Arkansas survey., 1924-09-20

ask you W JUN WIFI iiic Aoi Sho'
w. Davis this year.
Raps Harding, Coolidge and
Slemp
-Four years ago | acted as
your spokesman to Marion and
| said to candidate Harding that
of all the groups coming to his
door there would be none who
had a keener interest in his cleo
ton than our group. Mr.. Hard
ing promised if he should be e.
lected we should have our prop
er representation under his ad-
ministration. We pressed home
our claims on Mr.. Harding up
until the time he died. Mr.. Cool
idge succeeded to the presidency
| called on him and told him |
was glad to see him in the chair
occupied by Lincoln and Roose-
welt. I urged on him that seq
regation in the departments be
broken up. Mr.. Coolidge told
me when he needed me he would
ring the bell. / told him when
he rang l would be there with
bell on. But Mr.. Coolidge is
running true to form for he nev-
er did anything for colored peo-
when he was governor of Massa-
chusetts. He showed his great
love for US when he appointed
Bascom Slemp his private secre-
tary. Mr.. Slemp is the author
of the Lily-white policy of the
Republican party. | told Slemp
what the Democratic party of
New York city was doing for
colored people and cited to him
that Ferdinand Morton was get
ting $500 per annum as NUM-
cipal Civil Service Commission,
and that MacDougal, another
colored man, was receiving SlO,-
900 per annum as an Assistant
Attorney General under Govern
or Smith. All Mr.. Slemp could
say was that we did not appre-
ciate the friendly gesture Of the
party and the colored people
would not vote the Democratic
ticket. The only way | can
save my self respect is by walk
ing out of the party and by help
ing to give them a good wallop.
! If | can get the support Of a
certain number Of my people l
shall teach the Republican party
such a lesson that the leader
will respect our protests in the
future.
"The hour has struck and with
Lincoln | say, L will go with any
man as long as he is right but
/ shall part with him when he
is wrong Years ago the Dem
ocratic party was the party Of
the Ku Klux Klan, but today the
Republican party is the party Of
the Klan. All that has been done
against this vicious organiza-
ton has been done by the Demo-
Gratis. Mr.. Davis came out a
gainst it but Mr.. Coolidge has
not said anything against it,
Sees Political Opportunity
"a great opportunity lies be-
fore the colored voter if he has
the vision. The duty Of the
hour is to look forward not back
ward. The Democratic party
realizes it cannot win in the pi-
votal states without the colored
voter. If we support them they
can then say to the Democratic
party of the South we won with
the colored voter we must give
him part in the Government.
Fortunately the Democratic par
ty has given us a candidate for
whom any colored man may vote
for with honor, decency and
pride. Born of Union parent
age, since the war John W. Dav-
is is the friend of our people.
The colored people of West Vir-
ginia know him and know his
family and swear by them. Mr..
Davis stayed the rising tide "a
gainst the colored people in the
legislature of his native state.
He fought the Oklahoma Grand
I father Clause before the Su-
preme Court Of the country and
won, and he argued the peonage
cases successfully before the
same tribunal. His record on
our race is better than that of
any candidate that has come be-
fore us in recent years. We
have reached a crisis, we are at
the cross roads. Which shall we
take-the one that leads for
ward or the one that leads back