The Washington times., 1920-06-06
G. O.P. OF VIRGINIA
FLAyED BY NERGO
]. n. Pollard Makes Bitter At
tack on Discrimination Prac.
, ticed BY Leaders.
by WILLIAM q. SHEPHERD'
international News Service.


tion came before the Republican ma
tional convention last evening in dra-
matte fashion.
With flashing eyes and violent Gcs-
tures, but with an cloquencc that
thrilled his hearers, ]. II. Pollard,
negro of Richmond. Va, faced in open
debate a trio OF Southern miliionairrs,
skilled in political II alters Of the
South and read them a lesson OF what
tho colorcd man Of the South ex-
poets from the Republican party. Pol
lard was not silcnced even by an clo-
auent argument presented by Henry
W. Anderson, Of Richmond, candidate
for the Vice Presidency, Il mIllionairc
banker and lawyer.
Raps Virginia Forces.
The issue arose over thSfact that
negroes were barred from the Repub-
lican state meetings in Virginia.
"They put policemen at tho doors
of the court there and organized
meeting for selecting delegate. Not
n negro was allowed 10 enter. In
Richmond twenty policemen held
back the colorcd mon who wanted 10
take part in the Republican meeting
some OF those colorcd men n-no wcr"
denied the sacred right OF participant
ing in governmental affairs were boys
who had fought in Fran2c: others
were qualified voters and tINHaycrS
But the Republican leaders in Nir-
ginia had decided that the negroes
were not wanted. We cannot vote
with the Democrats. They don't want
us, and we don't want th"n, AMI now
comes the great Republican party.
born of Lincoln, and shuts us out OF
its councils.
viii Demand Rights.
Fifteen of us have come here to
Chicago. spending our own money,
and we're to stay here thirty days, II
necessary, to get our rights. THESE
Republican delegates from Virginia
don't include one single colored man.
We asked them to give us just one
alternate, but they would not do even
that"
Pollard charged that in every dis
trict in Virginia negroes had been
kept away by threats OF force from
Republican county and district con-
ventions.
"They would hold the convention i'll
a club, for instance, where colored
man could not go, or in some. palatial
hotel, where negroes were not admit
ted
was it for this that 800, 900 colored
boys went over 20 France to fight?'
Lining the sides of the room where
the committee was gathered were
hundred or more negroes. Occa-
sionalIy they expressed their approval
of Pollard's remarks. once several
of them shouted, That's right
that's right"
The chairman raped repeatedly for
order. ...
Members of the committee talked
among themselves as Pollard spoke.
Some of them were openly critical OF
the Virginia party leaders.
"1 didn't know such things could
exist one national committeeman
was heard to say.
IF We can't take part in Rcpub-
lican politics in the South we will
come to the North, just as a million
and a half of us have done within the
past four years, and by means of the
ballot in your Northern States, we
will finally overthrow the Repub-
lican party in the South and make II
what we think II ought to be-"
Anidavits Back Charges.
Several lawyers from Virginia
cities argued that the police had not
been requested by Republican party
leaders to bar negroes from local
conventions, but POLAND proved his
case. time after time. with afridavits.
Pollands plea that the Virginia
delegates sent to the national con-
rention by a State convention in
which he said, negroes did not par.
ticipate, he declared unseated was
made in vain. But a direct result of
his eloduence was n resolution offered
by National Committeeman jackson,
OF Maryland, which provided that a
committee be appointed "who shall
carefully and impartially study the
whole political situation in the South
and also its relations to that in the
North with view to reporting at
the next meeting OF the national COM
mittee how the Republican party in
the states OF tho South may be re-
organized to make a more effective
agent for spreading Republican prin-
a.lg -.