Evening star., 1919-08-29
SOCIETY EXPLAINS
1 SH|LLADY MISSION
Makes Statement Regarding
| Visit of Its Secretary to
Texas Capital.

The National Association for the
Advancement Of Colored People has
made public a statement in regard to
the recent attack in Austin. Tex, on
Its secretary, John r. Shillady. as fol-
lows:
THE city of Austin has one of the
largest branches of the association in
Texas, numbering 316 members. Texas.
indeed. has the highest membership
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People of
any state of the Union, 7,046 members
with thirty-one branches. 1t was,
therefore, with great concern that on
August IL the national association
secretary received a letter from p A.
Williams, president of the Austin,
Tex. branch, saying that on August
the deputy sheriff had served a cita-
tion on him to appear at the court OF
the justice of peace, bringing all
books, papers, correspondence. etc,
belonging or pertaining to the Ma
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People. He complied,
was interrogated fer thirty minutes
and dismissed. At this writing he was
under the ruling of the court and
could not tell us any more.
MIR. ShilIady, on receipt of this
communication, left New York, going
first to Chicago to do some work re-
garding the recent riots, and from
there to Texas. reaching Texas Thurs
day. 1t was on Friday that the out
rageous attack was made upon him.
1T is unnecessary for the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People to make the state
ment to the press of this country that
it intends to do everything in its
power to punish the offenders and to
make the country ring with knowi-
edge of the conditions in the capital
city of Texas. Only in the southern
states of America could We read that
a Judge and deputy sheriff beat up
citizen visiting their city in the in
terests of well known association,
highly honored. of ten years stand
ing; an association with Moorfield
Storey, former president of the Bar
Association, as it's president; Maj j.
Z. SpingarD as it's treasurer with the
Governor of Minnesota as the presi-
dent of one of its branches and Sem
ator Capper, until recently president
of another-an association that has
stood always for kindly dealing and
fair play.
'The annual report of the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People was put in the hands
of the district attorney deputy sheriff
and the justice of the peace in Aus
tin. They read its chief aims stated
as follows:
Il. A vote for every negro man and
woman on the same terms as for
white men and women
"2. An equal chance to acquire the
kind of an education that will enable
the negro everywhere wisely to use
this vote.
'.a. A fair trial in the courts for all
crimes of which he is accused. by
judges in whose election he has par
ticipated, without discrimination be-
cause of race.
"a. A right to sit upon the jury
which passes judgment upon him.
IS. Defense against lynching and
burning at the hands of mobs.
&c. Equal service on railroad and
other public carriers. This to mean
sleeping car service. dining car serv-
ice, Pullman service. at the same cost
and upon the same terms as other pas
sengers-
81. Equal right, to the use of public
parks, libraries and other community
services for which he is taxed I
~8. An equal chance for livelihood
in public and private employment
49, The abolition of color-hyphena-
ton and the substitution of straight
Americanism.
THE demand for equal service on
railroads and public carriers they
took a special exception to. They
also advised discontinuance of The
Crisis They talked about social
equality. In the same report, the as
sociatioa. in Mr.. Shillady's forceful
language, makes this statement re-
garding social equality which it be-
1ieves and for which it intends to
battle to the end:
Nor should any one be led astray
by the tiresome talk about social
equality" Social equality is a pri-
vate question which may we'll be left
to individual decision. But the
prejudices of individuals cannot be
accepted as the controlling policy of
a state The National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People
is concerned primarily with public
equality. America is a nation-not
private club. The privileges no less
than the duties of citizenship belong
of right to no separate class of the
people. but to all the people, and to
them as individuals. The Constitu-
tion and the laws are for the protec-
tion of the minority and of the un-
popular, no less than for the favorites
of fortune, or they are of no meaning
as American instruments of govern
ment.'"
A congressional investigation of
mob violence in the United States is
suggested.