Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-09-11
HARDING TALKS TO NEGROES ON
 MARION PORCH
G. o. P. Nominee Receives Delegations and Gives
 Them Advice

'HoiioH, OHAo, oepl. IU.-FlVe Qele
 gations of negro republicans, repre-
 senting organizations of the race ir i! North and South, gathered at Senate,
 Harding's front porch today and pledged their support in several
 hours of characteristic demonstra
 tions and oratory.
 In response the republican nominee made two speeches praising the loyal ty and attainments of the nations negro citizens and promising that the federal government twill not fail the American negro" He asked that they make service to the country the every day standard of their citizen ship, and declared his abhorrence of the use of brutal and unlawful vio- lence" against the black race. 1 In several private conferences Sem atcr Harding heard the grievances of negro leaders. and assured them he would make careful study of the situation. Lynching and segregation of negro federal employees were two of the things for whose suppression the visitors made particular plea.
 Conventions of Negro Baptists in session at Columbus and Indianapo- lis sent the largest delegations. The first group came up singing Hard ing will Shine Tonight" in parody of a revival hymn, and "amens," and "Hallejuhs" floated Heavenward with ooh Boys" and "You tell 'em," as the succession of orators poured out their professions of loyalty to the party of Lincoln and Grant.
 Henry Lincoln Johnston, republ- can national committeeman for Geor- gia, headed the group from the Ma tional Baptist convention at Colum- bus, which arrived during the morn ing and was the first to be addressed by the nominee.
 Makes Afternoon Speech
 The afternoon speech was to repre- sentatives of the national Baptist conventian, which is meeting in In- dianapolis, the national equal rights league, the African Methodist Epis- copal church and the Methodist Epis- copal church.
 Besides Johnston those who made speeches included the presidents of both of the conventions; William H Lewis of Boston, former assistant attorney general; Charles Cottrill of Toledo, former collector of internal revenues at Honolulu; Mrs. Thomas w. Fleming of Cleveland, head of the colored womaps bureau of the repub- lican national committee, and Hallie Q. Brown, president of the National Federation of Colored Women's clubs :.
 A hundred thousand votes from ne- gro women were promised by women speakers, ono of whom praised the nominees stand for party govern ment and said women of her race would claim representation in the government in proportion to their numbers.
 Pershing a Guest
 In both. the morning and afternoon deliberations General John J. Persh- ing, an overnight guest at the Hard ing 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.
 One of those who conferered with the senator during the afternoon was William Monroe Trotter of Boston executive 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 nominee had given the request appreciative 
 Tomorrow Senator Harding will speak to delegations of business men from Chicago, Detroit and Indiana cities, and is expected to outline his stand on business issues and his ideas for after war financial recon.