The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-15
DIXON REPLIES TO
THE CRITICISM Of
LOCAL NEGRO CLUB
Author Challenges Them
to Show Single Historical
lnaccuracy in Book
Complained OF
70 the Editor of The Age-Herald:

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
fermt me word IN reply to the at
tack or the Birmingham negroes on my
BOOKS and play. 1t is certainly an amaz-
Ing comment on the progress of our civ
ilization that an organization of negroes
snould boldly attempt TO deny to a south
ern white man freedom of speech on the
history of the south, and this, too, in the
great state where so years ago jefferson
Davis stood and took the oath as Presi-
dent of the Confederacy! The Leopard $
spots need no defense of its historical
accuracy at this late day from it's au-
thor Its truths have turned their way
into the hearts of millions doing the pa st
decade. This book has been translated
into three foreign languages. and ha
been read by more than 15ooc,OoO people. 1t
vas the first book in the English tongue
which gave to the modern world the pit
ifu, record of the living death our fathers
ard mothers suffered in the dark DAYS
from 1865 to 1876.
wrote 1t as an answer to "UneIe Tom s
Cabin" and through it have given the
white race of the south q voice in the
forum of humanity which 10 vulgar SLAM
der or vapid assertion of negro insolence
can even suppress.
This book was not written to stir the
prejudice against the negro 1t was writ
ten to vindicate the honor and the man.
hcod OF the white south. It was written
10 teach the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth about the darkest
days that God ever sent to a conquered
heartsick but brave and indomitable peo-
pie. Until the youth of today know and
understand the lessons of the period of re-
construction, both north and south, there
can be no salvation for either race.
have in my possession sworn testimony
to prove every incident in my book and
play. These things not only happened in
oar history, but 100 more too hideous to
bear the light of print, which no author
caa ever dare to tell
challenge these negro critics to put
their finger on a single line of "rhe
Leopard's Spots which cannot be sub
stantiated by the facts of history, both
IN North Carolina, my native state and
the state of Alabama. Their slanderous
resolutions declare:
This The Leopards Spots does. by
painting pictures wholly at variance with
the facts of history and presenting scenes
tnat have never occurred in southern life.
and never will.''
| dare these negroes 20 make good on
tbs falsehood. The book is open before
them. 1t can be had ut any book store
IN America-even Boston has not yet sup
pressed it. If they can find in 1t a single
picture wholly at variance With" SOUTH
ern history or a single historical scene
(which never occurred, L will withdraw
a1nt limit, r-tl
the plates and suppress the book I'll go
further-in case they discover one his
torical error in 1t, / agree to contribute
$500 to the most infamous negro social
club in America as an act of penance, in
addition to suppressing the book. This
negro club is located in Chicago, and no
black man is allowed to join unless he
can show that he has been legally mar
rie1 to a white woman! This club has
existed in Chicago for years, and is daily
growing in numbers and power.
The negro who lives in Alabama today
does not dare to make love to white
woman. But he gets on the train and in
80 hours he is in New York, where he
meets and marres her. An average of
three negro men get licenses to marry
white women in the city of New York
every day. There is no longer north or
scuth-this country is one. The people
o. Alabama cannot defend their civiliza-
ton for another century IL they permit
the great states of the north to undermine
it In this way. For two years bill has
been pending in the New York legisla-
tsrc to prohibit the marriage of blacks
to whites. 1t has not been passed because
every negro church and every negro So
ciety and every negro club has fought /
tooth and nail. 1t Is no uncommon sight
new to see a big buck negro of the Jack
johnson type walking the streets of New
York with a white girl clinging to his
arm. This mas been SO in Chicago for II
years.
1 have brief appeal to the south on
this subject which I will make in my
sreech before the curtain Thursday night
In Birmingham
The issue is now up to my negro assail-
ants. Let them find the historical error
Ia my book and forfeit the book, the
play and $1,000 to their Chicago mongrel
Club. THOMAS DIXON.
Admission, January 13. 1914