Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-04-15
Encourages Negro Delega-
 tion, Presenting Students Side of the Case.
ATMOSPHERE IS BAD
Pine RlnfT Negroes Present Petition, Denying Opposition to Superintend. ent Because of COlOr-Charge 9th.
 CT Members of Faculty Involved.


 leading negroes from Pine Bluff call ed Governor Hays this afternoon for the purpose of laying before the gov ernor set of resolutions and state ments regarding the branch normal college, the negro state school at Pine Bluff.
 The students of the college struck some time ago. The school has been ordered closed by the governor. This committee came to make complaint to the governor because, the members state the matter should be further investigated.
 Rev. Jas. Jones was the chairman of the committee. Lawyer J. F. Jones of Pine Bluff was spokesman for the committee, while Rev. J. C.. Robin son introduced the committee to the governor The following well-known Pine Bluff negroes made up the dele gation: Revs. Jas. Jones, J. G. Rob- inson, P. w. DeLyles, R. w. Patter- son; Doctors F. P. Lytes, w. B. Wat son. H. l.. Jordon, w. o. Taylor, D. w. Young; Attorney J. F. Jones and Prof. H. M. Thomas. Rev. Jas. Jones and Attorney Jones addressed the gov ernor, and the latter read the petition which the committee presented.
 Governor Promises Consideration.
 The governor made the following statement to the committed:
 "A few years ago, the students of the state university went out on a strike, and the university feels the effect of that strike today. I am not inclined to think. that any school can be regulated by such methods. 1 have listened with deep interest to all the statements coming to me about the condition of the branch normal college, and I am interested in the education of your children. You have the right under the law, to every guarantee that is given the white peo- pie of the state.
 eff the conditions at the branch normal college are as you say they are and have existed all these years, you have done your people and all the people of the state great harm by not reporting it before now. l sent some of the best known men in the state down there to investigate that matter. and if you did not get the right kind of an investigation, then the public is entitled to have proper investigation.
 'I have no power outside of the trustee board to say what will or can be done, but you are entitled to clean and pure teachers to teach your chil- dren. would not for my right arm do you and your people an injury. I shall take under advisement the mat ter you have given me, and will see if anything can be done. and l will do my best to see that all concerned, so far as am able, get justice in the matter"
 Negroes Not at Fault.
 Rev. James Jones said to the gov ernor. that situation over which the negroes had no control. had prevented the airing of conditions that have ex- isted heretofore-but that now that the ball has started, there should be no let-up, till all is cleared.
 Rev. J. G. Robinson said to the gov ernor that his acts in interest of. Christianity and moral purity. had given the negroes courage in this par ticular instance.
 Petition of Negroes.
 The following petition was present. ed to the governor by Lawyer Jones, after he had made a strong defense for the position taken by the Pine Bluff negroes:
 "To his excellency. Governor Geo. w.
 Hays, the honorable governor Of
 all the people of the great state
 of Arkansas:
 eve, as citizens and taxpayers of the state of Arkansas, and as repre- sentatives of the humble negro citi- zenry of this state, come here to place before you a statement of the conditions and sentiment respecting the Branch Normal college at Pine Bluff, Ark.
 The statement has been frequent ly made in the newspapers that The negroes are fighting Superintendent W. s. Harris, because he is a white man at the head of negro institu- tion of learning which statement we most emphatically deny.
 "Mr. Harris has been in the faculty of the branch normal college for about 22 years, during all this time he was a white man the same as now and yet no llSuC WoS uAouC OA AAIA' Does it stand to reason that the negroes have just now begun to fight him because of his race indentity? We do not think so. but we believe that the statement was made in the newspapers by some one in order to becloud the main issue. AS an evf- dence of good faith we hereby state that we are perfectly willing for the trustee board to place any competent moral man at the head of the insti- tuition.
 with deep concern about the mor- al as we'll as the intellectual welfare of our youth we come to you with an abiding faith in your sense of fair ness.
 eve believe that there are persons now in the faculty of branch normal college whose reputation for virtue and morality is bad. This we are ready to verify.
 eve believe that the recent troubls at the branch normal college hes never been thoroughly investigated.
 "We charge that at the recent