Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-03
Platform IL Adopted.


The resolution was referred to a special
committee of the platform adopted, saying
in part:
w denounce the unprinclpled and ever
growing oppression OF our 1900 900 colored
fellow citizens as the greatest menace that
threatens the country. Plundered Of their
Just share of the public funds, robbed Of
all part in the government, often muir
dered with. impunity and invariably treated
with open contempt by the highest Off
Gals in some state, they are kept in
slavery to the white community. Tit sys-
tematic persecution of law abiding citizens,
and their Observation-Disclosures owing to the
race alone, is a serious crime that will
ultimately drag down to an infamous end
any community that allows it to be prac-
ticed; bearing first of all most heavily on
the poor white farmers and laborers,
who's economic position Is most similar
to that of the prosecuted race.
9TH nearest nope lies in the immediate
and patiently continued enlightenment Of
those elements of the common people that
have been invelgled into the campaign of
oppression. spoils of persecution will not
and cannot fall into the hands of the
poorer classes. on the contrary, peon-
age ENHANCEMENT VI pilSOHSiss PSiSSSN'S'
OF trade unlonists, the unjust and anti
quated poll tax and even Acknowledgement
are already the portion OF large bodies OF
whites in many southern states"
Two Additional Resolutions.
In addition TO the platform two resolu-
lions were adopted. One reads:
we demand for the negroes, and all 9TH
ers, a free and complete education, whether
by city, state or nation, a grammar school
and industrial training for all, and tech
nical, professional and academic educa-
tion for the more gifted"
The other on Industrial discrimination
says, in effect. that there is a conspiracy,
both north and south, to deny the black
man the right to work.
The current strike I'm Georgia" 1t says,
lis not merely a demand that the negro
be displaced, but that proven and efficient
men be made TO surrender their long
followed means of livelihood to new com
petitors."
The eport Of the committee on perma-
nent organization was adopted, providing
for the creation Of a permanent body to
strike for the negroes rights.
Three Thousand Lynched.
That s,2S4 men, women and children
have been lynched in this country in
the last quarter of a century was
the-assertion of Mrs. Ida Wells Bar
nett at the National Negro conference
in this city today. Asking why this was
permitted by a Christian nation. Mrs. Bar
nett quoted John Temple Graves as saying
that the mob stands as the most potential
bulwark between the women OF the south
and such a carnival of crime as would
precipitate the humiliation OF the negro
race. All know this is untrue, Mrs. Bar
nett said.
The iynching record she added. dis
closes the hypocrisy OF the lynchers."
Describing the riots at Springfield, Ill,
Mrs Barnett said II was all because a
white woman said that a negro man had
criminally assaulted her. Later, Mrs. Bar
nett said, the woman published a retrao-
ton but the lyRched victims were dead.
Mrs. Barnett. who has spent several
years In the investigation OF lynehing
through the south and west brought a pro-
posal to the conference that IL maintain a