The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-01
HARDING AND THE
NEGRO EQUALITY
AfrO-American Newspaper
Appeals to Race to Vote
Tor the Republican
Candidate
EQUAL OF THE WHITES
NEGROES OF AMERICA SHOULD
BE GUARANTEED THE FULL
ENJOYMENT OF THEIR
RIGHTS."-W. G. ii.

At no time since the adoption of
the fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments to the. federal constitution, in
tended to guarantee to negro people
the full enjoyment of their political
and civil rights, have they been made
secure in the exercise of those sac
red rights. and high privileges. These
provisions of the organic law of the
country have been utterly ignored
and the colored people in Ohio and
other states have been subjected to
the greatest humiliation through un-
fair, unjust and unlawful discrimina-
ton against them because Of color.
The constitution recognized the col
ored man as the equal OF the white
man. He has been denied civil equa,-
ity during all the years that have
elapsed since the emancipation proc
lamation was issued by the Immortal
Lincoln. These rights conferred upon
the colored man were written into
the organic law Of The country by
he blood of 400 900 men, brave and
true. They have not only been de-
MED him. but he has even been
enable to secure redress in the courts
of this state.
Political party orators each recur-
ring year recount the progress and
achievements of the colored race.
They pay tribute for their surpris-
ing advancement in education, finance
business and the various professions
ana trades. They likewise commend
their loyalty and service to the coun-
try in its hour of need, but they
have failed to right the wrongs done
the colored people as a race by the
enactment OF laws which would en-
force these rights.
We have been patient long suf-
fering people. bur our opportunity
is present in the pending election
If the coored voters, men and wo-
men, stand together in the coming
/ November election we may be able to
secure the ful! fruition Of the rights
guaranteed us as people under the
! federal constitution. Six members of
our own race have been nominated as
candidates for membership in the
Ohio general assembly, three in Cy-
ahoga county two in Franklin coun-
ty and one in Hamilton county.
The colored voter, man and women.
who votes against any one of these
men viii not only be dsloyal to
his own race, but discredit to it..
and why? For the reason that if
these men are elected to the leeis-
'ature one Of them can Introduce a
duplicate Of the Beatty Bill. passed
In the house two years ago and de.
feaied in the senate. which. If II
had been enacted into law would
have prevented this unjust discrim-
ination against the colored people.
Six men in a legislative body may
ho!d the balance power and force the
majority to come to terms The Beat-
ty bill had teeth in it, and the PEN
a!ties which it would have imposed
upon those who discriminate against
colored people seeking admission to
hotels, theaters, places of public re-
sort and amusement, ice cream parlors.
bathhouses. barber shops. public H..
braries, hospitals, billiard and pool
rooms schools, colleges and UNIVERSE
ties, picture shows and oftentimes
public conveyances on land and water
would soon have put stop to this in
Justice to the colored people.
The civll recognition must come. II
is right conferred upon us by con.
siituuonal law. More than that. we
VIII have the moral support Of our
candidate for the presidency. Senator
Warren G.. Harding. In his speech of
acceptance at Marion when he was no.
tiiied Of his nomination he spoke
out unqualifiedly in favor of the
rights OF the co'orei people. He said.
Il believe the negro citizen of
America should be- guaranteed the
iuil enjoyment of all their rights.
tat they have earned the full
measure OF citizenship bestowed.
That their sacrifices in blood on the
baitloiields Of the republic have
entitled them TO all freedom and
opportunity, all of the sympathy
and aid that the American spirit
OF FAIRNESS and justice demands"
HIS words are an eloquent indorse-
ment OF The spirit and letter of the
Beatty bill, the purpose OF which was
TO insure the colored people their civil
rights by imposing heavy penalties
upon those who would deny them these
rights. In other words, they would
have the right to choose the hotel
at which they might stop, the theater
which they might attend or the place
OF amusement and recreation to which
they might go, with no questions
asked and no insults offered The
Beatty bill provided penalties OF 500
to $500 fines and 20 to % DAYS inn
prlsonment, or both, within the dis.
cretion of the court