The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-06-09

Church brought his downfall upon
hlmseif His arrogance Increased with
the disposition Of the white Republi
cans to placate him and the action OF
the state convention at Chattanooga
in dividing the Tenth district del
egates and giving equal representation
to the Quinn, True, Tom Taylor and
Church factions caused his ambition to
vault straight over the political preci-
pice and take him with it.
Then followed the action of the ma
tlonal committee in giving the seats in
the convention from the Tenth district
issue which the national convention
could settle only by deciding If the par
ty in Tennessee should be lily white or
coal black.
Church wanted to fight to bitter end,
and Quinn Tuesday evening declined to
ers to seat both with half vote each.
The Memphis contest was easily the
feature of the convention. The Lincoln
league, with its ramificatiCns extending
throughout the South was deter mined
that the Republican party should be the
negro party. That the Tennessee Re
publicans and others making up The
delegation representing Tennessee Re
publicanism regarded the issue as one
of prime Importance was evidenced by
the fact that they remained in attend
ance from o'clock Tuesday afternoon,
when the committee first assembled,
until the contest was disposed of at
o'clock Wednesday morning
In addition to the men, there were
number of women present and Mrs.
Marshall Priest, of Huntington was
permitted to make a brief statement to
the committee and what she said mad
its effect.
The negro members of the committee
lined up for Church The District of
Columbia delegate and the Louisiana
delegate, both negroes, inadvertently
or stupidity injected the race question
and while they spoke for. the negro Re-
publCans of the South, Mrs. Priest SAID
she spoke for 80 900 Republican women
who will not follow this man
S. Il. Murray, Memphis lawyer, repre-
sented Quinn and Mccall. He declared
that the committee was not dealing with
trivial quarrel, such as It was accus-
toned to hear from Mississippi, Georgia
and South Carolina. He told of Quinn's
office holding record, city and federal,
and of his son who came back from the
war with 10 wounds and many medals
for gallantry
Stick All Night.
'If this were not a serious matter"
he said, 'the women and men interested
in the case would not have sat ali night
and unless the action Of the national
committee is reversed this will set the
party back in Tennessee rs years"
Church realized he was fighting for
ms pOHtlCal llte, and indicated that he
would stop at nothing, He produced
letter Quinn wrote him some years
ago, referring to him as Dear Robert"
and asking him to get petitions for col
lector of customs. Then he produced
what he said was a receipt for money
paid himself for the circulation of the
petition in behalf of Quinn.
1t was then that Mrs. Priest took the
floor upon invitation OF the committee
and declared that $4,000 women are
working night and day for the party.
II was in Memphis last Saturday"
she said when the news of Church
selection came to the people. White
and black were thundcrstruck."
A. V. McLane. member of the COM
mittee from Tennessee declared that
Church has given untiring trouble. He
Is a trouble maker and if you want to
kill party lines 1t can be done by seat
ing a man like Church in the conven-
ton"
AS was the case all day and night the
Southern and Middle Western delegates
voted for the negro regardless of the
issue. While the delegates from the far
West and the East voted uniformly
against them.
BY strange combination of circum-
stances, the committee on credentials
decided Tuesday night the contest in
volving all delegates from Georgia by
seating the coal black organization, with
one or two white delegates thrown In
to relieve the somber color scheme
without Getracting anything from the
flavor.