The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-15
TALK OF LEADER
 IS NFLAMMATORY North Birmingham Citizens h. dignant at Speech By Ken
 namer Last Sunday
2l1 North goth Street

Seven reputable citizens of North Bir- mingham. including the postmaster, mer- chants and others, join in card. in which they condemn J. R. Kennamer, president of the Alabama division of the United Mine Workers, for the character of the address delivered by him near Sayreton, in the city limits, last Sunday.
 They charge in particular that he told the negroes who heard him that they should take the leaders among tneir race opposing the strike and hang them by the neck" that he belittled the gover- nor's strike commission, and that he used inflammatory language freely in his ad- dress urging the miners to join the union.
 The card is signed by J. K. Bailey, merchant and postmaster; W. w. Sewell, miner; J. B. Cole, deputy sheriff. w. E. Whitten, mechanic; N. F. Thompson, auto repairer and transfer business at North Birmingham; owen O'Hara, nfaa- ager of the North Birmingham Coal Company. and R, s. Clark, foreman.
 Their card reads:
 THE CARD
 At a meeting held inside Birmingham city limits, near Sayreton, Sunday, Sep tember Il, at 2:30 D. m., J. R. kennamer, president of the United Mine Workers of America, accompanied by negro organ | izer, and being introduced by a union negro not employed at Sayreton, ad- dressed the assembled crowd of Sayreton, white and colored miners who attended and the gang of union men from other ! mines following him to the meeting. Dis interested citizens of North Birmingham and vicinity of Sayreton also attended | the meeting.
 "Kennamers discourse was along the lines of organization. vehemently con demning the operators and chasing all statements of operators, committees or operators and mine officials 'damna- ble lies Mines, he stated, reported by operators as being operated since strike call were nearly all largely closed down tight, citing Marvel as an instance "Directing his remarks particularly to the negroes assembled, he told them that some of their influential leaders were op- posing the union and trying to preach to the colored miners to stay out or the union and continue work. If you have any such leaders among you at Sayreton, you should take them out ana hang them by the neck After commenting the personnel or the commission appointed by the goVer- nor al the instance of the BlrmlhBharn News for tnelr nlRn lnltlllBtHCc, StN't 'iS stated that these gentlemen had no more power to settle the strike than you or l. This commission has no power, ara they have no more knowledge Of minme con-s ms than a hog. and any or you (drecting his remarks to the negroes) could do as much as this commission to settle this strike
 "He demanded that every miner strike and strike at once
 After the meeting numbers Of the pest citizens of the community, the conserva- tive miners, both white and black' anu visitors from Birmingham and North BIT mingham were expressing themselves ID an indignant manner as result of such in- cendiary remarks as made by Kennamer such remarks directed to the negroes suggesting the grass rope method Tor those opposing him and his union IS m. tended only to incite the colored miner to violence, particularly against then conservative leaders and their preacheN who. in this vicinity, are strongly ano openly opposing the union.
 We, the citizens who heard this tax by Kennamer certify that in substance the above ramarks were made oy nm and that the feeling among the citizehs in the community is that of condemnation of such tactics as employed by nm to foster his union upon contented ciass of miners"