The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-26

very best made, and rom one 10 three
 boxes of cartridges. However, these are not the best and most conservative
 element of the negroes.
 There is a negro paper, "The Work
 mans Chronicle" edited by one P. Col
 fax Rameau, that is being circulated
 every week in the district that tends
 to create a disturbance in this south
 land. In an issue dated Saturday, Feb
 ruary 8, 1919. he prints a speech made
 by himself at Bradford Mines on Sun
 day. February 2, in which he states,
 Our boys did not fight only to free
 the French and Belgians, but they
 fought to free themselves and their
 posterity in. these United States of
 America, and these are some of the
 things we want. and you may put it
 down that no white mans organization
 can or will give them to us. We want the ballot. we want a square deal and
 unmolested by union labor agitators;
 we want an impartial trial by mixed
 jury of negroes and white men, and we must have an organization that will
 stand up and be counted against the
 damning influence that turks in the bosom of belligerent and social union
 ism that is today seeking to trap the
 negro throughout the south into their damnab1e clutches"
 Serious thought brings us to the conclusion that the spread of such lit- erature in our midst is menace to our welfare and cannot result in any
 good or the bringing about of bet ter understanding between the races. ! The knights of the Ku-Klux Klan is not an anti-negro organization; it is patriotic fraternal order, compose d of the best manhood of this country.
 It is band of manly men bound to- gether under oath to sit in council and by careful consideration and due delib- eration devise the best ways and means to handle the most vital questions They are sworn to uphold the consti- tuition of the United States and to hold high above all ensigns the most beau tiful emblem that ever floated in the breeze, the Stars and the Stripes. They are sworn to law and order. They are allied with the department of justice. the police and detective force; they stand for and will maintain the su- premacy of the white race.
 It is not the intention of the Ku- Klux to ever ride again, but if Col fax Rameau's dreams come true, and a klansman is forced to sit in the box with mixed jury, very likely there will have to be another jury empan- eled to try him for contempt of court. A lieutenant, just returned from overseas, stated that on the transport coming home. he saw white non-com- HllSSIOHeu OIIlceFS taken out or lne1f berths and given a blanket to sleep on the floor and negro lieutenantS given their berths. The commanding officer had to be called upon to restore ord CT and prevent some from being thrown overheard. These I deem very serious l problems facing our great state.
 | We do not fear any trouble between the serious-th thinking negro and the conservative white man. but I do fear | that someone will create friction that I will put in motion a force that will be l hard to combat.
 Our home guards are scattered, our officers are few: so it is up to the cit ! izens to do all in their power to keep down trouble I wish every citizen would stop and think and make up his mind that he will not at any time join ! in mob. We could so easily get into i something that we would seriously re- pret and bring reproach not only upon Birmingham and Jefferson county, but on our great state Let us as men be calm and deliberate, doing nothing cn the impulse of the moment. We should go to the conservative negro leaders, talk to them plainly but friendly let them exert their influence upon their returning soldiers, and we can do like wise to our boys. and believe by this method we can avoid very much se- rious trouble. I. r. MACKEY. Birmingham, February 22. 1919.