The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-09-08

The call for just treatment was
never stilled from the opening mass
meeting on August 20, when James
Welden Johnson in his response to
the mayor and others said: "We are
glad to- be in Kansas City,. We have
come to this, the heart of America,
in the hope that we may stir the
heart of this nation to a sense of
justice >" to the ringing finale
of William Pickens on Sept. 4, who
said, "No nation can exist half lyn-
ched and half not lynched. No demo-
cratic community can exist where
one part enjoys lower standard of
justice than the other part" And
on this matter of demands for rights
and protests, Bishop w. T. Vernon,
of the A. M. E. church, sounded the
sense of the 1900 who jammed the
church for the opening reception
when he said, "Not protests? Why,
liberty is the child of protest."
Giant Mass Meeting
Without question, the high water
mark of the conference was the great
mass meeting Sunday afternoon,
September 2, in Kansas City's (Mo.)
monster Convention hall, where 10,-
900 colored people gatl ered to hear
the story of the Arlsans IS riot cases.
Preceding the meeting a silent pa
rade of protest against mob violence,
disfranchisement and Jim Crowism
was held. 1t was in the meeting that
followed, however, in the hall, with
it's tiers and tiers of black faces,
with it's white -garbed chorus of 200
trained voices and it's double row of
dignitaries on the platform-here it
was that thousands upon thousands
Of Kansas Citians, delegates and
visitors were stirred to white hot en-
thu=iasm by the drama that was en-
acted on the platform. For drama it
was, with prologue, a clash of op-
posing forces, let-down just before
the end and then a climax that
brought thousands to their feet
shouting and cheering. There on
that wide platform the doctrine of
Tuskegee again met the doctrine of
Dubois.
Resent "Darky"
Governor Hyde of Missouri was
forced to send a substitute because
he had an appointment with Presi-
dent Coolidge the next day in Wash
ington. The substitute, one Mr..
Brown, created a furore when he
used the word "dari1y" before he had
heen on his feet one minute. Bishop
Hurst halted him sharply, handicap
ping prevented him from either
apclcgizing or proceeding with his
| speech for five or six minutes. The
crowd seemed determined to clap the
speaker down. Chairman Arthur
had to plead with the people to al
low the speaker to 60 on. The
sneaker read letter from Governor
Hyde urging devotion to funda-
mental institutions >. industry, thrift,
individual achievement rather than
the pursui! Of so-called equality"
There was the clash. William
Pickens furnished the let-down when
he called for a collection for the
leoal defense fund of the national
office.
J. Weldon Johnson Speaks.
Then, as the late afternoon sun
streamed through the windows of
Convention hall, James Weldon John
son arose and carried the conference
to it's peak in great tense climax.
He told first the simple, dramatic
story Of the Arkansas cases-how
the National Association and its
lawyers had fought through all the
courts of Arkansas and through the
Supreme court of the United States
en- the principle that if one peon in
Arkansas can be railroaded to prison
for hiring lawyer, no Negro in the
United States is safe from the same
type of railroading. He asked for a
fund of $4,000 to be used solely to
defend colcred people whom the As
sociation knows to be deprived of
their constitutional rights because of
color. The fund would not be used
the speaker explained, to defend eve
ry colored person who got in Jail
but every one deprived of his rights
because of color.
Mr.. johnson reiterated that state
ment that the only way colorcd
Americans could hope to gain their
full standing was to stand firm upor
constitutional guarantees and seek
their rights through the legally con.
stituted courts of the land. Then BIZ
launched an attack upon Governor
Hyde's letter and IN editorial in the
Kansas City Star. Gt%9
| /. r.. Fight to Death
"His Excellency advises patience
industry, thrift and intelligence. Pa
tience? We know that patience is s
foundation upon which we have tt
build. But who has been more patient
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