The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1920-09-18
Especial to The Broad AK

Il NoDNEAtlA W RAR1A 49,
Marion, o., last Friday, on the oeca
sion of the visit Of delegations of col
ored citizens to Senator Harding OF
Friday, September 10, Hon. VIM. II
Lewis of Boston, former assistant at
tomey general, in presenting the dele
CATION Senator Harding said:
"The pilgrims that you see before
you at this hour are on the road tC
Washington seeking a rehabilitation OF
their status as American citizens. Tho
road to Washington this year leads
through Ohio, through Marion, not Day
ton. We pause to pay our respects to
you, sir, as the standard bearer Of the
party to renew our pledge Of freedom
and human progress, to pass the word
on to our brethren to meet you again
at the White House, on the 4th of
March, 1921, confident that we shall re-
ceive the same cordial greeting there
as you have given us here.
"Of all the pilgrims who shall come
to your front door during the remain
ing weeks of this campaign, none will
come with more anxious hearts and
more fervent prayers, and more ready
for active service than the group rep
resenting twelve millions Of your col
ored fellow citizens. Other groups Of
citizens may have been affected by the
lack Of capacity, the inefieieney, the
extravaganee of the present admins
tration, but we have suffered from its
indifference, its malevolence and per
seeution.
eve would not have you, sir, OF the
party or the nation oelieve for a single
moment that we are people Of narrow
vision, and aetuated by selfish motives
only, We are interested in good gov
eminent, in sound economic program,
and wise and courageous foreign pol
icy Just the same as our other fellow
citizens. But we have been the victims
Of the present administration far more
than any other class of citizens, elimi-
mated from the participation in the
government, segregated in the civil ser
vice and denied the equal protection of
the law.
owe are with you upon the ques-
tons Of the League Of Nations. You
cannot amend the constitution by
treaty or change the form of govern
ment by autocratic methods Of admin
istration- We were thrilled by your
prOnOuneement that you would never
empower an assistant Secretary of the
Navy to write a constitution for a
sister republic.
"What kind of League Of Nations
would you have with the smaller re-
publics held as vassal statesf What
we need is league Of humanity, gov
erned by the golden rule. Intema-
tional courts Of justice we believe in,
but we lay emphasis on national courts
Of justice, where every justieiable cause
may be determined to the end that mob
rule may be abolished everywhere.
"Having given our lives and prop
srty to make democracy safe for
and the world, we are seek
ng in this campaign to make |
democracy safe for ourselves and our
children.
al know no other way of accomplish
ng this result except through the Re
publican party.
''We seek no pledges. Your life,
FOUR high character, your public ser
Tices are pledges enough. Your splen-
lid pronouneement in your speech of
that the eolored citizens
ihOuld be guaranteed the enjoyment of
III their rights and entitled to freedom
md opportunity because they had
measured up to the requirements of
citizenship by their sacrifice on the
'attle fields of the Republic, gives us
,Ourage and inspiration
'EYou viii rear anew at Washingt
he great fTemple Of Liberty under
-Aw" and enforce the constitution
which eOntemplates no Class and reeog-
lies no grOup-I may add by reeOgniz-
ng all groups.
"our votes viii be felt in the great
'ivOtal- states of New York, New Jer-
ey, Connecticut, Ohio, Indiana and
LIMOS as never before.
owe have more TO gain by the sue
ess Of the party this year and more
o lose by its failure than any other
lass Of citizens. The door once closed
gainst rs is difficult to open, and
Obey once fixed is dOubly difficult to
tier or change.
''After seven long years Of suffer
ng and humiliation we are looking
onward to another Republican Presi.
ent from the great State Of Ohio,
reathing the spirit Of the sainted
ever kindly, eonsiderate and
ast like William Howard Taft, the
lost lorable man who believed that
be honor Of the Republic should. be
pen to the eOlOred youth as wen as
be white, As an example and inspira-
ION to the race, man Of the same