The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-20
|G.O.P.Denies That Hoover
Danced With Neeress

BY JAMES L. WEST

Washington, Oct. 2O.-(AP)-
Governor Theodore G. Bilbo, Of Mis-
sissippi, was the recipient today Of
. singing message Of censure from
Herbert Hoover's general headquar-
tiers because Of . statement attrib-
uted to him that the Republican
presidential nominee had danced
with . negro woman Of Mississippi
A statement which was branded as
indecent" and "unqualifiedly false. !"
George Akerson, Mr.. Hoover's as
sistant, took cognizance Of remarks
credited to the governor In southern
newspapers and dispatched to him
one Of the sharpest messages Of the
campaign. It bristled with express
sions Of indignation and asserted that
mo more untruthful and ignoble as
sertion was ever uttered by . public
man in the United States than that
attributed to you"
Statement Made Claimed
"You are quoted by the press in
the SOUTH" Akerson said in his tele-
gram, "as having stated In q public
address that Herbert Hoover on one
Of his flood relief trips got off the
train at Mound Bayou, Mississippi,
and paid call on : colored woman
and later danced with her.
"That statement il unqualifiedly
false. There 10 not the slightest
foundation for it. It Is the most in
decent and unworthy statement in
tho whole Of bitter campaign"
Asserting that he was with Hoov-
er "every hour Of the four months
while he was engaged in the flood" "
the nominees assistant declared that
the then secretary Of commerce
"gave al that was in him to . task
necessitating experience and influ-
ence which no other man in the
United States possessed for which
the gratitude Of the state Of Miesis-
sippi was unanimously expressed BY
its legislature"
Akerson said Hoover was never IN
Mound Bayou except for . three
minute stop Of his train there and
that he never left the platform o.
the train, but received . memorial
from he negro people Of that vicinity
.for the .service he had rendered
their race" M go.
IL added that Hoover never took
Z moment from his responsibilities
to attend Z social gathering any
where during the flood period and
expressed the opinion that II, any
person in Mississippi should be led to
vote for or against Hoover upon .
representation Of this kind it would
forever be most infamous blot on
the record Of the state Of Missis-
sippi."
Second. Recognised Attack
This was the second time during
the campaign that Akerson had TAX
en- cognizance Of attacks leveled at
the Republican ! nominee. Hoover
and his associates ct general head
quarters have been silent under as-
'sadlts from the camp Of the oppon-
ents on campaign issues and this
silence has been broken only when
matters were brought up which in
their. Judgment had nothing to do
with the campaign.
The first statement issued by
Akerson 7as after Senator. Bruce,
Democrat, Maryland, had said he
had : drink with Herbert Hoover.
The nominees assistant said Hoov-
or had not taken . drink since he
became . constitutional officer Of the
United States government and sub,
sequently Darrow denied that he had
said he had drunk with Hoover.
Hoover, himself, is keeping clear
Of these matters "A he Il determined
not to enagge in controversies.
The nominee had . fairly busy
program today at his headquarters
with conferences with party leaders
and visiting groups. He had con-
cluded work on the speech which he
Is to deliver Monday night at New
York and will leave for that city to-
morrow afternoon, returning here
Tuesday. This will be his last cam
paign trip in the east and . week
after his return he will start for
California.