The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-07-01
1900 HEAR Three.
POOR SPEECHES AT
n, A. A. C. P. MEET
Bishop Carey, Walling
and Roosevelt Talk

A bishop awed by the presence on
the same platform of a colonel who
had dined too well, an ex-socialist who
stopped thinking when America enter
ed the world war, and the foremention-
ed colonel, were the principal speak
ers at the mass meeting held under
the auspices of the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Colored
People in Pilgrim Baptist church Mon
day night.
The speakers, in the order named,
were Reverend Archibald J. Carey,
William English Walling and Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt. They spoke to
an audience so far above them in in
telligence that it applauded only to be
polite. 1900 Negro men and women
filled the auditorium and 500 more
were unable to get in.
The performances of the speakers
were preceded by prayer which ask
ed divine appreciation for everyone
present except the newspapermen.
Colonel Roosevelt furnished the low
comedy touch. (The moment he APP
peared on the platform rapid poll of
the press table showed that the unan-
imous opinion of these experts was
that the colonel possessed what is
playfully called "brannigan.")
Roosevelt Interrupts the Bishop.
He interrupted the bishop number
of times, insisting that his ancestors
came from Georgia and not from Hol-
land as popular rumor has it and was
very merry thruout the bishops
speech. But his merriment ceased
abruptly when the chairwoman mad
vertently referred to him as the form
er head of the Sinclair Oil company.
The colonels balancing feats on the
edge of the platform are excelled only
by the Four Marx Brothers.
William English Walling offended
the colonel somewhat After eulogizing
AL Smith as one who, in favoring the
direct primary, was bringing New
York into the United States, Walling
mentioned the anti-saloon league as
a typical example of an organized
minority functioning thru the direct
primary. With this statement the col
onel took issue.
Under stress Of emotion he forgot
Walling's name and referred to him
as wallace"
GAS far as am concerned, Mr.. Wal
lace" said the colonel, you have
chosen an unfortunate example"
Another hurried vote at the press
table decided that in making this
statement the colonel was speaking
from his heart.
WalIing Likes The Smiths.
Walling's speech was poorly del
ivered, lacking in substance and was
an echo of the pre-war Wilson period
"Non-partisan voting is comparatively
new and there is not always full
realization of what it means" he
said. When there is no friend to be
voted for and no enemy to be voted
against, a colored citizen may vote
for his party"
Walling is against parties. He is
for organized minorities" within the
two old parties and he declared that
in those states where the direct
primary exists popular government is
now in full bloom. He submitted no
detailed evidence to substantiate this
broad statement and the inference
is that the election Of AL Smith and
the nomination of Frank L. Smith re-
Gently were great victories for DO
pular government.
Walling evidently is a great believer
in the Smith family.
Audience Remains Calm.
The highpoint in Reverend 'Carey's
address was his praise of an Illinois
Negro regiment which, during the
Spanish-American war, volunteered
for service in fever-infested territory
after a number Of white regiments had
refused duty there.
The audience, much to its credit,
did not show by applause that it was
as enthusiastic about this incident as
the bishop was Nor did 1t appear to
be greatly interested in other feats
of arms, which the bishop described,
performed by Negro regiments many
Of whose members were promptly jail
ed or lynched as a reward on their
return to the land of the free.
The solo and chorus singing was
magnificent.