with headquarters at 152 West 53rd street Through this organization Robert A Van Wyok for mayor received about any two per cent of the nine thousand of colored voters in the Borough of Manhattan In 1898 Augustus Van Wyck for governor tnrougb this same organization under Mr Crokers guidance and Leee leadership received sixty five pet cent of these voteia At the election of 1688 seventy one per cent was cast for the democratic ticket and in an ofl year at that And still the organization ib growing for in every instance Mr Croker has kept his word witb his black leader Edward iiee ana ijee aas all oases fulfilled his promise to Croker Thus confl dtncohaa been iully established on both sides That the United Colored Democraoy ha dene goad worfc speaks fer itself for it controlled at the last general election in spite of McCuI lougha manipulation and garbling of the returns three thousand one hundred and sixty two bona fide declaied colored democratic voters eligible to tow bv 6xjg uexs uemocratie primary election That the United Colored Democracy has come to stay cannot be doubted after a glance at the character and caliber of men just elected officers of the trganization Edward Lee chief of tbe United Colored Demooraoy of all the boroughs of the Greater City of New York was born in Virginia about forty- two years ago amid environments thafi would have been fatal to any man of lets indomitable will His very build is in harmony with the Herculean task eet him by Mr Croker of moulding and controlling a colored democratic organ ization Mr Lee stands about six feet two inches in his Books and welRhs two hundred and ten pounds He is of large physique has a large brain a big oeart and an iron will Lee is a born leader of men His followers regard bis word as eaared Iu a word there is noshing small about Leader Lee but his purse and that will never be larger He is ever seeking something for his constituents but for himself nothing and in this lies the secret of his sue cess as an organizer of his people In leavitg the republican party and going into the democratic party Mr Lee took nearly one thousand colored republicans with him to organize his United Colored Democracy He has been extremely fortunate in surrounding himself with young trustworthy and influential men of his race He is responsible for the presence in the democratic party of such independent and brainy young men as Ralph Langston leader of the colored democrats of the twenty- fifth assembly dis ftiot and wbo has just been elected president of the United Colored De mscraoy of all tho borougbs of the Greater City of New York Leader Langston is the second son of the late John Mercer JLangeton Mr Langston senior was born in Virginia and was educated in Oberlin College Ohio He was a man of letters and refinement He was an able lawyer and Jfiwf RALPH LANGSTON was said to be one of the strongest at the bars of Washington 0 and Virginia He was minister to Hayti for eight years under Grant and Hayes re spectively Also represented the 4th Congressional district of Virginia in the House of Representatives for two terms He was an uncompromising republican as was also his son Ralph until Lee took him into the United Colored Democracy Mr IS Lang ston has lived in the twenty fifth as sembly district about fifteen ears He was a republican leader and worker up to 1S97 His home is in the eighth election district of the twenty fifth assembly district where there were regis tered in the campalSa of 1810 ninety- three colored voters and out of that number Bixty four voted the democratic ticket owing to Langstons popularity among them On Monday March 5th he was eleoted president of the United Colored Democraoy without a dissenting voice end carried the entire ticket through with him His ad vent into the democratic party has greatly helped to cut the usual repnbll hundred and sixty seven at the fall election in the twenty fifth or the Tenderloin district Langston took into the democratic party with him his bosom friend Augustus Murray a life long rock ribbed republican Murray while living in New York is a railroad man running between New York and Boston Being in New York one day and in Boston the next he has organized in Boston a democratic club of twe eundred strong John 0 Johnson chairman of the executive committee of tbeUnlted Col ored Democraoy was born in New York City in 1888 1b a bright young man and popular wish tbe young element of the colored race also an able executive officer easy and graceful in manner and works in harmony with hief Lee and President Lang ston William Russell Johnson leader of the United Colored Democracy for the Borough of Kings was born in New York City forty two years ago He is not only leader of the United Colored Democracy for the Borough but is one mm JIImSS WILLIAM RUSSEL JOHNSON of Chief Lees most respected and trusted lieutenants Mr Johnson was one of the founders of the Alfred Ohapin Club the first recognized Negro democratlo club in the city of Brooklyn was assistant steward of the Constitutional Club of Brooklyn of which Boss McLaughlin was an honor ary member Mr Johnson was president of the society of the Sons of New York a eccial orderfor two terms This Is the largest organisation of its kind in the United States He was also a member of the Board of Veatry St Augustine ohHroh Mr JohnBon is a splendid conversationalist and Is well versed in all current events sooial and political Being a man of brilliant ideas and fluency of speech makes him an Ideal leader among his people This faot no one better understands or more throughly appreciates than Chief Lee Mr Madison Jones is a native of the District of Columbia and one of Mr LeeS strongest nnnnnrM ami holds one of the mesb important po sitions in the United Colored mocracy of Greater New York When Mr Lee first deelded to accept the no smonof chief of the United Colored Democracy his first official act was the seleotionof Mr Jones as his private secretary Mr Jones proved to be an indispensable aid to the organisation and shortly after he was made private secretary to the Chief he was unanimously chosen as official stenographer of the organisation He is liked by all whe know him He Is a gentleman and highly inspected families Washing uw was one of the flm trustees of the colored eehools of the District of Columbia and today there i a school in that olty that bears hl name Mr Jones well deserves the honor conferred him upon He came to this city in the summer of 1892 and immediately began to try to do some thing with short hand He was here sometime before he sucoeeded but being a young man with push pluokand ambition he finally landed and today helds a position in the District Attorneys office of the city and county of New York that no other eoloied man has ever held in the history of the office Thus the United Colored Democracy goes into too campaign of 1800 well armed and equipped to produce results creditable to the organization and bene fioial to the ooloredrace FACT AHD FANCY Lieut Toomey has been dubbed the poet laureate of tbe Seoond Baptist Lyceum Eugene Wilson is preparing to issue a volume of his poetical effuaiong for distribution among his personal friends Senator Mason Is swinging merrily around the colored circuit scattering sunshine and excoviating canned liberty aa impure food The District Commmissloners name Is Macfarland Get onto the spelling and style fellow craftsmen before writing any more about him While the MyBtio Shriners were disporting themBelveB thiB week in festa array and the town was giving them the glad hand the Negro looked on Booker Washington has a strong champion oratoncally and mentally in the person of Mr John Hasbina foreman of The Colored American com posing room Lieut Galther is the tallest employee in the Census Bureau and Mr Samuel Bond is the shortest and it la a remarkable coincidence that both extremes are colored There is soarcely a government employee In town who doesnt have a speoial work outside of hla departmental duties law medicine preaching newspaper music organization private instruction or political manipulation It meanB the expenditure of a lot of energy bet it keeps a fellows faculties on keen edge and the straj dollars materially augment the none-too-liberal salaries received There are a let of biave people in Washington and the North who are continually pouting about what the colored leaders in the South should do and what they should not do etc These men in the eouthland have so quired land are growing crops and many are in business They are for the most part at peace with their white neighbors and have no sympathy with the idle Shiftless risen of their own race who bang around bar rooms oom mid larcenies and other onmee which make statistics that give plausibility to the erltlolsms of the Charles Dudley Warners and the editors of suoh journals as The Atlanta Constitution Tbe men who live in the Booth know what io nest and dont need the gratuitous advice of the smart people who never give a penny to help and who keep their carca sea In safety on this Bide of the Potomac The Delmo Koonce cafe is the flneit can majority of three thousand to six coea irom ome cf the oldest and most tkj aide ptSS City.