Evening star., 1921-10-28
HARRISON SAYS HARDING
SPEECH is UYFaRTUNATE
Mississippi Senate: 1e :lare5 HIS
Race Theory Is Destructive.
Comment by Others.

President Hard!ng's Birmingham
speech on the right of the negro to
political and economic equality was
| assailed by Senator Harrison of Missis-
sippi. who issued the following state
! ment:
THE Presidents speech was unfor-
. tunate; but to have made it in the
! heart of the south, where, in some
states. the negro populations pre-
dominate. was unfortunate in the eX-
treme.
, "Of course. every rational being de-
sireS to see the negro protected in his
life. liberty and property. l believe
in giving him every right under the
law to which he is entitled, but to en-
courage the negro. where, in some
states. as in my own. he exceeds the
white population, to strive through
every political avenue to be placed
upon equality with the white. is a
blow to the white civilization of this
country that will take years to COM
bat.
If the Presidents theory is carried
to its ultimate conclusion. namely
that the black person, as man or
woman. should Eave full economi.
! and political rights with the " hite
man and white woman. then that
means that the black man can strive
to become President of the unlre'l
States, hold cabinet positions and oc-
cupy the highest places of public
trust in the nation. 1t means tina;
| white women should work under
black men in public place; as well
as i'll all trades and professions.
Il am against any such theory, be-
cause l h1ow it is impracticai'le. it
| Is unjust and it is destructive Of the
list ideais CT America.
"tl"c' tE, negro upon political and
economic equality with the white
!! IAN or woman, and friction between
| the races will be aggravated.
The President is right that the
race question is national one, and
not confined to any one section, and
his unfortunate and mischievous ut
terance on the subject will he depre-
Gated by people in every section of
the country who believe in the pres
ervation of white civilization"
Other democrats who criticised
the speech included Senators Watson
| of Georgia. Helm of Alabama. and
Mckellar of Tennessee.
-Republicans who. in formal state
ments declared their approval of it
| included Senators Calder of New
York. Spencer of Missouri and Willis
Senator Willis said "the Presidents
ringing statement in defense of politi-
cal and economic equality, OF indi-
vidual opportunity, with recognition
| of absolute divergence in things so
cial and racial, is as courageous as 1t
| is true"
There is no use in anybody get
| ting into a quarrel with facts" he
added THE President has stated the
facts; political critics may wish the
facts were otherwise. but that does
| not change the situation. The coun-
| try will applaud President Harding S
clearness of statement and patriotism
| of purpose.
Senator McKellar declared the
! Presidents speech was "ill-conceiv-
ed, ni-tImed. IIl-placed, and can serve
no useful purpose"
, Its only effect" he said, will be
! to arouse racial discussions and ra-
cial prejudices that had better been
left dormant Speeches of this kind
will not benefit the negro and may
do him serious HARM"
Senator Calder, republican. New
York, declared the Presidents speech
/ courageous.
II thoroughly indorse the Presi-
dents statements" he said. Il in
dorse his views for political rights
/ for negroes. We have elected ne
groes to the New York city board of
assembly. If they should have the
majority of votes they would be en-
titled to a seat in the United States
Senate
! The executive committee of the
National Race Congress at a session
here adopted resolutions commencing
| 1.-The courage and wisdom shown by
! the President in going to the heart
i of the south rather than to the north
\ or west to present his solution of the
So-called race problem and indors-
ing his contention that white and
colored citizens alike be given equal
political. economic and educational
iopportunitieS.