Arkansas State press., 1949-03-18
Massed Meeting at Merrill Auditorium Sun.

"a Strong Citizens Association for the Accomplish
Massed Meeting at Merrill Auditorium SUM-
day evening brought to the organization once
potent elements in the Pine Bluff NAACP.
They came for the purpose of witnessing what
might have been the first acts of retrogression.
With Harold Flowers as the presiding officer,
it was clear to all that the dissenters and re-
dictionaries were out Unanswered, and the
stormy meeting was all calm when the presi-
dent had reported and presided. The one con-
vineng and clear conclusion of Sundays
activities was that the people will rule the or
ganization, and those who are not with and for
the people can no longer survive in their eff
forts to assume leadership of the people. When
the issue of asking the sheriff to withdraw
the special deputy commissions already given
out to White and Negro deputies was before
the house. the people said we will ask the
sheriff despite three dissenters in the audi
ence of almost thousand persons. The three
who were for other ways and means of hand
ling the matter were the principal of the Mer-
rill High School, r. N. Chanay, Silas Fletcher
and j. c. Pennington. The people voted! The
people are tired of the committee fashion in
representation, despite the archaic methods
now used by the organization $4,000. w. H.
Booker, vice president eptomiZed the situation
when he said 1--WE are with Harold Flowers
when he is right we are with him when he is
wrong, and will be with him to help get him
right" - The newly elected president of
the Negro Business League, A. A. Mazique
was booed down by the audience when he a
rose upon his maiden visit to the organiza-
ton to protest the manner in which the organ
zaton had been run. The people booed and
laughed--and today he faces hard struggle
as a leader of the business organization in its
effort to improve economic conditions in the
Pine Bluff community. We wish him well and
trust that he will get his mind right for we be-
lieve that he has good heart but his mind is
far fetch from the thinking people! ......
former president Robert l.. Nelson. sat in the
office as brief memorial service was held in
memory of the late Dr. w. E. Watson 49,.
Also returned for visit were Mrs. J. w. Park
er, former secretary, who went out of office
when Harold Flowers went in; and Mrs. j. c.
Kahn, wife of a former president, who went
>ut as Harold Flowers came to power! Scat
erred over the audience which packed Merrill
Auditorium were numerous persons who are
1ot frequently seen at the NAACP meetings.
sat E. M. Moore, late president of
he Negro Business League .....
Regional Officers Donald Jones, secretary, and
U. Simpson am the legal policy in Arkansas
Tate, both of Dallas were there. Mr.. Flowers
took charge of the meeting and turned it over
to them after the storm had subsidized ........
Mute Ellis and Chesterfield Tinsley were on
hand to handle the floor work for the present
inistraton-Noticeably absent was Wiley
Branton, sometimes interested when not too
pressed by social and business affairs ....
Delegates to Regional Conference in Oklahoma
city will be the president, Harold Flowers
Mrs. Ethel Dawson, and Chesterfield Tinsley
II will be the second regional conference of the
Southwest Region, with Walter White deliv-
ering the final message at a huge mass meet
ing Sunday, March 20 ..... The first con-
ference of the region was held in Pine Bluff
because of the great work which was done
there during 1947 ......
The Pine Bluff Branch Is One Hundred Per-
cent Behind The Flowers Administration!
Legislators are home again and it might be
interesting to the voters of jefferson County
to know that Senator Blackwell was against
the appropriation of 100000 for the building
OF field house at the University of Arkansas.
Among the objections stated was the fact that
$4,000 had been trimmed off of the AM&N
College budget which could have been used to
help obtain accreditation of the college by the
North Central Association of Schools and
Colleges ..... Now Is The Time for the
would be leaders in politics to get busy and
rally their forces so that when the next cleo
tons come and the legislators meet. that there
Will be some semblance of interest manifested
by Negro organizations, rather than leave the
burden solely upon the shoulders of a few