The Chicago whip. (Chicago, Ill.) 1919-19??, 1919-08-21
NATIONAL NEGRO
BUSINESS LEAGUE
Adopts Constructive Program
r. r. Morton Elected
President

st. Louis, Mo-, Aug. 16.-The Ma
tional Negro Business League held its
twentieth annual convention in this city
on August l3, IA and Is, under the
auspices of the local league, of which
Aaron L. Malone, head of the wonderful
and thriving Poro enterprise, is presi-
dent. Promptly at 10 O'Clock on the
morning of the 18th the session was
called 10 order by Mr.. Malone, and after
most suitable and fitting address of
welcome in which he told of the wonder
full organization that had been built up
| in st. Louis through the enterprising
effort and persistence of few business
men, he introduced the national presi-
dent, j. G. Napier, of Nashville, Tenn.
| Addresses of welcome were then made
for the city by Mayor Kiel, for the
and by n representative from the Bu'
| reau of Publicity, the official city host.
Many Delegates and Friends Present
The city was crowded almost to ca
pacity by the attendance of over two
thousand delegates and friends from,
twenty-six states and representing every
line of activity in the agricultural In
dustrial and commercial world. There
we're bank presidents and cashiers, oil
magnates, department store heads, col.
lege presidents, and indeed men from all
walks of life, all teeming with activity
and demanding by their every word and
act new and progressive order of
| things. They seemed 20 realize that the
time had come when the National Negro
Business League must either become a
more virile organization, acting as
valuable stimulant TO Negro business
or il must die from usel essness. Among
| the prominent people who have been
| identified with the league during its
twenty years of existence and who were
present were the following: }. C. Ma
| pier, president; Perry Howard, of Mis-
sissippi; Chas. Banks, of that entirely
eolored community, Mound Bayou, Miss;
|
roe n. Works, Tuskegee; Chas. II. An
derson, Florida; TT. Elliot, Oklahoma;
Chas. Stewart, Col. Marshall and Mr..
and Mrs. II. s. Abbott, Chicago; Col.
Otis Z. Duncan, Springfield; Editor Knox
and l.. II. Stewart, Indiana; Rev. Boyd,
Nashville; X. L. Jones, editor of the
Southwestern Advocate, New Orleans;
Mrs Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee;
Mrs. A. p. Randolph, of the Messenger,
New York City; Mrs. Dora Cole Norman,
New York City, and many others promi-
nent in the business life of their several
communities.
President Napier Assails President
Wilson
In his annual address, President Ma
pier was very outspok Al in his criticism
of President Wilson for his failure 20
make any pronouncement against mob
violence and his refusal 20 take any
steps whatever TO eliminate the spirit of
lawlessness which is permeating the
country. He scored the President for
having seen cause to condemn lynching
when a white man was attacked, while
he has maintained rather singular
silence in the fact of all the barbarous
attacks made upon colored men. de
called upon Woodrow Wilson to show
himself President of all of the people
instead of one group. Referring to the
Washington and Chicago riots he char
acteYized mob violence as the institution
Of the white man, and said it is fos
tered and maintained by him. and when
the white man sees ft he can wipe it of
the map without the semblance of blood
shed. The presidents speech was full
of virility and sincerity and ELECTED
much applause from an audience of
nearly three thousand persons.
Outlines New Platform
Il remained, however, for Emmet J.
Scott, secretary of the league and at
present secretary of Howard
University, to outline the plans for the
future activities of the league and the
new day which is in store. He began
| Continued on Page y