The Washington times., 1922-07-27
RACE CHARGES
MADE IN FIGHT
. FOR CONGRESS
Woman Candidates Opponent
Says She Is Wed to Negro.
She Denies It.

NEW ORLEANS, July 27.-The
entire South, especially the Fifth
Mississippi Congressional District, Is
excited today over the charge that
Mrs. ]. L. Arnold, candidate for Con-
gress from that District, is married
to a negro clergyman.
Arnold. Baptist preacher, says he
Is part Choctow Indian and he was
ordained in Calvary Baptist Church,
Washington. D. c.. President Hard
ing's church. He also says he Is a
member Of Masonic Lodge. No. 81,
Anacostia, besides several other
white organizations, including the
Woodmen OF the World.
Opponent Accuses.
The charge that the candidates
husband is of negro blood, through
his mother, Martha Arnold, is made
by Congressman Ross Collins. whom
she Is opposing for the Congressional
nomination by the Democrats In the
September primaries.
He made the charge in . public
speech at Madden, Miss. In speeches
OF recent days Mrs. Arnold has re-
piled to these charges, denying them
and quoting a decision by Judge
Springer Of the United States District
Court, Centralia district, Indian Ter
ritory. TO the effect that her hus.
bands mother was a Choctaw Indian.
This decision was made in a suit
over>,tribal funds in which negroes
charged. according to Mrs. Arnold,
that her mother-in-law was of negro
blood
This evidence, the congressional
candidate says, was false and the
negroes are said by her to have ad-
mitted afterwards that they were
bribed to swear that the preachers
mother carried black blood.
In his Madden speech. Collins
claimed he had documents to prove
his assertion.
To this Mrs. Arnold replies: IF he
or any one can produce a court de-
cision or any other record besides
the bought deposition Of negroes, I
will eat them and withdraw from
the race"
Mrs Arnold quotes Judge Springer
as having given the following de-
cision concerning her motherin-law's
racial blood:
III there were no evidence in the
case other than her complexion, hair.
and general physical features, 1t
would be conclusively established
that the principal claimant, Martha
Arnold, is not a negro ana that no
person who was 80 dark in COM
plexion and whose hair was so
straight, long, and black could pos
sibly be q negro or have any negro
blood. and that her every feature
proved conclusively that she was an
Indian"
Some hot charges Of her own were
hurled at Congressman Collins In re-
plying to his accusation. She de-
clared in a speech at Carthage, Miss.
that Collins had been a traitor to
Masonry TN having thus attacked
the good name Of a Mason and thus
seeking to bring eternal shame on
the wife and child Of a preacher by
making this, charge of negro blood
which he knew to be false At the
time he made II"
Calls Collins Traitor.
Collins alignment with Charles D.
Carter, Oklahoma Congressman, him
self 50 per cent Choctaw. also came
in from attack by Mrs. Arnold.
"fIe Is false TO his constituency IN
aligning himself with Carter" she
said. She did not explain why. She
also asserted Collins was q traitor to
America and her allies because Of his
alleged support Of Germany and his
continuous plea that America and all
the world withdraw aid from France
and let Germany utterly destroy her.
Tho Rev. J. l.. Arnold. whose
wife is running for Congress from
the Fifth Mississippi district. was
ordained at Calvary Baptist Church,
this city, about three years ago,
records show.
Tho ceremony aroused consider.
able local interest at that time
when II was made known that
he was an almost ftill-blooded Choo-
taw Indian, II ts understood by
local clergymen that Arnold's wife
IL also part Indian.
: Members OF the local clergy, who
know Arnold. are said TO be tndig-
nant at the charges that he is q
negro, brought by his wife's poiiti-
cal opponents. They declare they
arc certain he has no negro blood
In his veins and they had never