A Threatened Disruption: Serious Factional Fight Among Our Colored Citizens, Political Schemes Alleged.
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Title
A Threatened Disruption: Serious Factional Fight Among Our Colored Citizens, Political Schemes Alleged.
Source
California Digital Newspaper Collection
Publisher
Daily Alta California
Date
1889-12-23
Scripto
Transcription
[PAGE 01]
A THREATENED DISRUPTION.
Serious Factional Fight Among Our Colored Citizens.
POLITICAL SCHEMES ALLEGED.
The California Protective League Denounces With Fierce Wrath the Alameda League Leaders.
[PAGE 02]
The colored man in politics here appears to be, in certain directions, quite as troublesome a factor as is the case in other sections of the country. Just at the present our colored citizens are much interested in measures for the amelioration of the condition of the negro in some of the Southern States. Not long since, with this worthy object in view, a convention was held which resulted in the organization of the California Protective League, which contemplated establishing branches in every city and town in the State for the purpose of raising funds and keeping alive the general agitation of the negro question. All went well for awhile, but now trouble has arisen and the league is threatened with disruption. There is dissension in the ranks which it is deemed can be allayed only by heroic measures. The first gun of the campaign has been fired. The missile is hot shot in the shape of a pronunciamento [unclear]amento[/unclear] which should cause widespread havoc in the camp of the opposition. It is as follows:
[PAGE 03]
HEADQUARTERS CALIFORNIA PROTECTIVE LEAGUE, No. 821 JACKSON STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., Dec. 16, 1889.
According to every moral and religious injunction we are enjoined to speak the truth. As a consequence we are constrained to brand as untrue each and every word of the call for a State convention of colored men, as published in the columns of the San Francisco Elevator, a patent back, misrepresentative sheet, and purporting to emanate from the "Alameda County Protective Union League, No. 1," and signed by J. B. Wilson as chairman and J. A. Wild, secretary. And particularly do we call your attention to the fact that at a conference of the Executive Committees of the San Francisco and Oakland leagues Mr. J. B. Wilson strenuously opposed the calling of a State convention at all, so sure was he that a State convention would be a failure. But after persuasive argument by the San Francisco committee it was unanimously decided to issue a call to the colored people of this State, to meet in convention, in San Francisco committee it wasunanimously decided to issue a call to the colored people of this State, to meet in convention, in San Francisco, on the third Tuesday in February, 1890, Wilson voting with us to that end. This date was fixed upon with the hope that by that time the people of our State would be organized and fully acquainted with the reasons that had prompted us to call them together in convention, and be fully educated up to the needs of our race in California, as well as we are concerning the urgent demands of our race in the Southern States. And for this purpose alone was it thought best to defer the State convention to so late a date as the third Tuesday in February, 1890. The joint committee, however, decided ( (Wilson voting with us) that should a national convention be called before the convening of the State convention--to - to wit, the third Tuesday in February--then - then the same should be changed and a call be made to meet sooner, in order that we might have the opportunity of sending [unclear]dele[/unclear]
[PAGE 04]
gates to said national convention, thus giving the people of California a chance to be properly represented. By certain would-be "leaders," headed by J. B. Wilson, Walter Edmonds, J.A. A. Wild and W. F. Delany, without giving the joint committee an opportunity to carry out the plans as originally adopted for the benefit of the whole people, but with an endeavor to foist themselves upon the public, have, in an unauthorized way and clandestine manner, through the medium of the Elevator, the personal organ of this same J. B. Wilson, endeavored to negative the will of the people of San Francisco and Oakland. After working in apparent harmony with the committees of both cities, acquiescing in all that was done, they, in a private, star-chamber manner, issued a call for a State convention, against the will and wishes of the people. And to the end that our people shall not be imposed upon by these self-aggrandizing tricksters, whose every word and act gives evidence of their determination to rule or ruin, do we call upon every honest and respectable citizen of the State of California to completely ignore them in their intrigue to give themselves political prestige at the expense of the colored voters of this State. Therefore the people of San Francisco, in league represented, deem it their duty, for the advancement of the cause and for the unification of the race, to inform the public that said call for a convention of the colored men, to be held in the city of Oakland on the 15th of January, 1890, is a fraud. The call was not authorized by any responsible man or set of men, but is intended to promote the interests of two or three pertinacious politicians, wholly without principle, and especially J. B. Wilson. We desire further to say that the statement in the Elevator of December 7th that the call for a State convention was unanimously ratified at a meeting of the Alameda league, held December 6th, is unqualifiedly false. In fact,
[PAGE 05]
but eleven people were at the meeting referred to, and of these the majority left, disgusted with the high-handed chicanery and mendacious rottenness of Wilson and Edmonds, superinduced by the exquisite ignorance of Wild and Delany, before the vote was taken. We desire further to call the public's attention to the fraud attempted to be perpetrated upon them by the Wilson, Edmonds & Co. The call issued by these would-be leaders states that it is the wish of the State convention. to be held in the city of Oakland, January 15, 1890, to elect and send delegates to a national convention, to be held in the month of February, 1890, in the city of Washington, D. D.C., when, in fact, a national convention of representative colored men will be held at Chicago on the 15th day of January, 1890, the same day the bogus convention will be held in Oakland. This of itself is sufficient to show the bold attempt these self-constituted moguls have made to hoodwink the people. The so-called convention to be held in the city of Washington is a rump concern, called by two broken-down politicians, a disappointed colored office seeker - Perry Carson - and fostered by William Pitt Kellogg, formerly carpetbag Governor of Louisiana, but new nothing and of nowhere, but endeavoring to use the colored man as a derrick to hoist himself into some fat office, and thus redeem his shattered fortune and unsavory reputation. Such colored men of the Wilson stamp, with not even ordinary common sense, styling themselves "leaders," are a detriment to the race. The time has come in the history of the colored citizens of California when they must positively rebel against being sold by political tricksters. We must rise above mere party politics. The present and future prosperity of the race is at stake, and we would be recreant to ourselves and posterity should we allow ignorant and self self-aggrandizing political charlatans to barter away our rights. California must come to the front in
[PAGE 06]
intelligence. There is no better time to begin than now. Therefore, we call upon every right-thinking man of the race to assist in the most effective manner in burying in oblivion these men who, by fraud, issued the unauthorized call for a State convention, thus sowing the seed of discord in the midst of our people. Whenever the citizens of California are ready to empower a "leader" to voice their sentiments, they will select one with at least a moderate amount of brains and a slight acquaintance with honesty. We also desire to impress upon our people the necessity of organizing protective leagues in every city, town, village and hamlet in this State, for the purpose of promoting the interest of our race, in urging our representatives in Congress to adopt proper election laws, and give earnest attention to appropriations for purposes of education; also, to repress unjust discrimination on common carriers. In the meantime, we recommend that there be no State convention until the different counties in the State be thoroughly organized; and to this end we ask the race in the interior of the State to open communication with us, that by this means all the people of the State may have voice in set-
[PAGE 07]
ting the time for holding a State convention. Though we may not be able, owing to the causes mentioned above, to send delegates to the national convention to be held at Chicago on the 15th day of January, 1890, nevertheless the people of California send to the honorable national assemblage their most ardent their most ardent wishes for their success. Respectfully submitted, for the success of the race, by order of the Executive Committee.
A. A. COLLINS, President California Protective League No. 1. FRANK W. JACKSON, Secretary.
A THREATENED DISRUPTION.
Serious Factional Fight Among Our Colored Citizens.
POLITICAL SCHEMES ALLEGED.
The California Protective League Denounces With Fierce Wrath the Alameda League Leaders.
[PAGE 02]
The colored man in politics here appears to be, in certain directions, quite as troublesome a factor as is the case in other sections of the country. Just at the present our colored citizens are much interested in measures for the amelioration of the condition of the negro in some of the Southern States. Not long since, with this worthy object in view, a convention was held which resulted in the organization of the California Protective League, which contemplated establishing branches in every city and town in the State for the purpose of raising funds and keeping alive the general agitation of the negro question. All went well for awhile, but now trouble has arisen and the league is threatened with disruption. There is dissension in the ranks which it is deemed can be allayed only by heroic measures. The first gun of the campaign has been fired. The missile is hot shot in the shape of a pronunciamento [unclear]amento[/unclear] which should cause widespread havoc in the camp of the opposition. It is as follows:
[PAGE 03]
HEADQUARTERS CALIFORNIA PROTECTIVE LEAGUE, No. 821 JACKSON STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., Dec. 16, 1889.
According to every moral and religious injunction we are enjoined to speak the truth. As a consequence we are constrained to brand as untrue each and every word of the call for a State convention of colored men, as published in the columns of the San Francisco Elevator, a patent back, misrepresentative sheet, and purporting to emanate from the "Alameda County Protective Union League, No. 1," and signed by J. B. Wilson as chairman and J. A. Wild, secretary. And particularly do we call your attention to the fact that at a conference of the Executive Committees of the San Francisco and Oakland leagues Mr. J. B. Wilson strenuously opposed the calling of a State convention at all, so sure was he that a State convention would be a failure. But after persuasive argument by the San Francisco committee it was unanimously decided to issue a call to the colored people of this State, to meet in convention, in San Francisco committee it wasunanimously decided to issue a call to the colored people of this State, to meet in convention, in San Francisco, on the third Tuesday in February, 1890, Wilson voting with us to that end. This date was fixed upon with the hope that by that time the people of our State would be organized and fully acquainted with the reasons that had prompted us to call them together in convention, and be fully educated up to the needs of our race in California, as well as we are concerning the urgent demands of our race in the Southern States. And for this purpose alone was it thought best to defer the State convention to so late a date as the third Tuesday in February, 1890. The joint committee, however, decided ( (Wilson voting with us) that should a national convention be called before the convening of the State convention--to - to wit, the third Tuesday in February--then - then the same should be changed and a call be made to meet sooner, in order that we might have the opportunity of sending [unclear]dele[/unclear]
[PAGE 04]
gates to said national convention, thus giving the people of California a chance to be properly represented. By certain would-be "leaders," headed by J. B. Wilson, Walter Edmonds, J.A. A. Wild and W. F. Delany, without giving the joint committee an opportunity to carry out the plans as originally adopted for the benefit of the whole people, but with an endeavor to foist themselves upon the public, have, in an unauthorized way and clandestine manner, through the medium of the Elevator, the personal organ of this same J. B. Wilson, endeavored to negative the will of the people of San Francisco and Oakland. After working in apparent harmony with the committees of both cities, acquiescing in all that was done, they, in a private, star-chamber manner, issued a call for a State convention, against the will and wishes of the people. And to the end that our people shall not be imposed upon by these self-aggrandizing tricksters, whose every word and act gives evidence of their determination to rule or ruin, do we call upon every honest and respectable citizen of the State of California to completely ignore them in their intrigue to give themselves political prestige at the expense of the colored voters of this State. Therefore the people of San Francisco, in league represented, deem it their duty, for the advancement of the cause and for the unification of the race, to inform the public that said call for a convention of the colored men, to be held in the city of Oakland on the 15th of January, 1890, is a fraud. The call was not authorized by any responsible man or set of men, but is intended to promote the interests of two or three pertinacious politicians, wholly without principle, and especially J. B. Wilson. We desire further to say that the statement in the Elevator of December 7th that the call for a State convention was unanimously ratified at a meeting of the Alameda league, held December 6th, is unqualifiedly false. In fact,
[PAGE 05]
but eleven people were at the meeting referred to, and of these the majority left, disgusted with the high-handed chicanery and mendacious rottenness of Wilson and Edmonds, superinduced by the exquisite ignorance of Wild and Delany, before the vote was taken. We desire further to call the public's attention to the fraud attempted to be perpetrated upon them by the Wilson, Edmonds & Co. The call issued by these would-be leaders states that it is the wish of the State convention. to be held in the city of Oakland, January 15, 1890, to elect and send delegates to a national convention, to be held in the month of February, 1890, in the city of Washington, D. D.C., when, in fact, a national convention of representative colored men will be held at Chicago on the 15th day of January, 1890, the same day the bogus convention will be held in Oakland. This of itself is sufficient to show the bold attempt these self-constituted moguls have made to hoodwink the people. The so-called convention to be held in the city of Washington is a rump concern, called by two broken-down politicians, a disappointed colored office seeker - Perry Carson - and fostered by William Pitt Kellogg, formerly carpetbag Governor of Louisiana, but new nothing and of nowhere, but endeavoring to use the colored man as a derrick to hoist himself into some fat office, and thus redeem his shattered fortune and unsavory reputation. Such colored men of the Wilson stamp, with not even ordinary common sense, styling themselves "leaders," are a detriment to the race. The time has come in the history of the colored citizens of California when they must positively rebel against being sold by political tricksters. We must rise above mere party politics. The present and future prosperity of the race is at stake, and we would be recreant to ourselves and posterity should we allow ignorant and self self-aggrandizing political charlatans to barter away our rights. California must come to the front in
[PAGE 06]
intelligence. There is no better time to begin than now. Therefore, we call upon every right-thinking man of the race to assist in the most effective manner in burying in oblivion these men who, by fraud, issued the unauthorized call for a State convention, thus sowing the seed of discord in the midst of our people. Whenever the citizens of California are ready to empower a "leader" to voice their sentiments, they will select one with at least a moderate amount of brains and a slight acquaintance with honesty. We also desire to impress upon our people the necessity of organizing protective leagues in every city, town, village and hamlet in this State, for the purpose of promoting the interest of our race, in urging our representatives in Congress to adopt proper election laws, and give earnest attention to appropriations for purposes of education; also, to repress unjust discrimination on common carriers. In the meantime, we recommend that there be no State convention until the different counties in the State be thoroughly organized; and to this end we ask the race in the interior of the State to open communication with us, that by this means all the people of the State may have voice in set-
[PAGE 07]
ting the time for holding a State convention. Though we may not be able, owing to the causes mentioned above, to send delegates to the national convention to be held at Chicago on the 15th day of January, 1890, nevertheless the people of California send to the honorable national assemblage their most ardent their most ardent wishes for their success. Respectfully submitted, for the success of the race, by order of the Executive Committee.
A. A. COLLINS, President California Protective League No. 1. FRANK W. JACKSON, Secretary.
Convention Minutes Item Type Metadata
Convention Type
State Convention
City
Oakland
State
CA
Country
USA
Start Date
1890-01-15
End Date
1890-01-16
Provenance
University of California, Riverside
Event ID
1890.CA-01.15.OAKL
Citation
Collins, A.A.; Jackson, Frank W., “A Threatened Disruption: Serious Factional Fight Among Our Colored Citizens, Political Schemes Alleged.,” Colored Conventions Project Digital Records, accessed October 22, 2026, https://omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/1905.