Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-02-19
HON. HENRY LINCOLN JOHNSON
RETURNS TO ATLANTA.
(By l.. II. Lautier)

The Hon. Henry Lincoln Johnson,
TIE Georgia Member of the Rcpunli-
can National CommitttoE, fulfilled
his promise made in an interview
with representative Of the Ass,riat
cd Negro Press that he would return
to Georgia and reitcrate tho charges
which he he'd made before tho Sen.
ate Committee Investigating Pre.Con
vencion Campaign Expenditures,
whe nhe returned to Atlanta and al
dressed meet ing Of tho Republican
State Central Committee on Friday,
January 81, 1921.
In his testimony before this Invcs
tigating Committee Col. Johnson tes
titled that SIS per cent Of tho colored
GitiZenry OF Georgia, WHO arc entitl-
cd TO vote under the laws Of the Stnte
are disfranchised by Democratic In
trigue and intimidation. He then be
came the object Of Democratic news
paper attacks in his State and was
made an important subject OF debate
IN the "whitc primary fight between
the POLITICAL forces OF the vtriollc
Tom Watson and Clark Howell, edi
tor of The Atlanta Constitution, in
which odious comparisons were made
Ivy Tom Watson between tho Two nat
iOnnh committeeman III favor OF the
Republican.
tDamc Rumor" then had 1t that
rColoncr Johnson was afraid to return
TO Georgia and when interviewed by
the Associated Negro Press, hc de
clnred THAT he would return to Gcor
gin and say the very things that he
had said in Chicago and that he would
extend an invitation to the editors Of
certain daily papers that had been bit
ter In their denunodation Of him to lie
personally present and have rcpresen
tattves there that they might hear his
| remarks. M ssE5ft ~ tfla
Col. johnson returned to Atlanta
on the evening OF january 2Oth. Tic
| had been away since-the last of May
engaged In public speaking and other
campaign work; and when he nut IN
his appearance Mt the meeting of tho
State Central Committee held in Al.
lanta, Oh January 21st. wild arplauso
greeted him and rules were suspended
, while the members OF the Committee
-whito and black, and the several
hundred visitors IN attendance at
this meeting crowded around to shake
| hands with him. Later In the after
l noon his address caused storm after
| storm of applause.
In the course of his address, he
stated: Il reserve to myself the rinht
| to form my own conclusions about
politics and tho conduct OF political
parties and when I advised friends IN
Il distant city that practically SIS Per
cent Of the Negroes in Georgia were
disfranchisod. I spoke the truth -,
With reference to Lynching, he re
marked: "Thcy lrcferrnc ITO tho
Fress) said said something about
lynchmg. IT stands to the disgrace of
any state that suffers it and net muir
ders go unpublished. Grcathcr than the
question OF Ahe tariff, greater th1n the
question OF relationship under the
league OF nations with Jngo- Slavia
Is the absolute safety Of the euaran.
tees under the Constitution that every
mans life shall be safe and never hc
taken away except by due process of
law"
Taking up tho matter Of his resi-.
dencc in Washington, he said: "You
If Won want to know why T am in
WashinGton--I am right dhere and
pronosc to roost right on the ankles
or Congrcss-ahc Congress that will
be convenes by Warren G.. Harding
President Of the United States--ur,
til that Congress writes on the Stat
ute books law to put tho hangman's
rope arrJbd the neck of any man who
would place that rope around any
mans neck, of whatever hue. without
due process Of law. Thank God, we
are going to live under President
who invoked Almighty God to witness
his committal, when Warren G. Hard
ing, at Marion Ohio, on the 22nd day
OF July On his Address Of Acceptancc)
asked God to witness that he pledged
himself when he became President to
use his Influence to place on the stat.
ute DOCKS law making mob violence
crime in this country
With reference to the Ku KluZ Khan
which was reOrganized at Stone Noun
tain, Georgia, just twenty miles from
Atlanta, in 1915 and chartered by tho
State, he said: Incidentally, the Re
publican Party is going to pay little
attention to the Ku Klux Khan. I
have the petition already framed. and
when the Senate sonvenes on the 9th
OF March to confirm the cabinet nom
nations OF President Harding-I have
the petition to go to the Postmaster.
General to ask him to refuse the use
or the United States mails to the I[u
klu klan. Oh! God Why give legal i'm
mortality to a criminal band like that q?
IT. will not bet Is not going to DO
under a Republican administration.