The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-01-17
ACTION AGAINST
RACE RI0MNG
Subcommittee of Senate Judici.
ary Committee at Initial Ses-
sion Considers Juris-
diction -

| Washington. Jan. 14.-Enactmert OF
federal legislation TO prevent lynch
inss and race rioting was urged at the
initial hearing today of senate ju-
dietary subcommittee conducted un-
der the resolution providing for in
vestigalion into recent riots and sub
mission of & report TO the senate sug-
"estino means of preventing recur-
renee. of the disorders. Todav's ses-
sion was devoted entirely TO the
question Of federal jurisdiction.
Senator Curtis, Republican, Kan
sas author of the resolution pres anred
| 10 the subcommittee q copy Of a re-
port of the department of justice
showing the activity of radical agi;;,
tors among the negroes in various
eisies where rioting has occurred in
the last six years and describing the
manner in which these agitators have
conducted propaganda among ne
groes for the purpose Of arousinG un :
rest.
The report outlined an article by
Ere Gerick A Blossom. secretary of III ].
]. w w. local of Paterson. y. !. tex
tile workers designed to arouse ne
sroes This article, the report said.
was printed in the Office of the Gary
(Ind.) Post at the expense Of Linn a.
E. Gale of Mexico City, who the re-
port Sai.. was believed to be q Ger
man agent.
1T seens to me y said Senator Cur
It's in presenting the report. that there
is Very strong reason why the gen
er;sl government should take hold Of
this question and make a thorough
investigation of it and into the activ
ity of the radical element in this
country in the working up of race
riots
U. S. Bratton. white, attorney Of
Little Rock, Ark. who said his son
narrowly escaped lynching during the
recent race riots in that Stare. ar
gued in favor of federal legislation.
declaring the federal constitution
guaranteed all citizens an impartial
trial which mob rule denies. He de-
clared, however. that the recent trou-
bles in Arkansas was not due to radi-
cal agitators but to the system Of
peonage which he alleged prevailed
in Arkansas.
The conditions that exist there arc
such as TO demand the attention Of
the federal government. Bratton
said.
James Weldon Johnson, former
United States conseul in Nicaragua,
but now field secretary OF the Ma
tional Association for the Advance
menr Of Colored People, told the COM
mittee that there recently had been
suggestions that the United States
:u..erveae in Mexico because about six
An erlcans had been killed, while dur
ing III. same period SO negroes had
been lyached in this county.
Legis' alton to prevent race riots
and lynchings clearly comes within
lEs> eonseitettoaai powers Of con-
gress. said Mr.. Johnson. WHO :sdi!~'!
that it had taken no radical ACTIVITY
10 make the negroes feel they were
being oppressed.
The Rev. j. G. Robinson. negr"
Philadelphia. national ors"nizcf 10.
the Equal Rights League Of America
tod the subcommittee that he had
been driven from his home because
of his work on behalf of the negro.
Other witnesses were John X. Shli-
lady, secretary of the National asso,
cia1ion for the Advancement OF. Col
ored People and Archibald II. Grim
Ike. president of the Washington
branch Of that organization.