Imperial Valley press., 1920-10-27
NEGRO CLUBS
{ D D RISE
ALLEN FOR
JUDGE
Candidate for Judgeship De-
clines. to Make Statement
as to His Side of Ques-
ton; School Question Is
Brought Before Voters.

Simultaneously with the news pc.
Coming public that the Negro Re.
publican Clubs of Imperial county
have endorsed Burritt S. Allen for
superior judgeship. charges we're
made today that Mr.. Allen has plac-
ed himself on record as being not.
in favor of the segregation of black
and white children and that this
accounts for his endorsement by
these clubs.
1t is understood that the coiored
organizations are against M. w.
Conkling because of the fact that
when a member of the FL Centre
school board he was instrumental IN
the establishment of separate school
for the colored children in the city.
Mr.. Allen was asked today for a
statement as to his attitude on this
question and declined to either issue
a statement or be quoted. Although
informed that such statement would
be published verbatim. no statement
was forthcoming.
Mr.. Aliens refusal to either deny
~ admit he has made statements cred
tied to him or to take stand for pub
lication has placed him in a very
embarrassing light before the voters
1t would seem that he is waiting for
the publication of the charges in order
to be able to flop to the right side
afterWard
Interesting disclosures las to the
methods being employed by Mr.. Allen
to secure votes for himself have been
made in letter written by a person
high in the political councils of his
party in Imperial Valley. This man
recently repeated these charges and
was asked on what grounds he made
them. Following is his letter of reply
in full:
Replying to yiur letter of the 25th
in which you ask me that / inform
you of the grounds of my statement,
that the organizations of the colored
people of Imperial count have endors-
ed B. S. Allen for judge of his county,
for the reason that NJ. w. Conkling,
also candidate for the same position,
favored the segregation of the white
and colored children by his vote dur
ing the period he was member of the
school board.
During the primary election, the
colored vlte of the county was almost
unanimous for Mr.. Allen. 1t was not
known then the reason for their atti-
tude but after the election, l per-
sonally made thorough investiga-
ton, and have interviewed number
of the colored people on the subject.
In each instance, they have openly
stated that the colored organizations
have refused to endorse M. w. Conk-
ling for judge, because he is in favor
of segregating the white and colored
children in the schools.
"On the evening of October 25th,
in Imperial, | spoke to the Stephen A.
Douglas club, an organization of col
ored people in the county, and tried
to convince them that their attitude
was not to the best interest of the
white or colored children; that if the
question was ever brought to the at
tention of judge in the regular man.
ner. it would be decided upon the law,
and not upon the personal beliefs of
the judge.
Before the meeting, Mr.. Jerome r.
Collins, chairman if the club, and a
man of excellent reputation and stand
ing in the community, informed me as
follows:
81 personally talked to Mr.. Allen
(Cnptipuad an pana Az