Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-07

Senate, which, If il had been enacted into
law would have prevented this unjust
discrimi nation against the colored people.
Six men IN legislative body may hold
the balance of power. and force the ma
jority to come to terms. The Beatty bill
had teeth III it, and the penalties which it
would have imposed upon those who
Disseminated against colored people seek
ing admission to hotels theatres, places
of public resort and amusement ice cream
parlors, lighthouses, barber shops, public
libraries, hospitals, billiard and pool rooms
schools, colleges and universities, picture
shows and often times public conveyances
on land and water would soon have put a
stop to this injustice to the colored people.
This civil recognition must come. 1t is a
right conferred upon us by Constitutional
law. Gods laws make no determinations
between the whites and the blacks. They
are all his children. He looks into their
minds. hearts and souls. "'The wages OF
sin is death" This penalty is visited upon
white and black alike. People canno.
violate His law and escape. The laws oil
man should he made to command the
same respect through their rigid enforce
ment.
We believe that If the Colored men who
are candidates for Legislative honors are
elected that these wrongs To the Negro
race will be remcdied We will not only
have the benefit Of their help, but back oil
them will stand Harry L. Davis, candidate
for governor. and former mayor oil the
city of Cleveland, who has always been
the loyal and true friend OF the coiored
people He will be our friend stlil. lie
cannot make any prediction promises
but what is in his heart viii be written
into law il he is supported by n Legislature
in sympathy with him.
More than that, VIC will have the moral
support of our candidate for the presidency
Senator Warren c. Harding In his speech
of acceptance at Marion when nc WAS
notified of his nomination. he spoke out
mqualihedlv in favor of the rights ot the
colorcd people He said: 81 believe the
Negro citizens of America should be
guaranteed the full enjoyment of all their
rights. that they have earned the iuii
measure OF citizenship bestowed, that
their sacrifices in blood on the battlehelds
of the republic have entitled them to all
freedom and opportunity, all of the sym
pathy and aid that the American spirlt
of fairness and justice demands.
His words are an eloquent Endorsement
of the spirit and letter of the Beatty bill,
the purpose Of which was to insure TO the
colored people their civil rights by rupoS-
ing heavy penalties upon those who 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 10 which they
might 90, with no questions asked and no
insults offered The Beatty bill pro-
vlded penalties of SlOO to $500 frne and
thirty to ninety days Imprisonment, or
both within the discretion of the court.
The enactment of such a law by the
Ohio General Assembly and its rigid en-
forcement, would have the effect very
soon of bringing the colored people into
the full enjoyment of all their rights,
which Senator Harding says the American
spirit of fairness and Justice demands.
With slx of our own race in the Legislature,
backed as they would be by Governor
Davis and with the moral influence OF
the incoming national administration
of Warren c. Harding we do not sec
how We could fail to put over a measure
similar to the Beatty bill.
The duty Of colorcd people living in
the counties which present these colored
men aS candidates for the General As
Semblv is to vote for them 20 a man. And
that reminds us that women are going To
have the right 10 vote at the comlrg
November election. Ii is their duty also
TO vote for these men With the Beatty
bill enacted into law, colored men and
women will be privileged 20 90 where they
please, and when this right is enforced
the white people will have more respect
for YOU This is our opportunity, and
VIC must not LET it pass