Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1924-08-02
SECY. JOHNSON'S EXPLANATION.

There can be little doubt but what
the National Association for the AL
vancement of Colored People acted
prematurely relative to its utterances
concerning the present political situa-
ton and that it leaned too far back
ward" in the resolutions adopted at its
great annual meeting at Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. The position 1t
assumed relative to an independent at
.titude in the coming election would
nave passed muster" so to speak, bus
when it specifically endorsed Third
Party movement before the platform OF
that movement had been framed or its
candidates named, it attempted to an
..ticipate a situation and condition
which might be realized.
In this connection, the brilliant
James Weldon Johnson, secretary Of
the organization says:
The misapprehension has spread that
the National Association for the Al
yancement of Colored People at its re
gent 18th Annual Conference in Phlla
.delphia endorsed Senator La Fol
lette. The fact is, the National Assocla
ton for the Advancement OF Colored
People did not endorse Senator La Fol
iette or any other candidate. mat Is
not part of it's business. what the MAJ
ional Association for the Advancement
of Colored People is aiming at is the
emancipation of the Negro from voting
blindly for any party, and the exercise
on his part of intelligent political lnde
pendence.
After reviewing the record Of the tive
major parties, our resolutions imam
mously adopted July 1, in Philadelphia
had the following to say about thru
party:
Nothing will more quickly bring the
old parties 10 clear realization OF
their obligations to us and the nation
than a vigorous third party movement
Such a movement may save us from a
choice between half-hearted friends and
half-concealed enemies or from the
necessity of voting for the same oppres
sion under different party names. Suca
a movement may give the American Ne
gro and other submerged classes a
chance to vote more directly for eco
nomic emancipation from monopoly
and privilege and fairer chance to
work according to ability and share
more eQuitablv in the social income.
=; <r-ss- " ~
Secretary Johnson makes frank
statement relative to the Cleveland
Progressive Convention, which tends
to clear up all misunderstanding
concerning that meeting. He says:
1t is perhaps needless to add that the
kind of third party movement we are
hoping and looking for did not mater
ialize in Cleveland. But that does not
alter the fact that vigorous, progress
sive third party, similar to the Labor
Party in England, would be the Negro S
political salvation in America.
For our part, we see nothing new
in Secretary Johnson's statement or
in the resolutions adopted at Phila-
delphia. For many years the colored
people of this country have been af-
filiating and voting with all of the
political parties without being particu
larry welded" to anv. What we want
are results and there seems now to be a
combination to prevent our securing
these results upon the accession of eth
er of the great political parties to pow
er.
The anti-Negro element in Washing
ton asserts itself and as a result, nc
politician dares to accord to the broth
er in black" the political recognition
to which he is entitled. Even the re
doubtable Theodore Roosevelt could
not resist it and the brilliant Woodrow
Wilson humbly bowed to it's demands
Can a Third Party, hastily organized
win. when the Bull Moose Party skill
fully organized could not do more thar
outstrip the regular Republican organi
zation in the matter Of votes and make
sure the success of the regular Demo
cratic organization at the polls?