Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-09-11
SQUARE DEAL
Continued from Pace One)


Senator Harding's front porch today
and pledged him their support in
several hours of characteristic dem
onstration and oratory.
Promise. Help
In response the Republican noni-
nee made two speeches praising the
loyalty and attachments of the ma
tons negro citizens. and. promising
that the Federal government will
not fail the American negro" he
asked that they make service to
country the everyday standard Of
their citizenship and declared his alb
horrence of the use of brutal and
unlawful violence" against the blank
race or any other class.
Hears Leaders Pleas
In several private conferences,
Senator Harding also heard the
grievances of various negro leaders
and assured them that he would
make a careful study of the situa-
ton. Lynching and segregation of
negroes in federal service, were two
of the things for suppression of
which the visitors made a particular
plea.
Canpmeetine Spirit
Conventions of negro Baptists in
session at Columbus and Indianapolis
sent the largest delega tons and a
campmeeting spirit ruled the days
celebration. The. first group came up
singing Harding viii Shine Tonight"
in parody of a revival hymn. and
"Amens" and "Hallelujahs" flowed
heavenward with oh. Boys" and
You Tell Ems" as the succession of
orators poured out their professions
of loyalty, to the party of Lincoln and
Grant.
Henry Lincoln johnson. Republican
National committeeman for Georgia,
headed the group from the National
Baptist convention at Columbus,
which arrived during the morning and
was the first to be addressed by the
nominee The afternoon speech was
to representatives Of the National
Baptist convention, which is meeting
in Indianapolis, the National Equal
Rights League, the African Methodist
Episcopal Church and the Methodist
Episcopal church.
Besides Johnson, those who made
speeches included the presidents of
both of the conventions, William H.
Lewis of Boston, a former assistant
attorney general; Charles Cottrill OF
Toledo, former. collector of Internal
Revenue at Honolulu: Mrs. Thos. w.
Fleming of Cleveland, head Of the
rolored Women's Bureau of the Re-
publican National Committee. and
Hattie @. Brown president of the Ma
tional Federation of Colored Women's
Clubs.
4 PRAYER opened the afternoon
meeting which had lasted nearly two
hours before Senator Harding was
reached on the program OF speakers.
Other speeches followed his, and
then the visitors fiocked up the front
steps of the Harding residence ana
kept the candidate busy for half an
hour shaking hands.
Two hundred thousand votes from
negro women were promised the"Sen-
ator by the women speakers, one of
whom praised his stand for party
government and said the women Of
her race would claim representation
in the government in proportion to
their number.
At both the morning and afternoon
celebrations, General Pershing, an
overnight guest at the Harding
home, was an added attraction that
helped stir the enthusiasm Of the
visitors. To each crowd he made a
short speech praising the service of
negro soldiers in the war, but not
touching on political subjects.
One of those who conferred with
the Senator during the day was Will
liam Monroe Trotter of Boston. ex-
ecutive secretary of the National
Equal Rights League. He asked that
segregation of negro employees of
the Federal government be abolished
and declared afterward that the NOM
inee had given the request appreci-
ative consideration.
Tomorrow morning Senator Hard
ing will speak to delegates of BUSH
ness men from Chicago, Detroit and
Inhfana cities and is expected to
make one of the most important
speeches of his campaign, outlining
his stand on business issue and his
ideas for after-war financial recon-
fructiOn