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

Summer 2008 81

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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