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90 THE CRISIS 10,000 people. The meeting was advertised for 8 o'clock, but shortly after half-past seven the detachment of police, detailed to keep order, directed that the doors of the church be closed. Some idea of the throng can be inferred from the fact that when Dr. Holmes, one of the speakers, arrived, and finally pushed his way through to the iron fence surrounding the church, it was necessary to lift him bodily over the fence, so that he might reach a side entrance leading to the auditorium. Because of the size of the crowd the speakers were obliged to deliver their addresses first to the meeting within the church and afterward to an overflow meeting of over 4,000 outside. Mr. Archibald H. Grimke, president of the branch, presided. Judge Wendell Phillips Stafford and ex-Senator Blair spoke briefly. The principal addresses were made by Dr. Walter H. Brooks, of Washington, Dr. John Haynes Holmes, the noted Unitarian minister of New York, and Mr. Villard. Musical selections were artistically given by the Howard University choir. Dr. Holmes made a stirring and powerful address. He said, among other things, that segregation, instead of allaying race prejudice, was really the cause of all the friction, and characterized it as the "new crucifixion." When Mr. Villard arose he received a veritable ovation. He prefaced his address by reading a letter which he had just received from Mr. McAdoo, Secretary of the Treasury, and his personal friend, requesting him not to speak, because in criticising Mr. Wilson's administration "he would be doing injustice to a just man." Mr. Villard said that he had been urged by those in high authority to use his influence to keep the colored people in "cool and just equipoise." "It is beyond me to influence them much in this direction," he said, "but I would not if I could. On the contrary, I shall lose no opportunity to preach the doctrine of peaceful rebellion and revolution against discrimination of every kind." His speech has been given wide publicity in the press and much favorable editorial comment. A writer in the Chicago Tribune, in speaking of it and of the present administration's "officializing of race prejudice," said: "It would be more inspiring to read Mr. Wilson's declaration that we must prove ourselves the Latin-American's friends and champions upon terms of equality and honor if we were not reminded at the same moment by Mr. Villard that Mr. Wilson is countenancing race discrimination in his own country." A collection of about $300 was taken for the work of the National Association. After the meeting the executive committee of the branch appointed a committee of fifty to raise funds, and already $1,200 has been subscribed, to be paid not later than January 1. This committee has expressed itself as favoring an endowment for the association. Other noteworthy meetings against segregation were held by the Northern California branch, by the colored people of New Haven, where Mr. George W. Crawford, one of the directors of the association, made an inspiring speech; and also in Portland, Me., where Dr. Mason addressed a large audience. LEGAL. ON November 1 the association engaged an attorney, Mr. Chapin Brinsmade, to assist the legal committee in carrying on its work. Up to this time this committee, comprising some of the most eminent lawyers in this country, without compensation have handled all legal cases referred to the association. The work has developed so rapidly and has increased so in volume and importance that it has become necessary to have a lawyer at national headquarters who can devote his entire time to this important department under the direction of the legal committee. Mr. Brinsmade graduated from Harvard College with the class of 1907. During his senior year, 1906-1907, he was absent from the university, teaching at the Gunnery School in Washington, Conn., of which his father, John C. Brinsmade, is head master. In the fall of 1907 he returned to Cambridge to enter the law school from which he was graduated in 1910. Since that time he has been practicing law in New York City. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1911. During the years 1911 and 1912 he has been associated with the law firm of Van Wyck & Mygatt, and later with their successors, Wherry & Mygatt, at 40 Wall Street. The chairman of the board of directors wishes to express in this way his apprecia- CHILDREN OF THE SUN 91 tion of the support and good work of those branches which contributed $100 each to enable the association to employ an attorney, and of Bishop John Hurst, of Baltimore, who personally gave $100 for this purpose. The branches which so generously came to the aid of the association are Indianapolis, Washington, Baltimore, Quincy, Tacoma, Topeka and Detroit. Two of our largest branches, Boston and Chicago, which have always been more generous in their contributions to headquarters, were not asked to contribute, nor were the branches which had just been admitted. Especially appreciated was the co-operation of Quincy and Tacoma, which at the time they made their contributions were our smallest branches, numbering not more than twenty members each. MR. VILLARD: After your speech last night I and many others are convinced that you must have a strain of Negro blood, or you would not have come here and made the remarks you did to incite the Negro to worse crimes than have been committed, and the most terrible ones they commit against white women. We cannot walk on the streets of this city now after nightfall, as many of us are compelled to do in coming from our work, without fear that we may be the next victim. Take them to New York and let them associate with your wives and daughters. A crime committed in the North, against a white woman by a Negro, receives only a few lines notice by your Northern papers, but let the same crime be committed in the South——the New York papers especially have a half column. If your blood is tainted, as many here believe, you, of course, will be excused only on that believe. A WASHINGTON WOMAN. Washington, October 28, 1913. CHILDREN OF THE SUN By FENTON JOHNSON I. We are children of the sun, Rising sun! Weaving Southern destiny, Waiting for the mighty hour When our Shiloh shall appear With the flaming sword of right, With the steel of brotherhood, And emboss in crimson die Liberty! Fraternity! II. We are the star-dust folk, Striving folk! Sorrow songs have lulled to rest; Seething passions wrought through wrongs, Led us where the moon rays dip In the night of dull despair, Showed us where the star gleams shine, And the mystic symbols glow—— Liberty! Fraternity! III. We have come through cloud and mist, Mighty men! Dusk has kissed our sleep-born eyes, Reared for us a mystic throne In the splendor of the skies, That shall always be for us, Children of the Nazarene, Children who shall ever sing Liberty! Fraternity!
