The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1928-08-30
$4,000 COLORED ELkS IN CHICAGO
o california Supreme Court Upholds Land Restrictions
Negro Hello Bills
Crowd Windy City
For Grand Lodge


1t is estimated more than $4,000
colored Elks and visitors are in Chi
cago to attend the goth annual grand
lodge session which began a week of
meetings Sunday at Wendell Phil
lips High School auditorium. AS the
colored Elks are international, dele
gates were here from Jamaica, Cuba,
Panama, Haiti, Manila and Africa,
Sunday afternoon memorial SER
vices were held at Metropolitan Bap-
tist Church, conducted by Rev. w.
George Avant, grand chaplain.
A public reception was held Mon
day at which the delegates and
visitors were welcomed in speeches
by Governor Len Small and Mayor
William Hale Thompson. Responses
in behalf of the order were made by
Finley Wilson, grand exalted ruler,
and Armand Scott, attorney of
Washington. D. C.. In his address
Mr.. Scott bitterly assailed the Re-
publican administration. He declared
the G. o. P. had deserted the race
and countenanced segregation, dis
franchisement and m-Crowism. He
denounced the attitude of President
Coolidge toward the race, saying: 81
for one never again will support the
policies of President Coolidge and !
know that many Negroes believe that
way"
The Elks staged a spectacular par
ado Tuesday afternoon. Thirty band
and so marching clubs and decorat-
ed floats and automobiles formed a
parade that took three hours to pass
the reviewing stand at the corner
of 36th street and Wabash avenue.
Tuesday night after the parade a
cabaret dance was held in the Coli
scum.
Election of officers will begin
Thursday. J. Finley Wilson said he
expected to be reelected by acclana-
tion. If he is, it will mars his sixth
consecutive term as grand exalted
ruler.
George Z. Bates, grand secretary,
is being opposed for reelection by
the Rev. George w. Avant, grand
chaplain. of Durham, N. c., and
James E. Kelly, of Birmingham, Ala.
Two candidates are opposing James
G. Carter, grand treasurer, of
Richmond Va, for reelection. One
is James c. Martin, exalted ruler of
the Ft. Dearborn lodge, one of the
two lodges which are entertaining
the grand lodge in Chicago.
The complete Elks' program con-
sists in reality of three programs,
according to J. Finley Wilson, grand
exalted ruler of the Elks. The three
he named are the civil rights prog
ram, the health program and the edu-
cational program.
The civil rights program, said Mr..
Wilson, has broken up segregation in
the pension department and census
bureau of the government, checked
the erection of a Jim Crow high
school in Gary, and helped secure the
freedom of Ben Bess from South
Carolina prison.
Want Equal Rights.
eve want the leader of the Re
publican party to know that we are
Just as interested in the enforcement
of the 10th amendment in Mississip.
nj and Georgia as the 18th in Penn.
sylvania and Illinois, and that we
want the 18th, 14th and 10th amend
ments enforced the same as the LIST
End and 3rd," said MIR. Wilson. '1i
this is done we have no fear for tho
future of Negro youth as they viii
be voting in South Carolina and deal
old Virginia as they voted for Robert
Brown Elliott and John NJ. Langstor
and we will be knocking at the Con
gressional door.
"We seek no special favors fol
our group, but we do seek equa
rights and equal opportunity alonf
with every other American citizen
We have these rights through patriot
ism and birth. We want nothint
more, will take nothing less"
Death Rate Smaller.
Ruler Wilson said also that th'
efficient methods of the health dc
partment had attracted the attention
of Surgeon General Cummings an,
DR.. Dublin of the Metropolitan Lift
Insurance Co. and had brought t
the attention of these men the fac
that economic conditions are respon
sible for the high death rate anon
colored folk and not any inheren
weakness in the colored race. TIL
work of the two health units !
Washington had reduced the deaf
rate of members 20 per cent.
In the educational program, NOR
than $4,000 in scholarships an
$1,000 iE cash prizes are annual
awarded. The national contest, hel
last year in Washington and thi
year in Chicago, is the climax OF tn
educational events.