Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-08-17

WITHHOLDING
TICKET NAMES
New Organization of Voters to
War on Lily Whites, Says
Writer.
ADVISORY BODY RAPED

Announcement that the independent re-
publican party, the new organization OF
negro voters of Indianapolis is with
holding purpesely the names of its can
didates for the county offices, but viii
open headquarters within a short time
is contained in a communication to The
Times from James r. Norrell, one of its
sponsors.
Mr. Norrell also calls attention to the
recently appointed advisory" commit
tee named to represent the negro race
BY Chairman Ed. Wasmuth> of the re-
publican state committee and asks some
pointed questions as to whether the race
cares to be represented by that com
mittee
The communication is as follows:
EDITOR, DAILY TIMES,
"City.
81 feel warranted from recent develop
ufnents to call the attention Of the colored
voters of Marion county to the fact
that the colored henchmen of Harry
Hendrickson and Leo X. Fesler, and
their lily whites. are using these men
as catspaws to pull the political chest
nuts from the fire for their consump-
ton.
4 did not know that this cringing
set OF would-be leaders would so humll-
late themselves and the race by accept
ing an invitation to visit the sanctum
sanetorium (the Marion club) and there
stand around in groups waiting for some
secret chamber door to be opened into
which they could be ushered out of the
view of the real members of the Marion
club. The Irish, the German and the
Jew and other groups of citizens are
invited to join this organization in order
to boost its mem bershfp, but these able
leaders Of the group of voters who hold
the balance of power in Marion county,
and also in Indiana, are not only not
invited to join the club, but the mem
hers Of the club are ashamed to be seen
with them or in their company They
were invited there, not for the purpose
OF consultation or for devising means
and ways to secure the success of the
republican ticket but only to receive
orders from their masters, the lily white
bosses headed by Harry Hendrickson.
'Colored voters, will you stand for
this: No. you will not when you pause
TO reflect for moment and remem-
Der what the lily whites did in the
Third. Fifth and Sixth wards Of the
city where the colored voters outnum-
Der the republican white voters by
about two to one. In each case a white
man was placed in these wards as the
ward committeeman, one who will take
and deliver the orders from the lily
uevhite bosses.
will Big Jack, Dr. Furniss. Henry
Fleming and Rufe Page say that this is
not true? Is it possible that we have
come TO the point when we can find no
men of sufficient ability and self deter
mination among our people to act for
the best interests of the colored voters
Of these parts of the city. or is 1t just
because they feel that they can not trust
the coloTed man? In either event the
act speaks volumes and will aid in po-
litical corruption, makes true the boosted
claim that the negro vote is carried
around in the pockets Of their lily white
bosses. Yes. as was in former years by
the boss, Bill Davis. this vote is sup
posed TO be delivered bag and baggage
by the colored henchmen to the G. o. P
What presumption. They do not do as
well as the paid lobbyist, Jim Watson.
who selected an interloper, Brssier from
Cleveland, to come here and open up
headquarters to round up the colored vo-
tiers for him, but it was q failure for he
completely ignored the intelligent negroes
Of this city and attempted to land the
colored vote for him through this man
Brasier. The negroes OF this city and
county Will not longer stand dictation
by or the control of any clique or abide
by the result Of any star-chamber pro-
ceedings held in the Marion club or else
where. Harry HendrickSon, or his aid
ds-camp. Fesler, can not tell the colored
republican voters OF Marion county who
they should support in the coming cleo
ton. We tell them now that the coll
ored men are going to support the men
who really are their friends. with them it
VIII be the individual and not party or
ticket. The colored people know the
white men who are their friends. and
they resent now and will again at the
polls, the action of the white leaders who
forced and put up a ticket without a
cOlored man on it for two consecutive
elections. Do you think that we are
going to forget or forgive the affront
and insult to the colored voters Of Gen.
ter township, when the county commits
sloners, at the advice of Harry Hendrick-
SON, and dictation OF Leo K. Fesler, de-
prived W. E. Henderson of the office Of
justice of the peace? How soon do they
think the sores can be healed caused by
counting out 81 Pritchard, Rev. Charles
Summer Williams and myself. We have
eyes to see with, and can see. We have
cara to hear with, and have heard. We
have not forgotten the orders passed
down the line TO the white voters in the
for them We can, with equal force,
say: If that class Of men viii not vote
for a coIored man for a position Of hon
or or trust, that it does not concern US
Chen they ask our support for the sue
cess of the ticket of the grand old party
OF Marion county.
1.-THE republican ticket of Marion
county Is not of the ticket OF the colored
voters of Marion county. We did not
select It, are rot responsible for it, ana
question whether any man on Il has
ever shown himself to be interested 10
any extent in the negro or our race, ex-
eept to secure our vote on election day.
again l say that the negroes Of Mar
ion county are under no obligations to
IIendrickson. or the gang; we are in
terested only in the national or state
ticket, and we propose to teach the lily
whites such a lesson on Nov. ., 1920
that It win not be forgotten during our
lives.