The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-09-09
Former Register Of
Treasury Speaks
Stops in Des Moines In a Tour Of the
Country Prior to His Departure
for South Africa in
November

Bishop w. T. Vernon, formerly regis
ter of the U. S. treasury and more re-
Gently pastor of Avery chapel Mem
phis, Tenn, accompanied by Mrs. Yer
non, arrived in Des Moines Sunday
evening from their home at Quindara,
Kan. While in the city they attended
the Virginia and Missouri picnics on
Monday and were the guests Of Rev.
and Mrs. s. L. Brit.
On Monday at o. CLOCK p. m. large
audience filled the auditorium Of st.
Paul A. M. E. church and listened to
Easterful address by the bishop He
traced the historical events of leaders
and movements down to the landing of
the slaves at jamestown as preface to
his remarks on the present status of the
Negro race and the things that must be
accomplished to quell the present day
unrest. 60
His Work in the South.
Bishop Vernon said that it takes a.
great deal Of courage to live and sue
ceed in the south where Jim Crow laws,
klu Klux Klan and disfranc nchisement
reign. A man may succeed ever so
well in procuring dollars and cents but
unless he could have the peace Of mind
that comes as result of living a real
American citizen, that degree of sue
cess availed little. He said the Negro
was hated mere for his success than
for his wrongs done or crimes commit
ted.
During his stay in the south he was
located in the heart of poison south.s
against burning and lynchings which
occurred in his own community; and
although threatened with anonymous
letters he never shirked from the duty,
say what was right, or render service
to wherever possible.
Tells Of Address to Nashville
Business Men
During the war, Bishop Vernon said
that he was invited by the business
men of Nashville, Tenn, to deliver an
address on how to keep the Negro in
the south. He first asked these men:
want to hear'' or "The truth9'' They
wanted to hear the truth and he pro-
ceeded to state his remedies: Better
schools, abolition of disfranchisement,
Jim Crowism, burning and lynching
Negroes; give him man IS chance un-
der the law as guaranteed by the con-
stitution of the United States. .
The speaker said the southern white
man is the only person who can keep
the Negro in the south and he can do
it only by doing justice at all times.
Remedy for Better1ng the South.
The bishop said said that in order to
better conditions throughout the south,
a president and congress must be
elected this fall with the courage to
pass federal laws against lynching, re-
duce southern representation in con-
gress, disfranchisement and Jim Crow
ism and by all means enforce them.
In his closing remarks the bishop
said the Negroes who had come north
in the last few years were on trial and
as such had wonderful opportunity
to prove that the slanderous propagan-
ola that has eminated from the south
was untrue. He part1cularly advised
them to not "over ldo' the thing but
simply demand and be satisfied with
the privileges granted all other men
and no more.
Bishop and Mrs. Vernon sail for
South Africa on November 1. He said
he would locate his headquarters in
Cape Town hut would be found travers-
ing the interior where he would with
the aid Of guides and Interpreters carry
the gospel of the Maker to those who
had never seen the light.
The distinguished guests left the city
Wednesday for Chicago where the bish-
oo will make an address at Quinn
chapel. ..-s