The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1928-12-06
Blease Anti-NegrO
Bills introduced
In 10th Congress ll!

debated in Congress. Very little leg
islation is expected TO be passed in
the short session of the seventeen
Congress which opened Monday. One
of the first bills affecting the Race
to be discussed is a bill authorizing
Federal appropriations for Howard
University. 1t was passed by the
House March 90 and reported to the
Senate April 2.
The object of this bill is to auth
orize Federal appropriations for
Howard University. Since the estab-
lishment of the budget system and
the consolidation of all jurisdiction
over appropriations in the House
committee on appropriations, items
recommended by the Budget Bureau
and approved by the appropriations
committee have been stricken out in
the House on the point of order that
such appropriations are not author
lied by existing law. Passage of this
bill will make invalid such points of
order.
The Federal Government has been
making appropriations to aid in the
construction, development, improve
ment and maintenance of Howard
University since 1879. Whenever it.
ems for the university were stricken
out in the House, the Senate invari-
ably reinserted them and they were
approved in conference.
The President on March Z recon-
mended legislation authorizing an
increase in the salary of the minis
ter resident and consul general to Lii
IBERIA from $4,000 to $4,000 a year.
The Senate referred the message of
the President to the committee on
foreign relations, but this committee
failed to report bill embodying his
Recommendation before the adjourn
ment of the Congress on May 20.
Willism T. Francig If 81 Paul
Minn., Is present minister resident
and consul general to Liberia. He is
required to perform both diplomatic
and consular functions For this
dual service he receives salary of
$4,000 less han any >other minister
of the United States.
Representative Victor L. Berger,
Socialist, of Wisconsin, who was de-
feated in the last election, introduc-
ed an anti-lynching bill in the House
to punish State and municipal Off
GERS who fail to take proper precau-
. tions to protect individuals from mob
attacks This bill was referred to the
committee on the Judiciary. .. ~
Il would make any person partici-
pating in mob violence guilty of q
felony and upon conviction subject
to imprisonment for term of not.
less than one year nor more than
five year or by fine not exceeding
$4,000 ~. -. g.. sH
r Any State or municipal officer who
fails, to take proper precautions to
. protect individuals from mob violence
would also be guilty of felony un-
der the provisions of the Berger bill.
The bill would give the United
States; district courts jurisdiction to
try and punish persons participating
in mob attacks.
A county in which q person was
lynched or injured by mob would
be subject to the forfeiture of The
sum of $4,000 to the family of the
person lynched or injured.
There are several bills pending in
both the Senate and House which
are inimical TO Negroes. The most
obnoxious are those introduced by
Senator Coleman l.. Blease, Demo-
crat, of South Carolina. They are
in the committees to which they
were referred. Action on them is not
likely.
One of the measures introduced by
Senator Blease is a joint resolution
to amend the Constitution so as pro-
hibit the intermarriage of the color
ed and white races. He proposed
twentieth amendment to the Consti-
tuition.
A bill making unlawful any mar
riage between white and colored
person was introduced by Senator
Blease. II provided that any white
! and colored persons intermarrying
would be guilty of a misdemeanor
and upon conviction subject to pun
ishment by imprisonment for not less
twelve months. Any clergyman, min
lister, or officer performing a cere-
mony intermarrying white and col
ored persons would be subject to like
punishment.
Representative Allard H. Gasque,
Democrat, of South Carolina, a sim
liar bill against the intermarriage of
white and colored persons in the
House.
Senator Blease also introduced a
bill to require separate accommoda-
tions for white and colored passen-
gers on street cars in the District Of
Columbia. This bill would make It a
misdemeanor for officers or employ
ees of the street car companies to
permit white and colored persons to
ride in the same car.
Later Senator Blcase offered an
amendment TO this bill providing that
in case a white person desires to ride
with colorod person and the colored
person does not object, the white per-
son upon request may be allowed to
ride with the colored person.