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1891
COLORED MEN COUNSEL.
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A RED HOT MEETING
HELD
LAST NIGHT
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To Form a Cemetery
Associa-
tion--Proceedings
in Full.
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The colored people held a meeting in the
city judge's court room last night which was very largely attended.
The meeting was for the purpose of organizing a club to raise
funds to build a fence around and purchase more ground for the
colored people's cemetery.
The meeting was called to order by S.
P. Pittman, who stated its object. He said that Dallas darkies
had the reputation abroad of being well up in the world financially,
but that delusion would be expelled from the minds of visiting
darkies by the cemetery, if it was not fixed up.
When the speaker took his seat, a temporary
chairman and secretary were elected, and a committee on organization,
consisting of Messrs. Pittman, Thompson, and Moore, was appointed.
Rev. Holloway said that it was an historic
fact that no race of people, who did not respect their dead,
ever amounted to anything.
Melvin Wade said that in the cemetery,
it looked as if the dead people had been hauled out on the cars,
pitched off, and covered up just anywhere, and in any position
that they struck the ground. He said that it is customary for
the dead to be laid away with their heads to the west, but in
this cemetery, headstones faced every point of the compass.
Melvin's remarks were followed by the
report of the organization committee, as follows: We recommend
that the organization be named "The Dallas Citizens' Club,"
who shall have in view, the fencing of the colored cemetery.
We recommend George Fuqua as permanent chairman, and M. C. Cooper
as secretary. The report was adopted.
After much speaking, Mr. Sims was elected
treasurer, and will be required to give bond.
A motion was made and adopted that all
present enroll their names.
A motion was adopted that a committee
on rules and by-laws be appointed, and the president appointed
the following gentlemen on the committee: Messrs. Ray, Starks,
Lowry, Moore, Pittman, Wiggins & McLin.
Rev. Carson arose and asked the chair
where he got that committee.
The chairman replied that he took them
from the pool of members.
Rev. Carson told the chairman that he
had not done any such thing; that he had been watching him, that
the list was furnished him, that the thing had been cut and dried,
that if the chairman wanted to make a success out of that thing,
all the churches must be represented, and lastly, but not leastly,
that if that meeting was not conducted on the square, Rome was
going to howl, and things were going to happen.
Melvin Wade hinted slightly that it was
not anybody's business where the chair got the names.
Rev. Carson wanted the house to elect
the committee.
Melvin Wade desired to know if the man,
Carson, who kept his head going so regularly, was a citizen of
this county, or not.
Rev. Carson hinted back that it was none
of Melvin's business. He said in plain United States, that he
was tired of Melvin Wade running everything.
About this time, Melvin and the parson
got sulphur and saltpeter in their voices and gave it to each
other, straight from the shoulder. The discussion finally reached
a point where forbearance ceases to be a virtue, for Melvin remarked
that the parson ought to be fired bodily out of the house. The
parson said that he would like to see the color of the man's
hair that could put him out of the house. Things were reaching
the "razzer" point and the house arose as one man in
wild confusion. Several darkies began shooting -- shooting out
the door into the night, and breathed the pure free air of heaven
once more with delight. Finally, everything quieted down, and
an old darky named Johnson addressed the meeting. He said that
the meeting was called to improve their cemetery, and here they
were on the verge of a pitched battle. He remarked that it had
been said that negroes did not make good soldiers, because every
man wanted to be captain.
After some further discussion, and a
contribution of $5 from Pat O'Keefe, the meeting adjourned sine
die.
- March 7, 1891, Dallas Daily
Times Herald, p. 3, col. 1.
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