The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-04-09
GALL PEONAGE MENACE TO Ma
TNON'S ECONOMIC FUTURE.
Grcntest Cause of Unrest Next to Lyn-
chyinE.
Negro Association TeIegraphs Presi-
dent Harding and Georgia Governor
on Georgia Cases.

The National Association for the
| Advancement Of Colored People. u
/ Fifth Avenue, New York, today made
public kilograms sent to President
| Harding and Governor Dorsey of Geo
/ gia in which the statement is made
! that the murder of eleven Negroes or
| the Williams plantation in Georgia
does not constitute an isolated case
of peonage in the South. but that q
number Of cases have been called tC
| the attention of the Department OF
Justice in recent years.
The Arkansas riots Of 1919 an dthe
| burning at stake in January of this
year of Henry Lowery. are laid to the
| same cause and 1t is stated in the
| telegram that the practise of peonage
is widespread in southern states, es-
pecially in the Mississippi Delta re-
gion. 1t is called the greatest cause
of unrest next to lynching.
In the telegram to the Governor of
| Georgia, he is called upon not only to
exercise his full power to bring the
offenders in the present cases to JUS
tice, but to proceed against the wide
spread system of debt slavery which
! prevails in his state.
The kilograms follow. The one sent
president Harding Is as follows;
March p, 1921.
President of the United States,
Washington, d. G.
The National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People urgently
requests of you that a thorough inves-
LEGATION be made by the Department. of
Department by Federal laws of peon-
age conditions in Jasper County, Geor-
gia, where John Williams, white
landowner has killed or caused to be
/ liilled eleven Negroes who threatend
70 testify against Williams regarding
peonage. This case is not an Isolated
one but is Indicative of similar con-
ditions which exist in most southern
nd rti pIII o1INy In, La
sissippi Delta. Henry Lowry, Color
ed, was burned at the stake in most
horrible fashion in Arkansas on jan
uary 26th. because he attempted to
In, Phillips County, Arkansas, in Oc-
tober, 1919, an unknown number of
Negroes were slaughtered and others
sentenced to death and Imprisonment
Tor attempting to secure redress from
exploitation through the courts of that
state. This Association has, furnished
numerous cases of peonage to the De-
partment of Justice. The entire gco-
America are affected by this system.
Thorough investigation and punish
ment of those guilty of perpetuating
this system whatever the cost TO the
United states must be made. We urge
you t. issue such an order.
JAMES WELDON JOHNSO."
Secretary"
The telegram to Governor Dorsey
Is as follows:
March rs 1921.
Hon. Hugh NJ Dorsey,
Gov. State Of Georgia.
Atlanta, Ga.
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People urges
you to use every effort to bring to
justice the murderers of eleven Ne
groes in Jasper County Geogia, be-
cause they threatened to reveal peon-
age conditions in that county. We also
strongly urge that you have brought
into the light this vicious system of
economic exploitation and debt-slav
cry which is so prevalent in other
parts of Georgia as well as which is
so great a menace to the well being
of Georgia, the South, and America.
VIII you not also turn over to the
Department of Justice evidence of
such other cases of peonage as you
have in your possession that the De-
partment may act in conjunction with
state authorities in wiping out this
evil, Next to lynching there is no
greater cause of unrest than this vi
ciOus system.
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON,
Secretary"
A telegram was also sent to Attor-
ney-General Doughtery urging that
the entire machinery of the Depart
ment of Justice be placed behind the
prosecutions.