The Washington bee., 1912-03-23
ANSNERSHISCR|T|CS
HENRY LINCOLN JOHNSON.
ot Atlanta, Talking to a Representa-.
tive OF The Bee Concerning a Re.
cent Editorial Statement in the
New York Age, Eaid:

The New York Age editorial Of
f.5Fuary 20, 1912, purpOsely puts
5dS IN my mouth that I have never
>.fid, IT gave wings to an alleged SEN
lment that l have never entertained
ana nobody knows this better than
MI Fortune, the editorial writer for
the Age. 1t Is no excuse for Mr.
Fortune TO say that he quoted the
Atlanta Constitution in aging what
he did touching me. for Nj. Fortune
Is quite aware Of the fact hat the
Constitution would very quickly
make report of a colored mans
talk such as they thought he ought
TO make, and not such as he actually
made. What | did say in the part
OF my address to which this mis-
statement of the Age refers, was
about as this: I was addressing very
large COnvention of both white and
colored delegates and a large number
OF white and colored spectators. 2
splendid audience, at the Orpheum
Iheater. had observed that the
primary mission of the Republican
party was one of emancipation. and
that they had accomplished bodily
emancipation of Negroes under the
final decree signed by Mr. Lincoln in.
his Emancipation Proclamation. that
the Republican party in Georgia must
now address itself to the emancipa-
ton of the white people in Georgia
from their ineXorable mental and
moral bondage; rhat Providence had
especially, and mttnidcentIy endowed
the State Of Georgia with those nat
ural resources, the development oil
which would be best subserved under
the economic policies advocated by
the Republican party and resisted bv
the Democratic party, and if the white
people OF Georgia were not absolute
slaves IN mind and morals. the State
would be more safely Republican
than Vermont or New Hampshire.
he tact that fourteen Negroes, and
among them one woman, had been
lynChed IN our native State in the
last nine months was proof positive
OF the mental and moral thraldOm Of
the white people in Georgia who con
troll the State, and that its only hope
tor dlsenthTalment Law in the benef- |
cent policies and spirit of the Repub-
hcan party, manifested under its laws
and IN their orderly execution; that |
office holding, as a recent Democratic !
paper had alleged, was not response |
bic tor any Of these outbreaks; that |
the matter of Office holding, IS not the |
aim and destiny of any great party |
and should not be; its principles are /
the main things and office holding in !
CIdental; measure well my words, ! |
would this day gladly exchange every |
little subordinate. bowlegged, NANCY /
Job held by Negroes in Georgia un-
der any form ofGOvernment, if in ex-
change therefor we could secure the
absolute and unequivoCal courthouse
rights for Negroes in every county
III our State; for IN that even every
poor black man would be on the pay
roll. the payroll Of the common
wealth"
Now these are the sentences over
which the Age and Constitution have
gone wild in theff broad misrepresen-
TatlOns. Neither one has done the
to try and ascertain at first
hand the truth about If, but prefer to
do Just what they have, to wit. mis-
Tie Constitution of GeOr-
gia and the Age of New York are
both alike in one respect, they seem |
for some reason or other to forever |
oppose me An afirmance Of the /
Decalogue on my part would can