The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-30
Alabama National Commit teeman Makes Report to
 W.Perkins, Chairman
HE IS HUMILIATED;
 CALLS ACTION SILLY
All of Which Means That Alabama Progressives Are Split in Thous- and Ways-Thompson's
 Candidacy

It has Just come to light that ]. O. Thompson. Alabamas member of the national executive committee of the progressive party. is humiliated in that his party in Alabama saw proper to place ban against negro particpa- ton in the conventions of the party. In letter written sometime ago by Mir. Thompson to George w. Perkins, chairman of tho national executive com mittee, the Birmingham man makes his position clear. So positive Is he in ex- pressing his opinion Of the lilly white" tendency of Alabama progressives and so strong are the convictions of others that the party in Alabama should be | lilly white" that it Is considered cer- tain that in the party there will be even if there is not nova signal breach
 In the following letter, reproduced in part, MT. Thompson uses the following terms: "Astounded. humiliated. silly action that fool may read" and oth- ] CTS equally as significant;
 Astounded and HumiIiated l Dear Mir. Perkins: 1 was astound- ed and humiliated at the action of the progressive committee in this state selected by our state committee to issue a call for our state conven- tion to see that they had provided on the official call that none but white mon can be members of the party fin Alabama.
 This is a step further in that direo- ton than any democratic committee ! or body has ever done in the south that l can recall. l have an entirely different view of the objects and pur- poses of the progressive party than that e.pr essed by our special commil- 1 tee. l was at Chicago throughout the organization of the party. and l did not catch one word that to me meant what in anywise could be interpreted to mean that We would undertake by party action nolens volcns to annul the fifteenth amendment to the fed eral constitution. l know how anxious we are all to overcome certain preju- dices and to build party in the south that will be for tho use of the peopi, in giving expression to progressive politics, lust as we did in helping tho lpeople of the Third Alabama district in restoring their rights to overcome machine government. but when il oomes to doing a mean thing for poll. tical eNpediency, l am against sucf action.
 Calls Action Silly
 ''shr il, gro political question Is on, we cannot throw off at will In fact I 1t will be live question for man, years, yea, for many decades in tn. future history of this country. but | is a question that all strong men mus meet with fairness and justness to al concerned.
 "It was silly for the special commit L tee t,' have taken the action they di, for the reason that there posslbl, would have been few colored mel elected to the convention. They al e rule are not in sympathy with us al a party, although many indyidual among them are enthusiastic abou the colonel. It is not incumbent oi the white men to vote for them a.
 delegates in their respective counties but it was incumbent on the specia
 committee to keep within the bound Of reason and justice to all section of our electorate in calling the con Ivcntion.
 When He Ran
 "In 1910 l was q republican nomi
 neo for governor of Alabama. wa
 advertised as adversely as possible h.
 tle democratic press as being to friendly to the negro. Still receive 3DoO more votes (they came from tn
 democratic party) than the balanc
 os my ticket who had not been to
 friendly to the negro. The 5000 vote
 cnme from the church people of tn P state. The people who have it in min lto oppose the organized democracy ar
 not going to decline to do so forsoot because the opposition party merel
 treats decently section of our peo
 ple.
 : T am writing you to suggest tha Q lyou call your committee together a lthe earliest possible time and definite f lily define its position on this question | 90 definitely that fool though lr1n may read.'