The Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 51, Ed. 1 Friday, November 26, 1920 Page: 1 of 8
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See "West Is West", featnring Harry Carey at The Aldridge Theatre Sunday, Nov. 28, '23
Largest Acqla
ted Negro jour-
nal m Oklahoma
Am Advertisement
m (hb paper wiQ go
into every state in
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PRICE 5 CENTS
C4ITH
We Stand
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the right of
the voiced mm
to be hern! in
their own gov-
ernment"
For Democracy that
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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, November 26, 1920.
VOLUME 5-NO. 51
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS OF N. A., & A^ A, JL, AND A, JURISDICTION OF OKLAHOMA.
Gov. Robertson Addresses Race Conference
Negroes Still Disfranchised In South and
Inter-Racial Conference is Big
Success. Governor Robertson
Condemns Lynching.
Hon. G. W.F. Sawner & Emmett
Stewart Sound Keynote of the
Negroes'Grievances.
They were here from every fork In
the creek, seemingly all of the Ne-
groes of Oklahoma had moved into
the Chamber of the House of Repre-
sentatives, Tuesday morning at 10
o'clock when Hon. J. B. Thoburn rap-
ped the gavel and called the Inter-Ra-
cial Conference to order, and the
whites were there also, scattered all
over the hall, many of the state of-
ficials were present, including State
Supt., R. H. Wilson and Mr. J. H.
Whitehurst of the State Board of Agri-
culture. The meeting was opened by
singing "Bless be the Tie that Binds"
led by Rev. E. W. Perry, of Oklahoma
City, who also at the close of the
hymn offered prayer. The Chairman
stated the purpose of the meeting and
a program was offered for guidance of
the deliberations. This outline had
been agreed upon at a session held in
the Chamber of Commerce, Monday,
between black and white leaders.
It was at th[ moment that Gover-
nor Robertson entered the Chaijiber.
The attitude of the Governor on the
Lynching Evil was so weH known by
the Negroes and his recent actions of
righteous character in the Chandler
Lynching Outrage, was subject for
tumultous applause on the part of the
whole audience. .."It must be that the
colored people of the state are more
interested in this movement than the
whites," said the Governor; "and that
Is exactly what I did not want to see.
I am glad that those of the white race
who are here have shown this broad
spirit," continued the Governor "there
is trouble between the Negroes and
the whites in Oklahoma and it is the
duty of the whites to take the lead in
the solution of these problems."
"I want to see the time come when
there will be no lynching in Oklaho-
ma—why do not the white people ap-
plaud this statement?" insisted the
chief executive; "The Negroes do,
why not you? Tis a bad situation
when men will not Indorse such a
statement, and I want to say here and
now that the fellow who carries a red
flag up and down the street and whom
we term a bolshevist, is not near so
dangerous to democratic forms of gov-
ernment as the fellow who will set
as a juror in a court and commend
and applaud the actions of a mob."
"We are not going to have any So-
cial Equality and the Negroes are not
asking for anything like that; all that,
they are asking for, is a square deal
and fair laws properly Interpreted. I
think they are entitled to this for it
Is nothing more than simple justice."
At this time the chairman announc-
ed the personell of the "Committee on
Findings." Their names follow: Adjt.
Gen. Chas. F. Barrett, Editor Roscoe
Dunjee, Prof. G. H. Smith, Norman,
Okla.; Hon, J. H. Lilly, McAlester;
Hon. R. W. Clymer, Okmulgee; At-
torney D. J. Wallace, Okmulgee. This
committee had for its purpose a sum-
ming up of a program of adjustment
based on the statements of fact made
by the various delegates assembled.
The roll call of counties was then com-
menced by the Secretary of the Con-
ference, Roscoe Dunjee, and during
the morning session the following
counties responded: and were repre-
sented by the following delegates: A-
toka County, Dr. C. B. Chambers;
Blain, County, Prof. L. L. Henderson,
J. A. Norris (white); Caddo county,
Mrs. A. B. Watkins, Carter, J. S.
Young; Cleveland County, Dr. Jerome
K. Dowd, of the University of Okla-
homa; Coal County, E. V. Vanhorne;
Creek, W. E. Day: Garfield. D. L. F.
Banks, C. W. Sheerwood (white);
Grady County, D. D. Jones; Harper
County. C. P. Parker (white); Has-
kell County, Calvin H. Lewis; Hughes
County, R. E. James; Kingfisher Coun-
ty, F. F. Bailey; Kiowa County, N. C.
Shannon; La Flore County, W. A.
Easdman (white); Spiro, E. C. Lo-
max; Lincoln County, H. E. INman
(white); G. W. F. Sawner, G. W. Car-
passed because they had not had time
to determine who their spokesman
would be. Muskogee County, Robert
Emmett Stewart. Many other coun-
ties reported during the afternoon ses-
sion, including Seminole County, re-
presented by J. Coody Johnson, a re-
port on which was not secured.
The Conference next heard a most
wonderful presentation of the subject:
"Inter-racial Co-operation," by Dr. W.
W,. Alexander, of Atlanta, Ga., and a
white southerner, who is giving his
time to this great work. The follow-
ing is his address in part:
I am here at the invitation of the
executive committee appointed to ar-
range for the intdr-racial meeting,
but I assure you that unlike some
speakers, had I not been given the
chance to get my speech out of my
system, there would have been small
danger of it ruining my digestion.
I want to congratulae you upon hav-
ing a Governor with the courage to go
about meeting this situation. This,
however, is only a beginning and if
not followed up by a constructive side
will not help your condition very much
in Oklahoma. It requires rationally
thought out procedure and not mere
impulses. I congratulate you upon
doing your part of this- task in Okla-
Oklahoma. You have only to be oc-
cupied with the working out of your
problem. You have not a lot of
things to forget as is true of many
of the states. I find that lots of folks
from the North and the South have
come here to start life anew. Certain
politicians, seemingly, thought to start
life over again came to Oklahoma,
which adds to your difficulties in
some cases. You are near enough
to the South that whatever you do
will have a great influence on what
is being done there; and you will be
able to lead the adjustment of race
realtions in a vast number of places
in other states where Negroes live.
The things which you have de-.
scribed to day are not a new story.
Mr. King and I should have written
exactly what we have heard, before
leaving Atlanta. It is the same story
that comes up out of the curious ming-
ling of the races of America: they are
the same difficulties. I am inclined to
think, not only of the Negro problem
but of the human problem, for after
all it is not a problem that we are
dealing with solely, but it is a world
wide problem. Since it is the same
story. I am, therefore, concerned to
tell you not what to do, but that you
are not doing an original thing. 12
state inter-racial committees are do-
ing the same thing.
During the last week of the war I
was traveling through the Mississip-
pi delta, speaking to audiences of both
races at every town or large planta-
tion urging them to get ready for the
coming struggle as we could not tell
if it would be three hours, three days
three months or three years longer. I
was greatly impressed with the unity
of the races. They were all working
together as if with but a single tho't.
I came back toNnv office with a great
vision of what might come out of it.
The signing of the armistice brought
a reversal of that condition; instead
of better race relations, we found our-
selves facing, probably, the worst race
relationship since the civil war. We
called together a group of men who
knew the colored men and were try
ing to understand what had happened:
we got a little money together and
undertook to make an investigation.
(Con. on Page 8, Col. 2)
*
THANKSGIVING IN 1920
Josie Craig Berry
Oh East is East and West is West and never the twain shall
meet > ' >
Till earth and sky stand presently at God's great Judg-
ment seat.
But there is neither East nor West, border, nor breed nor
birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, tho they come
from the ends of the earth.
Yes Black is Black and White is White and ever the twain
shall part,
Till Jesus Christ's Philosophy shall dominate the heart.
But there is neither Black nor White, nor Bond, nor Slave
nor Free,
When Love and Justice triumph here and guide Humanity.
And Black, tho black, and 4/Vhite, tho white, and every
Kind and Race,
Can meet upon one common ground, the long-sought
Council Place.
And stature, habit, skin nor hair can make or mar a man,
When in his heart, the Common Good and God's Law take
their stand.
We thank Thee, Lord, that Black is Black and too that
White is Whit^;
We love our Race Integrity: preserve it by Thy might.
Yet there is neither Black nor White, Border, nor Breed,
nor Birth,
When REAL MEN meet LIFE face to face, tho they come
from the ends of the earth.
South Is Persistent In Effort to
Disfranchise Blacks
Uses Subtle Methods to Intimidate
Different Groups
8. The New Negro cannot be used
by the white man nor any other man
to obstruct the progress of his race
group.
9. The New Negro does not believe
in "fooling" the white folks. He be-
lieves in "getting them told" so as to
disillusion their foolish pride and fol-
ly .
10. The New Negro, instead of be-
ing polite to "white folks," is polite
to everybody.
We should respect "the old" Negro
for what good he has done and then
dismiss him with a "vote of thanks."
Then we should turn our attention to
the task of respectablizing and digni-
fying the term "New Negro."
THE NEW NEGRO AND THE OLD
NEGRO
No age of the History of Civiliza-
tion has ever been able to rightly in-
terpret its era to itself. After one
generation has passed away it takes
the coming generation or generations
to come along and properly point out
the prospects and directions of a for-
mer age.
The "old Negro" is rightly under-
stood and appraised by the "new Ne-
gro." The chief charasteristics of the
"old Negro" in brief are as follows:
1. Happy and jovial in disposition
at all times, under any circumstances.
2. A desire to be "good niggers"
for the "white folks."
3. A keen carefulness not to say
nor do anything that would disturb
the peaceful minds of the "white
folks."
4. A secret, but nevertheless im-
pulse, a powerful impulse, thought
that "white folks" were better na-
turally than any Negro .
5. A desire to play the sychopant
by "telling" the white folks what the
Negroes were talking about among
themselves.
6. The "old Negro" was just na-
turally afraid of "white folks."
7. The old Negro has been foundly
trusted by the "white folks."
8. The old Negro has been used by
the "white folks" as a formidable ob-
struction to the hopes of the "new
Negro."
9. The old Negro got along and
always "got by" by "foling" the
"white folks."
10. The old Negro has been exceed-
ingly polite to "white folks."
Now the New Negro comes and
tries to see what it all has meant and
what it still means. First, he is not
so jovial and happy. He, rather, is torg of the January attack on port
discontented. He wants things bet- |u PrJnce when 8lxty.slx ln8urgent8
ter, and, if not better, at any rate were killed He deciared the attack
different. had been to bolster the bandit cause.
; The new Negro desires to be a Co, LUUe testlfled that the
good Negro not for white folks, but * only complaint he had received, as
good Negro for Negroes. field officer, from PresidentD'Artigue-
3 The new Negro instead of not nave he had t0 be incorrect. The pres-
desiring to disturb the peaceful minds ldent charged that beslde the unwar-
of the white folks, desires to-disturb ranted killing that a drunken marine
them enough to make them uncom- had assaulted a judge.
fortable enough to treat him and his Harris Lifschitz. a Russian, testified
be"er °r p *y ,! difference. t0 8eeing two killings by the occupa-
4. The New Negro knows that the tlonal force, but was Indefinite as to
whites are a little better xt then he dates, places and names. The Inves*
ljut not better naturally than he. tlgation will be continued for several
5. The New Negro tells the white weeks.
man to his face what he wants him
to know and. therefore, does not need
to "tattle." He talks to the white
man and not about him.
k 6. The New Negro is afraid of no
one. no body, no where!
7. The New Negro is not "trust-
ed" by his white fellow citizens, but
is "respected" by them.
Haiti Again
(By the Associated Negro Press)
Port au Prince, Haiti, Nov. 26.—A
direct charge has been lodged with
the United States' authorities at Wash
ington that one Freeman Lang, for-
merly a marine corporal, killed three
Haitian prisoners at Hinche in 1917.
This was brought out before the court
investigating the activities of Ameri-
can marines in Haiti by a Adolph
Bourgot, a former.native acting cor-
poral who testified as a witness of
the alleged killing. Bourgot testified
that the killing took place at the end
of an attack by insurgents. The mien
killed by Lang were prisoners and
were shot by him in revenge for the
attack which had been repulsed with
considerable loss of life on the part
of the American marines.
Testify Other* Killed
Lieut. Col. Hooker told the invest!-
In spite of the fact that the federal
constitution guarantees suffrage to
both male and female, regardless of
race or color, it is a notorious fact
that numerous methods are used in
Southern states to cheat the colored
electorate of its vote. Following are
some impressions written by a cor-
respondent (white) of the New York
Herald:
hTe crop sharing system is exten-
sively followed. A plantation owner
or neighborhood merchant makes ad-
vances against crop increases, secur-
ing himself by handling the disposal
of the products. Thus a majority of
Negroes are credit dependents.
Another element referred to as
"good niggers" are those who teach
school, pratice medicine and op orate
.. - " .x. ,—. . . .1 small uusiucaHcs, an enauy ausuopir
the South, with a particular interest in „ie t0 pressure by virtue of lincense
thn t\ammao1 ofo + 11 n a# *-v r \Ta «a ai *. ... _ _
the political statue of the Negro, dis-
closed a few of the stunts that were
effective. In Birmingham, Ala., a Ne-
gro physician, worth $100,000, grad-
uated from a reputable medical school
and with an unblemished record of
twenty years' reisdence in the city,
tried to register. He met every legal
requirement except that of having two
citizens vouch for his character. No
Negro vouchers were acceptable, and
no white men dared to sign for him,
under fear of social and business os-
tracism.
requirements, tenure of job and loca-
tion of business. Those so situated
must not only surrender political no-
tions, but must do missionary work
among those otherwise inclined.
A typical practice is to delay the
issuance of tax receipts to Negroes or
to question their regularity long e-
nough to prevent registration. An-
other device is to separate white and
colored applicants for registration and
so long as whites continue to come
no colored are registered, and earful-
T . . , ly manipulated closing time arrives
t If FlQrenc0, Ala., a hairdresser was just as the last white person has regls.
told that if colored people attempted tered
to go to the court house to register
they would be arrested upon any Ordinances preventing the assembly
charge that could be thought of at 0f white people an dNegroes in the
the time. I same public place are very effective.
The president of a Negro insurance i jn rurai communities methods of a
company in Atlanta was told to expect more elemental character are used.
reprisals in the form of business inter-
ference if members of his organization
displayed any desire to participate in
politics.
At Aiken, S. C., an old and wealthy
Negro told the writer that he owed
his success o thaving refrained from
political activities. His statement of
how Negroes were disqualified was al-
most identical with the description
of the same process by a school prin-
Open threats of violence, such as a
Ku Klux visit, with its beatings and
crop burnings, or naked banishments
at midnight, have so often been made
good the colored brother is convinced
of the certainty of such retribuUon
and lets politics alone.
Disorderly conduct charges, particu-
larly when common practice forbids a
Negro disputing a white man's testi-
mony in court, have a discouraging
cipal in North Coralina and an old j tendtney on those who might want to
train porter in Louisiana and a Meri- yote.
dian (Miss.) citizen.
Southern Negroes are roughly divid-
ed as follows: 65 per cent agricultu-
ralists, 20 per cent laborers, 12 per
Facing likelihood of discrimination,
embarrassment, possible loss of Jobs,
restriction of the much needed credit
the fear of evictions are not likely to
cent domestic servants, 3 per cent pro encourage great numbers of colored
fessional and business people. women to visit the polls.
What They Think of the Black Dis-
patch and The Inter-Racial Conference
The things that I feel that grieves
us most in my county are as follows:
o representation on the jury; poor
traveling accommodations; short
term of school and inadequate salary
for teachers; a failure to let the Ne-
groes vote in the county, as a whole.
John D. Epps, Eufaula, McIn-
tosh County, Okla.
There are two special evils that
exist in my county and city:
1. The school facilities are not
what they should be.
2. The Negroes are not allowed
to register and vote, only possibly 2
percent.
The Black Dispatch has and is do-
ing much toward bettering the con-
dition of the races in this state.
P. C. Patton, Eufaula, Okla.
PERSONAL
The most disadvantages in Le Flore
County, in the way of discrimination
are as follows:
Short terms of school; small pay
for the teachers; being deprived of
the districts where the Negro child-
ren in majority for schools. Not being
allowed to register in some precincts
in the county.
A. C. LOMAX.
would be fair. I think the present
law should be abolished.
The Black Dispatch should be sub-
scribed for by every Negro.
I. S. WARRIOR, Checotah.
I think the Black Dispatch serves
place in the news columns with-
out which there would be a vacuum.
J. H. ROBERTS.
It seems to me that the things ra-
cial to be rst righted by any having
authority should be: Separate School
funds, railroad acommodations, and
franchise.
J. H. ROBERTS.
I think the educational school sys-
tem should be honest and just to all;
that it should be so framed as to per-
mit rural educational facilities to all
parts of the state. The election laws
of the state should like-wise be made
so as to permit of no discrimination.
The Black Dispatch is a clean, well
edited race journal and should be in
every Negro's home.
B. C. FRANKLIN,
Rentisville, Okla.
An enadaquate or unfair appropria-
tion of the engross tax as derived
from the Oil resources rendering the
accommodations and salaries very
low even though we have one of the
richest company's in the state.
Dr. O. W. Hill and J. H. Crtop,
Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Some condiUons by which we can
II think the registration law is un- pleasantly visit our people at the in-
fair as is it handled now; seeming (sane asylum and prevent the exist-
to be against Negroes only. It itw as ing humiliations.
applied to all races alike, then it I O. W. Hill, M. D.
The greatest disadvantage and be-
setment to the race in Pittsburg
County is the disbarment of our race
from equal facilities before the law.
W. S. WEBBER.
L. O. Miles, enroute to Santiago,!
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Dunjee, Roscoe. The Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 51, Ed. 1 Friday, November 26, 1920, newspaper, November 26, 1920; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc152311/m1/1/: accessed May 17, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.