Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-05-29
William T. Vernon, Regis ter Of the United States
 Treasury, To Speak.
AT THE ELKS THEATER
To Appear at Commencement Exer- cises of Branch Normal College
 Whites Welcomed.

To the Public:
 The Register of the Treasury Of the United States, Hon. Wm. T. Vernon of Washington, D. C., is to be here on next Tuesday, May 31, at 2:30 o'clock D. m. to deliver the commencement address for the Branch Normal Col lege in the Elks Theater
 When I found that the school could not bear all the expenses necessary to bring this speaker to Pine Bluff, l went out upon the streets and asked citizens to give me the additional funds. These I secured without the slightest trouble; and as a result. We have been able to secure the Elks Theater for our Exercises, and will be in position to admit all persons, to the capacity of the building, ab- solutely free of charge.
 From the time that the announce ment of MT. Vernons coming was made until now, members of both races have been continually expres- sing to me desire to hear him speak; and, so, when funds were sol icited. I did not recognize any color distinctions, but asked anyone whom I thought. would contribute. This laid upon me, in the spirit of fair ness, the necessity of providing ac- commodations for both races in a way that would not produce any friction between them. 1 felt that the theater was the best place here for that purpose.
 It is highly important to the best good of the colored people that our white friends get chance to know the higher as we'll as the lower side of the negro-the splendid type of black citizens as we'll as the one which fills the jails; and I am asking them to join with my own people in listening to Mir. Vernon.
 I want our colored citizens to hear him because of the inspiration to be received.
 In securing the theater. I accepted the customs of the building and the city in which we live and have agreed to leave the first floor for the whites as is always done, and reserve the two upper floors for my own people. I believe the wisdom of this course will be seen by every conservative person-by all who are trying to look beyond the petty annoyances of today to a greater good which we hope will come in future days. No thoughtful citizen will wish me eith- CT to violate, while I live here, the laws and customs of the place or to be willing that both of the races shall not have an equal opportunity to hear this negro who holds so honor able position. Tn the gain or loss of one race, all the rest have equal claim
 And I want whites and blacks to bear in mind that every time the two races come together in peace we take one more step toward that gen. eral good understanding in the south which must come before either race can be true to it's highest self. And if all of us will persevere in having these peace and goodwill meetings, some fine day we will awake and find that we have forgotten what it was that made us hate each other and work at cross purposes through so many sad and gloomy years.
 With these thoughts uppermost in my mind, I am calling upon all big hearted citizens and their families of Doth and all races to pack the Elks Theater when Mr. Vernon comes to Pine Bluff so that he may see and be able to bear testimony to the splen- did relations which, though appar- ently threatened, still largely exist in this city between the two races.
 His honor Judge A. B. Grace has agreed to adjourn the circuit court out of respect to Mir. Vernon's com- ing and so that members of the bar may attend the exercises. Chancel- Tor John M. Elliott will do the same in the case of the chancery court.
 All persons will enter the Theater at the front door where student ush- CTS will be in attendance.
 ISAAC FISHER,
 Principal Branch Normal College WANYyrUn ryvprvpTEv,NIn CENyTI n, ,