The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-11-08

Democratic newspapers have abound
ed in stories Of Negro repeaters,
dives, outrages on women and such
sensations, and the campaign wind
tanners of the Tom Rhea-Clem Hug
gins type have thundered into the
ears of the faithful the doctrine
of Negro criminality.
The Leader considers this kind OF
publicity and propaganda as highly
reasonable to good government, and
as clearly calculated to precipitate
such outbursts of race convict as
other sections have witnessed. To
place the matter squarely before the
proper authorities and to safeguard
the record to the race. the Leader
has addressed the following open let
ter to Gov. ]. d. Black.
Hon. Jas. D. Black,
Governor of Kentucky,
Frankfort.
Honorable Sir: In view of the
general social unrest in our contry
as manifested by constantly recurr-
ing strikes, riots, and outbreaks OF
violence and bloodshed, and especially
the numerous instances of race fric-
tion in various sections of the land,
we feel it patriotic service to call
your attention to an unpatriotic and
dangerous form of propaganda that
is being spread throughout the State
incidental to the present political
campaign The matter in point is
this: In a current bulletin addressed
to "The Taxpayers of Kentucky"
issued by the Democratic Campaign |
Committee the following statement
is given prominent place:
Hardly day passes in the city |
of Louisville without a white woman
being outraged by some drunken Ne
gro."
While the falsity and evil nature
Of this statement are too evident, to
arrest the attention of a great host
Of Kentuckians, there are, neverthe-
less hundreds of credulous and ex-
citable persons in whom such hor-
rible report arouse feelings of hatred,
resentment and violence.
In a recent editorial the Courier
Journal said: There is not in the
rank and file of either color Tin Ken
-ucky) and feeling which can be term
ed intense" Certainly, all good
citizens wish the conditions to grow
1t least no worse, but, with the dis
of such deadly slander
70 the firesides of Kentucky, no one
can safely predict that the feeling
Will not become intense"
That the view of the Courier-Jour-
nal is general is attested By a noted
Southern author who, during a re-
cent visit to Louisville. said that
louisville is looked to by southern
cities as a model city in race re-
Now, your excellency. as loyal
aw-abiding, peace loving citizens of
quarter of a million of
7our Cnlored yellow citizens-we
'ead with alarm this unwarranted
Ind untruthful attack upon our citi-
,enship. We regard it as a serious
'ffense against good government, and
criminal aspersion on the good
lame of the state, its honorable Gov !
srnor, its good citizenship, and par
dangerous in this period Of
social unrest and strife. It carries
he sentiment upon which riots breed
md thrive.
Therefore, as citizens, regardless of
reed or party, we respectfully bring
his matter to your notice with the
lope that you may see fit to give
t the condemnation it is ribly de-
serves, and establish once for all
hat no such un-American, un-Demo-
'ratic and strife breeding propaganda
shall be countenanced in our grand
I'D state whose name for justice and
laminty is known throughout the
nation.
Louisville Leader.