Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1927-11-19

1929 as being selected for the pur-
pose of nominating Sir Willis for the
office of supreme chancellor, is pu-
Grille and childish. 1t is not only Sir
Willis privilege, but it is his right to
be candidate for supreme chancellor
whether the supreme lodge meets in
Dallas, Texas, or indianapolis, Indi-
ana. The records of the supreme
lodge do not show that it has been
necessary at any time to go to the
grand jurisdiction of any state to
have its candidate selected to the Of
flee of supreme chancellor
1t seems very strange, Mr.. Editor,
that you should be so terribly wrought
crate insulting language contained in
your editorial columns under date of
August 81, 1927, because the supreme
lodge CT the Knights of Pythias of
North America, etc., refused to accept
the invitation of the grand lodge, Col
ored Knights of Pythias to hold its
session in Dallas, Texas in 1929.
We have the example of the great
Methodist Episcopal Church, whose
largest membership of the colored
race reside in the South, and yet that
church has persistently and consist
emily refused to meet in the South
ern cities, because the colored dele
gates to their general conference
could not receive the proper accom-
modations in the Southern cities that
they could receive in cities in the
North and East.
We have the example of the Young
Women's Christian Association, COM
posed largely of white people, refus-
ing to meet in Portland, Oregon, this
year, because the citizens of that city
refused to accord to their colored
members the proper accommodations
on account of race prejudice.
We also have this year, the example
of the National Amateur Athletic I'm
ion, composed almost exclusively of
white members, refusing to meet in
the city of New Orleans, because of
the probability Of racial trouble"
If our white friends, because of con-
sideration for the comfort and well
fare of their colored members refuse
to meet in Southern cities because of
probability of racial trouble, and be-
cause of refusal of proper accommo-
dations to their colored members, how
much more firmly should the great
order of the Knights of Pythias Of
North America, ETC., composed of
some of the best brain and the high
est cultured members of our race, re-
fuse to voluntarily accept "jim-crow"
railroad accommodations, "jim-crow"
street cars, and the probability of
racial trouble by meeting in the states
of the far South where the best class
of white citizens CAN NOT and DO
NOT control the irresponsible men,
bers of their race when trouble arises
between the two races.
You may not know il, Mr.. Editor,
but this is not the first time that the
supreme lodge of the Knights of Pyth-
las of North America, ETC., has re-
fused to accept an invitation from the
grand lodge of the Knights of Pyth-
las of Texas to hold its biennial SEES
sion in Dallas, Texas. In 1913 at
Baltimore, Maryland, a pressing in
vitation was extended to the supreme
lodge bv DR.. A N. Prince, then grand
chancellor of the state of Texas (and
Sir. W. S. Willis was one of the rep
resentatives of the grand lodge of
Texas), and the records show that the
invitation from the grand chancellor
of Texas to hold the next biennial
session of the Supreme Lodge in Dali
as, Texas, was not only declined, but