African americans and the 1892 Republican National Convention,...
Transcript of African americans and the 1892 Republican National Convention,...
76 Minnesota History
T hroughoutthespringof1892,Minneapolisworkedfeverishlytoprepareforthebiggest,mostspectacu-
lareventinitsshorthistory.Civicleaderswantedtheirboomingmetropolistolookitsverybestsoitwouldshineinthenationalspotlightwhenthecity’sExpositionBuild-inghostedtheRepublicanNationalConventioninJune.Downtownwouldsoonresemblea“mammothpeachor-chardinfullblossom,”theMinneapolis Journalreported,
asbusinessleadersbegandecoratingtheirstorefrontswithcolorfulflagsandbuntingtowelcomethethrongsofconventioneers.“ThepeopleofMinneapolisarenowbeginningtofullyappreciatetheimportanceandmagni-tudeoftheeventforwhichtheylaboredsoindustriously.Theentirepopulaceseemstohavefullyenteredintothespiritoftheoccasion,”theMinneapolis Tribunenoted.1
Republican naTional convenTion, MinneapolisIric Nathanson
African Americans
African Americans
African Americans
and the 1892
Summer 2008 77
African Americans
African Americans
African Americans
Butnoteveryonewascelebratingastheconvention’sopeningdaydrewcloser.Inthecity’ssmallAfricanAmericancommunity,themoodwassomberasmembersparticipatedinanationaldayoffastingandprayeronMay31.Theeventhadbeenorganizedtodrawattentiontotheshamefulatrocitiesinflictedonblackpeople,mainlyintheSouth.Lynch-ingwouldreachitshighpointinAmericain1892,withthereportedmurdersof161AfricanAmericansatthehandsofwhitemobs.2
Thisdisturbingissuewouldinjectitselfintoanotherwisetypicalcon-ventionpreoccupiedwithpoliticalhooplaandfactionalbickering.Themainevent,ballotingforthepresi-dentialnominee,wasscheduledforJune10,thefinaldayoftheweeklongconclave.ManydelegateshadcometoMinneapolissimmeringwithdissatis-factionatthelacklusterperformanceoftheincumbentRepublicanpresi-dent,BenjaminHarrison,andsomewantedtodenyhimnominationforasecondterm.Ablocofanti-HarrisondelegatesralliedaroundSecretaryofStateJamesG.Blaine,whowasconsideredmorecharismaticanddynamic,althoughhehadlostthe1884presidentialelectiontoGroverCleveland.Blaine’snamewasplacedinnominationattheMinneapolisconvention,eventhoughheneveropenlyencouragedthe“dumpHarri-son”movement.Intheend,Harrisoneasilywonrenominationonthefirstballot.HewouldgoontobedefeatedbyClevelandthatfall.
EvenasJimCrowlegislationwastighteningitsholdontheSouth,the116blackdelegatestotheMinneapo-lisconvention—about13percentofthefullbody—stillconsideredthem-selvesplayersinRepublicanPartypolitics,andtheyworkeddiligentlytomaximizetheirpoliticalinfluence.
Thelocalpressreportedregularly,ifcondescendingly,ontheiractivi-ties,intheprocessrevealinghowtheTwinCitiesAfricanAmericancom-munitysupportedthedelegates.Atonepointduringthefive-dayevent,someAfricanAmericanlead-ersbelievedthattheymightbeabletoconstitutethebalanceofpowerbetweencompetingblocs.WhiletheireffortstoorganizeanAfricanAmericanswingvotewereultimatelyunsuccessful,eventheexpectationofpotentialinfluencewouldbecomeunthinkableatlaterconventions,whereAfricanAmericanswereshutoutofthepoliticalprocessentirely.3
o nMay31,Minneapolis’sAfricanAmericancommunityhadgained
publicattentionforthecauseofcivilrightswhenmorethan1,000peoplepackedintothecity’sLaborTempleonSouthFourthStreetforarallytoconcludethenationaldayofprayer.“Itseemedasthoughtheentirecoloredpopulationofthecityhadturnedouttoprotestagainstthecrimesagainstthecoloredpeople
Iric Nathanson is writing a history of Minneapolis in the twentieth century for the Minnesota Historical Society Press. His article, “The Oppenheimer Affair: Red Scare in Minnesota,” appeared in the Spring 2007 issue of Minnesota History.
intheSouth,”theMinneapolis Tri-bunereported.WilliamR.Morris,alocalblackattorneyandcommunityleader,deliveredtheprincipalad-dress.“Formorethanaquarterofacentury,”Morrisdeclaredangrily
thenegroesofthiscountryhave
beenatthemercyofcertainwhite
citizens,who,goadedbyaninsane
desireforbloodandunprovoked
prejudiceandhatred...have
ruthlesslyandopenly,seemingly
withoutfearofGodorman,
slaughtered,butcheredandmur-
deredthem.
Infact,theAmericanpeople
havebecomesoaccustomedto
theseopenviolationsoflawthat
scarcelyapassingnoticeisgiven
them.Thatsuchanoffenseasthe
78 Minnesota History
nestlycalluponalllawabidingciti-
zensthecountryovertoassistusin
oureffortstoputastoptothem.
Aftertherally,anotherlocalpapertookupthecauseofcivilrightsbutnotwithoutanoteofambiguity.InearlyJunetheMinneapolis Timeseditorialized,“Thatincommuni-tieswhereallthemachineryandsafeguardsoflawareinforce,poorcreaturesarehurledtodoomwithnoopportunitytobeheardintheirowndefense,isanoutrageagainstcivilizationandhumanity.”ButtheDemocratic-leaningTimesuseditseditorialmainlytocastigatetheRe-publicanPartyforfeigningsympathyfor“thecoloredman”whiledoinglittletodealwithhisplight.
Whenarepublicanorgancallsfor
politicaljusticeforthecoloredman
itinvitesexposureoftheutterhy-
pocrisyoftheattitudesofitsparty
towardthenegro.Therepublicans
haveforthirtyyearsbeenpetting
andcoddlingthenegroforpolitical
purposes.Theybeganbypromis-
inghim“fortyacresandamule,”a
promiseinconnectionwithwhich
theygraciouslytookchargeofhis
smallsavings,andkeptthemso
wellthat,ignorantandconfident
ashewas,helearnedsomethingof
thelessonthatitcostsdearlytobe
coddled.5
a sthedelegatesandtheirretinuesbeganpouringintothecity’s
UnionStationduringthedayslead-inguptotheconvention,prominentAfricanAmericanpoliticalleadersre-ceivedtheirshareofmediaattention.TheMinneapolis TimesreportedonthearrivalofJohnR.Lynch,aMis-sissippidelegatewhohadbeenchair-manoftheRepublicanconvention
butcheryofcitizensshouldbe
allowedtogounpunished...is
simplyincomprehensible.4
FollowingMorris’saddress,whichtheTribune reprintedinitsentirely,rallygoersadoptednumerousresolu-tions.Oneproclaimed:
WetheAfro-AmericansofMinne-
apolis,inmassmeetingassembled,
joinwithAfro-Americansofthe
UnitedStatesandimploreofthe
president,thehonorablesenate,
ourhonorablerepresentativesin
congresstobothenactandenforce
thelawthatjusticemaybefairly
dealtourbrethrenindistress.
Inviewoftherecentheinous
outragesthathavebeenperpe-
trateduponthenegroesofthe
southernstates,wedomostear-
Thomas Nast cartoon, which covered page one of the Twin Cities’ black newspaper,
June 4, 1892, when convention delegates began arriving
Summer 2008 79
licanNational]committeemenfeltitunwisetoselectabiasedmanforsuchanimportantplace,”theMinne-apolis Tribunereported.7
Theconventionattractedhordesofpoliticaloperativesandhangers-onwholackeddelegatecredentialsbutcametotowntobeapartoftheaction.Theyincludedblackpoliti-cianandeducatorThomasE.Miller,aformerU.S.congressmanfromSouthCarolina,whotoldpoliticalreportersinWashington,D.C.,thathewasgoingtoleadacontingentof700“coloredmen”toMinneapolisto“makethingslively.”8
OneofthemostprominentnondelegatesinMinneapolisdur-ingconventionweekwasthenotedabolitionistFrederickDouglass,whohadcometotowntoparticipateinasuffragerallywithSusanB.Anthony.Douglassreceivedanenthusiasticwelcomewhenhecheckedintothecity’sleadingconventionhotel,theWest,onJune7.“Forseveralhours,hewassurroundedbyagreatcrowdeagertostroketheoldman’shead,”theTribunereportedinaless-thanrespectfultone.“Afterstandingforanhour,heexcusedhimselfforgreetinghisfriendssitting,sayingashetookhisseat,‘Idon’tbelongtotherisinggeneration.’”9
thatnominatedBlaineforpresidentin1884.LynchtoldtheTimesthathethoughtall18delegatesfromMissis-sippiwouldsupporttherenomina-tionofHarrison.Whenasked,“DoyoupredictthatHarrisonwillberenominated?”hereplied,“Idonotpredictthathewillberenominated,butIhopethathewill.”6
Meanwhile,blackRepublicanshopedthatanotherAfricanAmeri-can,JohnM.Langston,aVirginiadelegate,formercongressman,andskilledorator,wouldbenamedtem-porarychairmanoftheMinneapolisconvention.Langstonwaswidelyru-moredtobethefront-runner,butheundercuthisowneffortstogaintheprestigiouspostwhenhedeclaredhisunequivocalsupportforBlaine.InaChicagointerview,theVirginiadel-egatemaintained,“NoonebutBlainewasafriendoftheblackmanintheSouth.”Langston“camesoclosetoabusingHarrisonthatthe[Repub-
DouglasswasnottheonlyAf-ricanAmericantomixfreelywithwhiteconventioneersattheWestHotel,thepoliticalgathering’ssocialcenter.Atonepoint,ablackmanbuttonholedRepublicanNationalCommitteechairmanandBlainesupporter,JamesS.Clarkson,inthelobbyasClarksontriedtomakehiswaytotheExpositionBuilding.ThemanwantedtoknowmoreaboutthestartlingnewsfromWashingtonthatBlainehadsuddenlyresignedhispostasSecretaryofState.“Callupandseemethisafternoon,”thechair-mantoldtheunnamedbutpersistentquestioner.“I’llbehangedifIknow,”Clarksondisingenuouslyconcluded,strugglingtofreehimselfandpro-ceedtotheconvention.10
Mississippi delegate John R. Lynch
Frederick Douglass, about 1885John M. Langston of Virginia:
delegate, former congressman,
and skilled orator
80 Minnesota History
Butracialharmonywasnotthewatchwordallovertownduringcon-ventionweek.AttheNicolletHouseonWashingtonAvenue,a“coloredman”fromLouisianagotinafightwitha“long-hairedlilywhite”fromMississippi,accordingtoareportintheJournal.“ThelatterinformedtheformerthatifhehadhiminMissis-sippihewouldmakehimblackhisbootsortakeadoseofcoldlead.TheLouisiananpromptlyhitthegentle-manfromMississippiasoundingwhackwithacane,andtherewasarow.Forafewmomentsitseemedasifthethingwasgoingtobegeneral,butsomeonepulledthecoloredmanoffandthecrowdsoughtnewexcitement.”
o ntheSundaybeforetheconven-tionopened,blackdelegates
andtheirsupportersgatheredatBethesdaBaptistChurchonSouthEighthStreettodiscussthecrisisfacingAfricanAmericansinthe
southernstates.AndrewHillier,aUniversityofMinnesotagraduateandresidentofWashington,D.C.,chairedthemeeting.HilliertoldthegroupthathewaspleasedtoseeintheaudiencesomanywhitepeoplewhomightnotbefullyfamiliarwithconditionsintheSouth.Hethende-clared,asparaphrasedinthenews-paper:“Therewasonlyonequestiontobeplacedinthe[RepublicanParty]platformtobeformulatedthisweek,whichwouldbeofseriousimporttothecoloredpeopleoftheUnitedStates,andthatwastohavetherightofAmericancitizenshipex-tendedtoallpersons.”11
Theworkoftheconventionbeganinearnestafteropeningday—Mon-day,June6.ManyAfricanAmericandelegatessoongrewincreasinglyun-easyasreportsreachedthemaboutcredentialdisputesbetweenmulti-racialandall-whitedelegationsfromcertainsouthernstates.Theiruneasinessonlyintensifiedwhentheylearnedthatthecredentials
Pomp and circumstance: delegates parading up Nicollet Avenue, 1892
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committeehadresolvedakeydisputebyseatinganall-whiteAlabamadel-egationinplaceofamixeddelega-tionofblacksandwhites.12
“Thereistroublewiththecoloreddelegates,”theMinneapolis Timesreported.“Theyaretalkingthemat-teroveramongthemselvesandthinkthattheyhavethebalanceofpowerinthisconvention....Therewaslotsoftalkaboutthewaythecoloreddelegateswerebeingignoredbytheconvention,andsomethoughtthesentimentwastofreezethemoutentirely.”
TheTimeswentontotellofa“massmeeting”of“Afro-Americansofthenorthwest,”whichdrewupsev-eralresolutionstobesenttothecre-dentialscommitteeprotesting“theseatingofthesocalled‘LilyWhite’republicans”fromAlabama.“Re-solved,thatiftherepublicannationalconventionrecognizesawhiteman’srepublicanparty,itwillmeetwithastrongprotestfrom4,000,000ofAfro-AmericanvotersoftheUnitedStates.”Thearticlethenreportedaboutapossibleconventionwalkoutbyblackdelegates.“Thisrumorwasverifiedbyseveralparties,whosaidthattherewasadangerofsomesuchmove...andthataplanwasonfoottohaveallthecoloreddelegatesuniteonsomeoneman.”
Meanwhile,theMinneapolis JournalcommentedontheleveragethattheAfricanAmericandelegatescouldexertiftheycametogetherinasinglevotingbloc.“The100oddcol-oreddelegatestothe...conventionclearlyholdthebalanceofpower.Iftheyvoteasaunit,theymaybeabletonamethenominee.”13
OnJune8blackdelegatescau-cusedtodeterminethebestcourseofactiontofollowduringtheremainingdaysoftheconvention.“Therewasanundercurrentinfavorofdropping
RussellA.Alger.Butunityprovedtobeelusive,withpriorcommitmentstyingsomedelegatestocandidatesthattheydidnotenthusiasticallysupport.Intheend,theboomletforAlgernevergainedmomentum,andhisnamewasnotputinnomination.
Theblackdelegatesmayhavebeensplitontheircandidateprefer-ences,buttheydidcometogethertoendorseastronglywordedresolutionthattheysubmittedtotheconven-tion’splatformcommittee.Itcalleduponthepartytoguaranteethepro-tectionof“lives,liberty,andrights”ofallcitizens.Inpart,theresolutionread:“TheRepublicanPartyregardstheapparentincreaseoflynchingsofAfro-AmericansintheSouthwithgreatalarm.Lynchlawistheshame,disgraceandhorroroftheciviliza-tionofourcommoncountryandtheRepublicanPartypledgesitselftodoallinitspowertowipethefoulblotfromtheescutcheonofthenation.”
b lackdelegatesleftMinneapolisunsureoftheirfutureroleinthe
RepublicanParty.Theironlysolacewasarathertepidandindirectcon-demnationoflynchingwrittenintothepartyplatform:“Wedenouncethecontinuedinhumanoutragesper-petrateduponAmericancitizensforpoliticalreasonsincertainSouthernStatesoftheUnion.”Buttherewasnofollow-uppledgetoactagainstthese“outrages.”14
Inmanyways,theMinneapolisconventionwasaforeshadowingofevenmoredifficultdaysaheadforAfricanAmericans,astheirrighttovotewassystematicallystrippedawayallovertheSouth.Theywouldneedtowaitforgenerations—wellintothenextcentury—beforecorrec-tiveactionwastakentorestorethoserights. a
bothBlaineandHarrison,”theJour-nalreported.Somecaucusattendeesurgedtheirfellowblackdelegatestocoalescearoundadark-horsecan-didate,formerMichiganGovernor
Keepsake ribbon from
Pillsbury Company
82 Minnesota History
Notes1.Minneapolis Journal,June2,1892,
p.4;Minneapolis Tribune,June4,1892,p.1.Ontheconvention,seeIricNathanson,“‘Theballothasbeenfoughtandwon’:The1892RepublicanConvention,”Hennepin History65(Fall2006):16–29.
2.Forlynchings,seeLibraryofCon-gress,TimeLineofAfricanAmericanHis-tory,1881–1900:http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aap/timelin2.html(accessedMar.31,2008).In1885theMinnesotacensuscounted673blacksinMinneapolisandSt.Anthony.Theirnumbersdoubledby1895;DavidV.Taylor,African Americans in Min-nesota(St.Paul:MinnesotaHistoricalSoci-etyPress,2002),17.
3.NoAfricanAmericanswereincludedinMinnesota’sdelegation,despitethebesteffortsoflocalblackstosecureaslotforFredrickL.McGhee,aprominentSt.PaulattorneyandmemberofthestateRepubli-canCentralCommittee.StateRepublicanleadersinsteadappointedhimanat-largepresidentialelector,denyinghimaroleinshapingpolicybutauthorizinghimtocastoneofthestate’selectoralvotesinNovem-ber.EventhathonorwasrescindedafterafirestormofprotestfromScandinavianRe-publicans,whocomplainedthattheirlargeethniccommunitywasdeniedrepresenta-tion.ASwedishAmericanwasappointedinhisplace.SeePaulD.Nelson,Fredrick L. McGhee, A Life on the Color Line, 1861–1912
(St.Paul:MinnesotaHistoricalSocietyPress,2002),35–36.
4.Hereandbelow,Minneapolis Tri-bune,June1,1892,p.5.The Appeal,theTwinCities’AfricanAmericanweeklynews-paper,reportedontheeventinbothcities;seeJune4,1892,p.5,8.
5.Minneapolis Times,June2,1892,p.4.6.Minneapolis Times,June4,1892,p.2.7.Minneapolis Tribune,June4,1892,
p.1,quotingJamesS.Clarkson,chairmanoftheRepublicanNationalCommittee,assayingthatLangstonwas“probablythebesttalkerwewillhave.”Atemporarychairactsuntilacommittee,assembledattheconven-tion,choosesapermanentchair.J.SloatFassettofNewYorkwasnamedtemporarychair;OhiogovernorWilliamMcKinleytookthepermanentpost.
8.Minneapolis Journal,June2,1892,p.7.FormoreonMiller,seeAfricanAmericanVoicesinCongress,www.avoiceonline.org/cbc/bios19th.html(accessedMar.4,2008).
9.Minneapolis Tribune,June8,1892,p.7.
10.Hereandbelow,Minneapolis Jour-nal,June8,1892,p.6.
11.Minneapolis Tribune,June6,1892,p.5.
12.Hereandtwoparagraphsbelow,Minneapolis Times,June10,1892,p.3.
13.Hereandtwoparagraphsbelow,Minneapolis Journal,June9,1892,p.2.
HarrisonretainedsignificantsupportinMinnesota’sAfricanAmericancommunity.The Appealeditorializedthathehad“ablyandsatisfactorilyperformedhisduties”;June4,1892,p.2.
14.The1892DemocraticPartyplatform,adoptedlaterthatyearinChicago,madenoreferencetoracialatrocitiesintheSouth.Rather,itmaintainedthatracialantago-nismsintheUnitedStateshad“happilyabated.”Forbothpartyplatforms,seeAmericanPresidencyProject,www.presi-dency.ucsb.edu/platforms.psp(accessedMar.6,2008).
ForadiscussionoftheRepublicanPartyanditsambivalentattitudestowardAfricanAmericansduringthelaternineteenthcen-tury,seeStanleyP.Hirshson,Farewell to the Bloody Shirt: Northern Republicans and the Southern Negro, 1877–1893(Bloomington:IndianaUniversityPress,1962);JoelWil-liamson,The Crucible of Race: Black-White Relations in the American South since Emancipation(NewYork:OxfordUniver-sityPress,1984);J.MorganKousser,The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Re-striction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880–1910(NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress,1974);VincentP.DeSan-tis,Republicans Face the Southern Ques-tion—The New Departure Years, 1877–1897(Baltimore:JohnsHopkinsUniversityPress,1959).
Conventioneers inside Exposition Hall, from TheAppeal, June 11, 1892
All illustrations are from MHS collections. Object photography by Eric Mortenson/MHS.
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