When did Julius Caesar Chappelle enter politics?
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In the early 1880s, Hayden helped bring Julius Caesar Chappelle into republican politics. Chappelle was a popular Republican legislator from 1883 to 1886 of Ward 9 that included the Beacon Hill area of Boston, MA. According to the "Boston Daily Globe" obituary of Julius C. Chappelle who died in 1904, when Chappelle lived in the "West End, he attracted the attention of the late Lewis Hayden, who brought him (Julius Caesar Chappelle) into the republican ranks of old ward 9, as a registrar for the colored voters in that ward." Chappelle was very successful in registering voters, and Chappelle later won several elections to the Boston legislature. Chappelle was also an alternate to the Republican National Convention that nominated James G. Blaine, and Chappelle was the only African-American on the Republican Senate Committee. During the Crispus Attucks monument unveiling in 1888, when Hayden could not attend due to frail health, Chappelle was president of the senate and along with others at the event gave homage to Hayden. .
Lewis Hayden
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Julius Caesar Chappelle (1852–1904) was an African-American politician born into slavery in South Carolina. After the American Civil War, he lived for a time with his family in LaVilla, Florida, helping develop the new town. In 1870, he was one of numerous Southern black migrants to Boston, Massachusetts, which had a thriving black community and strong abolitionist history. He later joined the Republican Party that was founded by abolitionists, and Chappelle was elected to two terms in the Massachusetts state legislature, serving 1883-1886. Julius Caesar Chappelle was also the first African-American to serve on the Massachusetts State Senate Committee where he served three terms. Chappelle was active in supporting civil rights, trying to reduce discrimination, and consumer affairs. His speeches were frequently covered by newspapers. Throughout his life and political career, he held secondary supervisory government positions in maintenance, such as at the United States Post Office and US Boston Custom House. Although Julius Caesar Chappelle may have graced the same pages in newspapers as Frederick Douglass, Chappelle is not as well known because he is not known to have left much of a literary footprint such as writing manuscripts or for pamphlets.
Julius Caesar Chappelle
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In the early 1880s, when Chappelle was nominated to the Massachusetts General Court, he was opposed by other African-American candidates. An elected African-American secretary in his own party said that he had been elected by fraud. The charges against Chappelle were proven untrue with a recount of two times. The "New York Globe" wrote in its Boston politics section, "Chappelle will, in the opinion of many white and colored voters, be elected in spite of such mean tricks."
Julius Caesar Chappelle
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Chappelle also served as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago that nominated James G. Blaine. Julius Caesar Chappelle was very loyal to the Republican Party in general, and fully supported African-Americans in Republican politics with helpful speeches and meetings that were sometimes covered by the media.
In 1884, "New York Herald" wrote about Boston politics, "We are now informed by Mr. Grimké, editor of "The Hub", Judge L. Roftin, J.C. Chappelle, Lewis Hayden, J. H. Wolf, and J.J. Smith—all leading citizens of the 'Athens of America'–that the colored vote of Boston is for Blaine."
Julius Caesar Chappelle
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The "Boston Daily Globe" wrote in the 1904 obituary of Chappelle that "Julius Caesar Chappelle was a unique political character in the Republican party of the state. Outside of Lewis Hayden, John J. Smith, and Edward G. Walker, he was one of the best-known colored men in Massachusetts."
Julius Caesar Chappelle
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The Chappelle's were split on the prohibition issue, Lewis Chappelle, Julius C. Chappelle's brother and a prominent construction contractor in Florida, was for prohibition but belonged to a non-politically based anti-alcohol group. Lewis Chappelle's son, music prodigy Pat H. Chappelle known as the "Pioneer of Negro Vaudeville," who owned traveling The Rabbit's Foot Company was also in the theater and saloon business, and would visit his uncle Julius Caesar Chappelle in Boston, Massachusetts. Julius Caesar Chappelle and his constituents, colleagues, and friends took a stand against prohibition.
Julius Caesar Chappelle
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Lewis Hayden helped bring Julius C. Chappelle into the Republican Party and started Chappelle out giving him the task to register people to vote. Chappelle was quite successful at it, and was known for his neat appearance as he also learned the barber's trade when in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The newspapers described Chappelle as having a brisk walk and as being well spoken. Boston's "Sunday Herald" in 1886 described that Chappelle was thought of as an "Adonis" by the African-American community. Getting involved in politics, Chappelle was appointed as an Inspector at Elections. In the early 1880s, he was nominated as the Republican candidate for the state legislature from Ward 9; he defeated the other candidates in this mainly all-white district that included the Beacon Hill area, and was elected to the Massachusetts General Court for two terms from 1883 to 1886. He served three terms on the state committee of the Republican Party, and was in this third term the president of the state committee in Boston, Massachusetts and was the first African-American in this position. He was active in the Massachusetts State House politics of that time. In the state legislature he served on committees for the "Federal relations and engrossed bill," and "Public Land and State House." 'He became one of the early prominent African-American legislators (1883–1886),
Julius Caesar Chappelle
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In the campaigning of 1884-1885, Chappelle narrowly defeated Charles Albert Prince, son of ex-Mayor Prince. In the heated election where Julius C. Chappelle ran against top contender Charles A. Prince for the Massachusetts General Court, "The Boston Daily Globe" reported, "The House committee on elections took up yesterday the petition of Julius C. Chappelle for the seat now held by Charles A. Prince from the ninth Suffolk district." The original count was for 831 votes for Julius C. Chappelle and 800 for that Charles A. Prince. However, a recount was "done in a "hurried manner by the Board of Alderman" and not asked for by Chappelle, and the recount was done supposedly without Chappelle's knowledge or presence, and it that showed 730 votes for Chappelle and 815 votes for Prince. Chappelle afterward upon hearing the recount tally, declared the recount illegal and made a petition stating that votes for him "were given to Prince," that the "board" refused to recount 51 votes for Chappelle that were "effaced" by stickers in the area where "for Representative" was located, and that the original vote tally should remain. The "Boston Daily Globe" watching the political scene reported, "it looks very much as if Chappelle were the evening man." Prince later conceded the election to Chappelle in a letter that was printed in at least one newspaper. Prince stated that the stickers affected both candidates, and Prince no longer wanted the senate seat as it seemed that the sticker issue caused Prince the dismay of not wanting to partake in politics mentioning in his resignation letter that ". . .the stickers for one of the candidates for senator were either so broad or so carelessly pasted upon the ballot that it covered the title of the vote for representative printed beneath thereon. Both Mr. Chappelle and myself were sufferers by reason thereof . . . "
Julius Caesar Chappelle
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In 1892, Julius C. Chappelle expressed concern about the new white Republican Party of Massachusetts as not being as generous as the older white abolitionist Republican Party. His remarks were covered by the "Boston Daily Globe" on January 23, 1892 as Chappelle spoke at his retirement party from the Republican State committee, given at the Young's Hotel (Boston) by his friends. He commented then that the new white Republicans were not generous and were/would under-employ African-Americans as janitors instead of building superintendents or other better positions, and that would not be helpful in African-Americans holding political positions in the future; and, he noted that African-American youth would feel stuck in a rut. During that time period, some politicians held outside positions in addition to their political endeavors for financial safety, and the outside positions they held may have swayed voters, and it was thought by Chappelle that a lower status outside position, such as a janitor, may sway voters not to vote for a candidate.
Julius Caesar Chappelle
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In mid-January 1898, he was falsely accused by an African-American porter of buying stolen shoes, and was in early February 1898 acquitted. His arrest was covered by many newspapers as Chappelle was known as a rising star of the Republican Party. His acquittal was also covered but did not receive as much attention. Afterward, Chappelle continued his speaking engagements. His speeches were featured under headlines until the late 1903.
Julius Caesar Chappelle