Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1925-09-19
VIM. S. SHERRILL
Continued from page y

inc. He then introduced Acting Pres
ident General William L, Sheriff..
White Men Predominant
The speaker advanced to the front
amidst applause. He said, Ladies
and gentlemen, have a duty to per-
form. There is here present gentle
man, who has done much to ana us IN
securing the release of Hon. Marcus
Garvey. l refer to Major Cox. Car
vey is in prison in Atlanta. The Judge.
who presided in the case was white
the Jury that tried him was white,
the prosecuting attorney was white,
therefore we need white friends to
aid i'm getting him out of prison.
Those RGIyiRg COloys
While the number here is small,
note that the enthusiasm Of those
present for the-ou colors-the red,
black and green, is large. We form
the nucleus. We have decided that
we will not turn back. When l was
here before the church was crowded.
We have here factions which tend to
strange the Richmond Division to
death. | have been as far South as
New Orleans and as far west as Kan
sas City, my heart is never happier
nv soul more filed with gladness as
it is when l am here to talk to the
men and women of our race
We Need to Build Them
If we will follow the religious in
structions we have already received,
We will have no need to build any
more churches. | am talking about
building an organization that will be
strons enough to protect black men
everywhere. He then spoke Of race
of reop.e from the Slave-ship that ha0
worked so long in the sun, until Its
: fsce has. been burnt black, whose feet
had been toiling along rough roads
NM. thev had become fiat; q race that
is larger in numbers today by many
times than was the white race at the
time of the American Revolution.
Foreign Greetings
I bring YOU greetings from Central
America from our divisions there.
I've been on five weeks tour IN
British Honduras. They have not
been able TO hear Marcus Garyey IS
YOU have. but they are filled with en-
thusiasm. Mr.. Sheriff. spoke Tor
about two hours and during that time
held his audience speil-bound. no. -
his oratory. for he is not an orator,
but BIZ the force Of his argument. II
was undoubtedly one of the ab,esc
pleas ever delivered in this city by
follower Of Marcus Garvey. His voice
is clear-cut and impressiveness and his
earnestness he'd his audience until the
close.
Want Pay For Slare1Y
His statements relative to Marcus
Garvey's greetings in prison and the
way both were treated there were I'M
pressive. The great leader is not
breaking under the restraint imposed
upon him. His plea for payment to
Negroes for the $50 years OF toll IN
the form of land in Africa awakened
an enthusiastic response from those,
both white and colored, who were for
tunate enough to hear him. He IS
evidently a profound scholar and
should win fame and fortune as an
author in the school of letters. The
notes taken of what ne said would f..
many columns of this journal.
Racial Integrity
At the conclusion a wave OF APP
plause swept over the audience. He
had made a strong plea for racial IN
tegrity and against the "damnaole
doctrine of ama!gamation" as he put
il. The white contingent started the
applause all over again and 1t was
then that he arose and made compu-
mentary references to Major Ernest
Sewer Cox and proceeded to intro
duce him. There was a noticeable
kn 1-DnVa
the pastor, Rev. r. H. Johnson sat
The chairman had come down from
the rostrum and was talking to him,
but his words seem to have intensified
the feelings and the determination CT
this influential divine.
Rer. Johnson "BredkS IN"
Mr.. Sheriff. went on with ms IL
PRODUCTION in the meanwhile and o
Major Cox arose to approach the sa-
cred desk to say word, Rev. Johnson
arose and announced that he did not
desire to create a scene, but the church
had specifically let the church out for
the meeting with the understanding
and the promise that no one else, but
Mr.. Sheriff. should speak and the COM
mittee had agreed to respect this
agreement. Major Cox quickly and
quietly resumed his seat, while the
closing hymn was sung and the bene-
diction was announced. Some per-
sons gathered around Mr.. Sheriff. to
extend congratulations upon his adj
dress.
Group Discussions
The white visitors gathered in
groups and in undertones discussed
the unfortunate situation. 1t was re-
ported that John J. Fenner, Jr., had
extended the invitations to Major Cox
and his friends. His position as head
of the organization is alleged to have
been vacated. He was at the church
earlier, but soon left and the embar-
RAISING situation was the result. Rev,
johnson had seen an announcement IN
the afternoon paper concerning the
proposed addresses and arrangements
and had declined to open the doors of
the church for the meeting. Upon the
promise, that the other part of the
program would not be carried out and
that only Mr.. Sheriff. would be the
only speaker, the ban was lifted. When
this promise was not respected, the
pastor proceeded to firmly intervene
with the result above noted.