Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1920 — BAN IS LAID ON COLOR LINE [ARTICLE]

BAN IS LAID ON COLOR LINE

Republican National Committee Orders Recognition of Southern Negro. WHITE DELEGATES SEATED Four Contesting Delegates From Fifth Oklahoma District O. K.’d—Sev-enty-Five Contests Remain to Be Decided. ' Chicago, June 4.—Except for the touch of llneu at the neck and the suggestion of polish on the shoes, W. H. Twine of Muskogee, Okla., might have stepped straight out of the title role of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin" into the delegate contest session of the Republican national committee. The aged negro, ' who with M. A. Wade was a contesting delegate from the Second Oklahoma district, made a speech—an Impassioned address, probably the more forceful because its language was in harmony with his threadbare appearance. Negroes Are Recognized. The speech did not accomplish Its immediate purpose of winning for himself and his associate convention seats. But it did bring to final decision the years-old battle between those who have contended for a Republican party tn the South representative of both races and those who have fought for a “lily-white” Republicanism below the Mason and Dixon line. The white contenders lost. Fired by the oratory of the grizzled negro, the Committeemen passed a resolution declaring in effect that henceforth no delegate will be recognized at a convention session who has been elected at a meeting from which negro Republicans have been excluded. Sectional Mention Omitted. There was some effort made to avoid the race issue. The resolution as originally presented by Charles B. Warren of Michigan specifically mentioned “certain Southern states." Southern committeemen, headed by W. H. Jackson of Georgia, protested that the resolution as framed would prove a slur upon the South. Colonel Warren agreed to strike out sectional mention, and the resolution was passed. It reads: Text of Resolution. “That, in view of the fact that at this session of the national committee and at previous sessions of the national committee and preceding national conventions it has appeared that in some states meetings of the Republicans have been called in places where it was the custom and practice to deny access to negroes, the national committee gives notice, through Its chairman, to all the organizations of the Republican party that that practice must not be followed In the future In any state convention or in any district convention.” . White Delegates Seated. The negroes, Twine and Wade, who were supposed to have bean Wood men, contended negro Republicans had been unable to attend the session of their district convention because it was held In a hotel where negroes were not admitted. The while delegates, L. G. Disney and G. O. Grant, were seated.

Disney and Grant are supposed to have leanings toward Johnson, although it was' forecast their first vote would be for Lowden. The Oklahoma situation promises difiiculties. J. J. McGraw and Jake L. Hayion, rival .national committeemen, head the two factions. McGraw is definitely a Wood man. Hamon is first of all antl-McGraw. To hold his delegates’ votes together he has named himself a presidential candidate. McGraw Wins Fifth District. The McGraw forces w*on part of theAr battle when the committee voted to seat the four contesting delegates from the Fifth Oklahoma district, with a half vote each, in the places claimed by the delegates officially reported, Seymour Price and Fred Reed. The men seated are W. H. Trudgeon, Chris Madsen, Mrs. Frank P. Northrup and Mrs. J. S. Pearson. The Fourth Oklahoma district still is in dispute. Chairman Hays was authorized to name a subcommittee to study the contentions of the rival factions. R. B. Keenan and Ewers White oppose Dr. Hugh Scott and Albert Kelly. The committee is made up of Jesse M. Littleton, John L. Babler and Edward F. Colladay. Thursday’s contest decisions disposed of 30 votes and left 75 contests. Sixty-two of the 137 contested seats had been decided.