Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1912 — NEGROES ARE BARRED [ARTICLE]

NEGROES ARE BARRED

CONTESTING DELEGATES FROM SOUTH RULED OUT. Progressive National Committee Decide That No Colored Delegates Can Sit in Convention.

Chicago, Aug. 6.—Contesting negro delegations from Florida and Mississippi were barred from the Progressive convention by the national committee. Under the decisions of the committee not a negro delegate will sit in the convention. The contests were decided at a stormy executive session of the committee that lasted for three hours. XV hile the committee deliberated, the negroes gathered in the corridors outside the committee room and raised their voices in indignant protest. XX hen the decisions were made known the negro leaders declared that they would continue their fight for seats before the credentials committee of the convention.

A tentative arrangement was made by the committee as a means of compromise. which, it was thought, would settle the negro dispute. The committee decided to allow the negro contestants from Florida to sit in the convention as “supplemental” delewithout a vote. This was considered settled, but Florida negroes headed by C. H. Alston protested so vigorously that the committee finally decided to throw out both Florida delegations, the negroes and the white delegation headed by H. L. Anderson. In Mississippi, where the Progressive state convention had been called as a "lily-white” meeting, the white delegates elected were given their seats. Previously the committee had thrown out twelve negroes who contested seats in the Alabama delegation. Four contestants for seats in the Ohio delegation were barred.