The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-06-20
NEGRO ORATOR
IN WAR SPEECH

William Harrison, negro lawyer
and orator of Oklahoma City, ad-
dressed large audience in Conven-
tion Hall last night. Harrison
spoke upon the invitation of white
citizens who sought to afford the
entire citizenship of the city an op-
portunity to hear him. He was in
troduced by James Mathers, who
said: The speaker comes to US
with the endorsement of the bar
and judiciary of this state and ma
ton and upon the authorization Of
the administration. He is the fore
most lawyer and orator Of his race
and an untiring patriot.
Harrison said in part:
IL was born on little upland
farm in the state of Mississippi,
picked plums and blackberries as u
barefooted boy and with the pro-
ceeds OF my work purchased sufii-
cient clothing for seven sisters and
brothers. As | look back to those
days and take into account this
compliment to my race | thank God
for His goodness, thank the Ard
more committee and its white citi-
zens for the spirit that brings us to-
gether tonight, for it is long dis
tance from the blackberry patch to
this meeting. want my race al
ways TO be grateful, patient and
loving people and want it to lead in
doing all the things that are or
dained and decreed by Jehovah for
il to do. want the negro to be
proud OF himself. his race, his flag
and his country and, having faith in
God ana confidence in himself, want
him to press forward.
Loyalty of the Negro.
"The regro is the only race in the
world whose color is prima facie
evidence of his loyalty and patriot
ism. There are no negro traitors
nor spies nor alien enemies. The
negro has been loyal from Bunker
Hill through all the pivotal battles
of the nations existence on to the
trenches of France, where recently
two negroes put to fight twenty
German soldiers. Negroes can be
depended upon and trusted as SOL
diers from the ordinary privates to
the highest officers. They have been
guarding the bridges of this coun-
try and the nations capitol. Thank
God you can trust us, for it looks
like we rave come into the kingdom
for such time as this.
Nations and races are simply
stewards and occupiers and must &C.
cupy according to the rules and
procedure of Jehovah or such a ma
ton or race will be taken down and
another put up and given trial in
its stead, and that is what is being
done in this great war; nations are
being taken down and other nations
raised up"
Harrison reviewed the worlds
wars and famous men, from the
days of the ancients TO the present
titanic struggle and declared that
all previous wars pale into insig-
ni6canc. when compared with the
present and said that this, being a
righteous war, will come to right
eous conclusion and that under the
banner Of democracy all men will be
permitted to partake of the feast OF
democracy, for that has been de-
creed BY Jehovah in the scheme OF
the Fatherhood of God and the
Brotherhood of Man.
The committee in charge of the
meeting. which occupied seats on
the platform, included: Judge John
l.. Gal:, secretary of the Carter
Count exemption board; Judge
Freema3 A. J. Hardy. county at
torney; J. Robert Gillian. president
of the Carter County Council OF
Defense: Mayor w. K. Roberts and
C. A. Kenyon. DR.. w. f. Rain
water presided.
MeDa Jones sang When / Leave
the World Behind" and Mrs. +. w.
Rice sang a selection from Car
men,"