Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-05-12

J0CkHOus MISS, May O. ne ANCSAo-
es held mass meeting in jackson on
yesterday and after pledging themselv-
es for mutual cooperation issued the
following address:
To the Citizens Mass Convention of the
State of iss!ppi:-Greetings.
Gentlemen:-Having been informed
that the object of your meeting Is to
take steps to try TO stay the present
exodus of Negroes from the State OF
Mississippi and being ourselves proper
ty-hOlders. citizens of the State and
most deeply interested in the future
welfare OF the commonwealth, realiz
ing that anything that is detrimental
to the common good of the State is
equally detrimental to us, and being
Negro citizens ourselves, we beg to sub
nit the following as few Of the many
reasons which cause the Negro to be
so easily induced to leave the State:
1. The Negro feels that life is not
safe in Mississippi and his life may be
taken with impunity at any time upon
the slightest pretext or provocation. by
a white man.
2 The record filibuster, vote and de
feat by the Southern representation in
Congress against the Dyer Anti-Lynch
ing Bill, il the last Congress, has
caused the Negro to believe that the
South is irrevocably determined to pei
pet,iate therein lynch-law and mob VIC
lence in the South.
3. The Negro has generally despair
ed of obtaining his rights as citizen
In this section and a few Of the follow
ing facts all tend to force him to this
conclusion.
(x) While he realizes that the law
on its face is fair, yet he feels that
when it comes to an application Of
that law to him only too often it IS
but a dead letter.
(b) He realizes the fact that though
he IS equally taxed with the white man
that he gets only too often, but few OF
:ts benefits and that while ell schooi
money, under the law, should be divid
ed equally. that Ire gets onlJ about one
twentieth of his share or in other
words: for every dollar spent for the
education of the Negro child in the
State of Mississippi, there are about
$50 90 spent for the education of the
white child.
tc) That there are more than one
thousand high schools in the State for
whites, while there is but one such
public school in the State maintained
for Negroes
fO That though there are about
eight hundred consolidated rural
schools in the State for whites, there
is not one for Negroes.
ie) That though more than $100,0O
90 IS spent monthly for the transporta
tior of white children to and from
school, not one dollar is spent for Ne
gro children.
() That the wage paid Negro teach
ers is wholly insufficient to induce com
petent teachers, as a rule, to teach Ne
gro schools.
(g) That though all schools for
whites are built out of the common
fund, raised by the taxation of both
white and black. the Negro is called
upon by the State through its repre-.
sentatives to solicit charity to bu!ld
his own little, meagre school house
out of his own personal funds. supple
mented by philanthropy, wherever he
may, perchance find it.
CHI Though there are so odd agricul
tural high schools supported By the
oidtS ioi tutIc is OHc SuCh
school in the State for Negroes
ID That though the State has estah
Iished reformatory for the dere!ic'
white youth, at a cost of more than
S1,O00,00000 and spends $4,000 per
month, per capita upon each white
deralict youth, to bring it hack to good
citizenship, not one dollar is spent In
this way for the reformation Of the
Negro derelict. but he is thrown into
prison among the most hardened Grin,
inals only to be made worse.
60 That though the State has spent
several millions in the establishm ent
and maintenance of tuberculosis hos
pital for the whites of the State, yet
there is no place whatever in the State
where the Negro may go and receive
treatment for this dread malady. not
withstanding H.. fact that the Negro
is said to be more subject to this dis
ease than the whites
(k) That though the State has spent
several million dollars for white
feeble-minded children and though
the Negroes are in the majority in
the State. not one dollar has been
spent to aid the feeble-minded Negro
youth.
ID The :"rac'ty and support of Al.
corn College is not one-tenth what It
should be-the State itself contribut-
ing less than five cents per capita. Ne
gro population for the hsgher educa--
ton OF Negroes.
Though there are several colleges
and State Normal College maintain
ed by the State alone for whites. no
such institutions are maintained for
Negroes as such-Alcorn being . Mo-
Ill Land Grant School. intended to he
the equal Of Starkvi1le A. and NJ. COL
Leg but has not had one-tenth of the
support heretofore given that great
institution.
(m) The STAT" maintains and sup.
ports an institution for the white
blind and has for the past forty odd
years, but none for Negroes.
'u) 1t appears that almost innumer
ebla Negro tenant farmers charge
their landlords with either no settle
me3t or an unfair settlement and
many Of these Negroes after
appealing to both State and Federal
authorities in vain have given uD in
Despair and sought other climes. some
them charging that State OF peon
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