The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-03-30
PRESIDENT RECEIVES A. M. &
DELEGATION
Made Strong Protest Against Lynch.
ing and Jim Crowism.

Washington, D. c., March IA, 1915
Words urging Patriotic Duties up
on the Negroes while they are lynch
ed and jim crewed has the appearance
of insincerity" was a sentiment ex-
pressed to President Woodrow Wilson
by a Commission appointed by the
Bishops Council of the African Meth
odist Episcopal Church to make repre-.
sentation against discrimination
against the Negroes of this country.
The appointment with the President
was arranged by Prof. John R. Haw.
kins, Financial Secretary of the A. NJ.
Z. Church.
The Commission was headed by
Bishop w. D. Chappelle of South Car
DINA. The other members of the COM
mittee were Prof. John r. Hawkins
of Washington, D. c.; DR.. w. T. Yer
non of Tenn; DR.. w. H. H. Butler of
Pennsylvania; DR.. J.. G. Robinson of
Tenn; DR.. A. H. Hill of Ark, and DR..
A. l.. Gaines of Baltimore.
Bishop Chappelle made the repre-
sensations to the President and left
with him a written document setting
forth the views of the commission. The
response of the President, though
guarded, was very gratifying.
The sentiment of the commission
follows:
Washington, D. c., March IA, 1918.
Hon. Woodrow Wilson.
President of the United States.
Mr.. President:
Sir: We the undersigned citizens
of the United States and represent
atives of the African Methodist Epis-
copal Church, appointed by the Bish-
ops Council of said church, which met
at Louisville, KY, February IA, 1918,
beg to submit to you the following
memorial or prayer:
With a due sense of appreciation
of the fireat struggle in which we are
now engaged and the arduous task
laid upon you as Chief Magistrate of
our country, pledge to you our fidel,
ity al loyal citizens of our Republic.
These are trying times and we are
passing through ordeals that try mems
souls, and now more tan ever before
our people need hope and encourage
ment.
We believe you have read with deep
regret of the inhuman and unlawful
treatment of our people in many Sec
lions of the country; and we come
praying you for relief from mob vio-
lapoa and o+bar CONTAMINATION y,,b;cb
are so prevalent.
We do not condone crime commit
ted by any people; nor are we asking
that you wink at crime committed
by any people; that each and every
individual be given a fair, impartial
trial by a jury of twelve men of their
fellow citizens.
Since Congress has given you, as
President, power to conscript citizens
from and within all the states of the
Union, to fight for the common cause
of human liberty, and for protection
of this country, we believe hat it is
equally within the power of Congress
to authorize you to enter any state in
this Union with said power to protect
the life and liberty of the citizens
therein.
Believing this as we do, we ask,
first: That lynching be made a feder-
al offense; second, we ask that in all
cases of lynching and mob violence
where citizens are, guilty of partici-
pating in the same they shall be pun
ished by law and declared Ineligible
to hold office in our government,
either federal or state; third, we ask
that any sheriff allowing his prisoner
to be lynched or manned while in his
custody be declared unfit for that high
office and at once removed by the Gov
rnor.
Mr.. President, we make this appeal
to you because your people have al
ways been loyal to this government
and are still loyal and faithful in this
the most trying time of its history.
We are in the midst of a great
world wide war which will take, as we
see it, the united efforts of all the
people to gain victory, and to secure
this we must find a way to suppress
mob violence and lynching.
To tell us that we are fighting for
world democracy and that this is a
form of that democracy for which we
are to fight and for which many of
our boys are already on the field of
battle, is not to say the least very en-
c%ouraging.
The Negroes of this country have
rallied to your call in this cricisand
are doing their bit according to their
ability from every viewpoint.
No people have followed so uncom-
plainingly as have our people and we
are beginning to realize now that we
are a part of this government which
we have served so faithfully both in