Evening journal., 1917-03-27
NEGROES FLOCEING
NORTH FOR Votes
100000 Said TO Have Mi
grated From South in
the Last Ninety Days
PATRIOTISM AT
HIGH MARK

NEW YORK. March 27.-Southern
Negroes. hopeless of ever being per
mitted to vote in States Of their birth
below Mason and Dixon's line, are mi
grating in enormous numbers TO
Northern States, and particularly TO
communities where the political bal
ance is delicate and where. therefore
they hope to achieve real Importance
As voters.
This statement with figures to back
It up. was made at a meeting Of Ne
groes in the Palace Casino, at Madi-
son avenue and 135th street, a meet
ing held to pay honor to Joseph c.
Manning. of Birmingham, Ala, who
said he had labored for thirty years
to protect the Negroes of the south
from Northumberland. More thah
1000 attended the meeting, which
was characterized by patriotism OF
camp meeting fervor.
Mr. Manning himself, as well as
other speakers, revealed that oOO OVO
Negroes have transferred citizenshlp
to Northern States within the last
80 days. 100000 coming TO New YORK
alone, perhaps 100000 to Philadel'
phia and the others scattered among
various communities in the East and
North. Mr.. Manning gave two princi
pal reasons for this migration, which
he said, was rapidly growing.
when President Wilson was re
elected" he said. the Negroes of the
South understood that all chance Of
their regaining the ballot was destroy
ed. It was not that they consider the
President personally and individually
to blame for their political serfdom
conditions existed before the Presi
dent came into power; but they fel
that he would never give encourage
ment TO national action toward com
pelling the Southern States to ALLOW
Negroes to vote. They saw that th'
situation was hopeless. Therefore the.
began to move north, and they ar,
still moving.
Result Soon To Appear.
"This extraordinary migration ii
one of the big political facts of tn
times, and its importance will shortl,
appear. These Negroes from the south
arriving in immense numbers, have
traditional and practical dislike 70
the Democratic party. They may b.
counted upon to support Republican
principles and Republican candidate
against any influence to the contrary
The result will shortly be seen-wil
certainly be seen in the next Pres
dental election.
Another reason for the northerl
movement of Negroes lies in the ne'
and attractive employment opportun
ties in the North. The Negro is tinC
ing out that he can better himself in
mensely by getting out OF the Soutl
ern atmosphere. There are good job
here in ten North for steady men, Jot
at good pay. The farms are absorbin
many Of these workers. Factories al
taking many This economic reason
important. but it should be kept
mind that the basic reason for tt
migration is political. Men robbed {
their rights are forced to turn the
backs on their old homes Nothin
else is left for them to do
George Nibican. who presided, il
troduced Mr.. Manning with the cor
ment that the guest of honor ha
spent a generation in defending tt
rights of the Negro. He recalled thi
Mr. Manning was the leader of ii
Populist-Republican fusion in ti
South which lasted from 1892 to 1895
that Mr. Manning gathered eviden'
which resulted in the unseating
many fraudulently elected Democrat
Congressmen. and that he has spel
almost a lifetime in other efforts
better the condition of Negroes. Aft
Mr.. Manning had spoken of the migr
ton and given the reasons therefor
spoke for half an hour about the
ability Of black men i'm the South
cast their ballots, and pointed o
that the Constitution of the Unit
States is cynically set at naught
the lily white laws of Southern State
All Show Patriotism.
Col. William NJ. p. Bowen, OF Pro
dence. r. J., chairman of the Repuh
can city committee of that city. sa
there is a growing discussion Of ST
gested changes in the national el'
ton laws so as to prevent the who
sale robbery of the Federal franchi
by one part of the country in order
maintain its political ascendency
Washington He was wildly cheer
when he said:
Southern suppression of the
tional ballot, both black and white,
playing the game with loaded dice a
doesn't give the rest of the count
a fair shake Our property and our
man rights are handled in such W
as the preponderating South and