Evening star., 1921-10-30
BIZ @. II. sTANLEYs
Hahaiine Editor. the Bifainkknnl
AHe-HefalA

BIZ q. II. STANLEY
1ahajins Editor. the BirninEhAnl
AHe-Hefa1A
spselai 0iaDsecA - Ths Star.
BIRMINGHAM. Ala, October 3s.-
RAppftS which attribute to the people
Of Bifmingham hostility to the re.
marks Of President Harding wednesA
day on the race question are evi.
IDENTIFY premature and Ill considered
when tho President urged equality
Of economic and political opportunity
for the white ana black races he also
said that men Of both races may well
stand uncompromisingly against
every snsxestion Of social .s .sst equality, inst
Ievery economic and political equality
should be proportioned to the honest
jcapacities and deserts OF the indi-
vidnais.
These views are unauestionably in
accord with the best thought not only
south. There unquestionably has
been Misunderstanding Of the mass
psychology OF the negro and misin-
tterpretAtion OF certain confusion or
certain silences in the audience which
heard the President speak.
1 WdS CBLIIHhGSu tHdt IuSI0 "0I0
tbetween $4,000 and 10000 people in
Capitol Park during the address. It
was physically impossible for them
to hear what the President was say
ying. A section on one side was re-
| served for negroes, and the section
was filled almost to suffocation;
toward them they cheered as only
negroes can cheer q republican Presi-
dent. Most of them could not hear
word being said. Those on the other
side. who likewise could not hear. in
turn began their noise making. many
of them thinking perhaps that the
President had said something very
pleasing to his colored hearers.
| 1t Is true that there is and prob
ably always will be those in the
south and elsewhere who are Jealous
of any suggestion of Justice to the
NEGRO race. Some of them were
probably in Wednesdays audience.
but they do not represent BirminS-
ham. nor do they represent Alabama.
Sentiment Of People.
It is a fair assertion that tho daily
newspapers of Birmingham reflect
the sentiment of the people Of Biz
mingham. Here is what the Age
Herald said editorially on the Presi-
dents speech:
"President Harding offered a prae-
| tical. common-sense solution Of the
race problem. His views coincide
with the best thought in this part Of
the country and will be cordially ap-
proved. He spoke on the broad
grounds of humanity and an equality
Of opportunity. but he drew a sharp
distinction between economic and So
cial recognition.
Southern leaders. white and black.
have already accepted the doctrine
laid down by President Harding.
ut cannot be denied that politics
has had much to do with aggravating
the race question in the south. The
cry of black domination has served
idemagogues ever since the civil war
and continues to do so. This is due
largely to the fact that negroes have
been closely identified with tho at
tempts OF the republican party to
gain a foothold in the south and have
been used time and again by poff-
ticians for their own selfish ends"
The Birmingham News, after point.
ing out that the President has ex-
pressed the southern viewpoint" pro-
ceeds:
"The south viii have no quarrel
with President Harding upon his ad-
dress. II the speech was greeted In
q measure of silence 1t was because
such statements from q President
were astounding and the people were
thinking and rejecting. It was not
a matter for cheering, but for study.
"The colored contingent was some.
what observation-disclosures some Of his
sentences they did not thoroughly
u understand. and that 10 the only dan
ger in the utterance. If the negro