The broad ax. [volume], July 21, 1917, Image 1

About The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??

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HEW TO THE LINE; .LET THE GH1PS FALL WHERE THEY MAY
M. XXTT.
GHIGAGO, JULY 21, 1917
No. 44
T"
Governor Frank 0. Lowden At The State House Springfield
Illinois with Open Arms and Extended Hands Cheerfully
and Willingly Received The Six Members of The Citizens
Committee Which Had Been Selected at The Meeting of
The Negro Fellowship League Sunday July 8th And At
The Meeting At Bethel Church Monday Evening July 9th
To Call On Him.
ItfVERNOR LOWDEN AFTER PLEASANTLY GREETING THE COMMITTEE ASSURED IT THAT A COURT MAR
TIAL WOULD BE HELD WITHOUT DELAY THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE ILLINOIS NATIONAL GUARD
WHO FAILED TO DO THEIR DUTY AT EAST ST. LOUIS DURING THE RIOTING WOULD BE KICKED OUT
OF THEE RESPECTIVE COMPANIES.
ISOVERNOR LOWDEN AFTER BEING INFORMED FOR THE FLRST TIME BY ANY COMMITTEE OF COLORED
CITIZENS THAT THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS OF ILLINOIS WERE BEING MAINTAINED BY THE CITIZENS
OF ST. LOUIS, MO. RIGHT THEN AND THERE CALLED UP THE RED CROSS OFFICIALS AT EAST ST.
LOUIS AND DIRECTED THAT IMMEDIATE ATTENTION BE GIVEN TO THIS SITUATION.
HE REPORT OF THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE AND'A MEMORIAL TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED
STATES PRAYING TO THAT BODY TO INSTITUTE A -THOROUGH FEDERAL GRAND JURY INVESTIGA
TION INTO THE CAUSES LEADING UP TO THE REIGN OF MOB AND LYNCH LAW AT EAST ST. LOUIS,
ILLINOIS, WERE ADOPTED BY A RISING VOTE AT THE LARGELY ATTENDED CITIZENS MASS MEET
ING HELD IN QUINN CHAPEL TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 17TH, REV. J. C. ANDERSON, ITS RACE
LOVING PASTOR PRESIDING.
EON. LAWRENCE Y. SHERMAN, UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS CONTINUES TO URGE THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO MAKE A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO THE RACE RIOTS AT EAST
ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS. NINE WHITE GENTLEMEN WHO WERE AMONG THE RING LEADERS OF THE
EIOTS IN THAT CITY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES IN DEATH AND HAVE WINGED THF.TR WAY ON
TO THE HAPPY HUNTING GROUND.
IHE CHICAGO CITIZENS SELECT SELF CONSTITUTED SO CALLED MEMORIAL COMMITTEE HELD A MEET
ING AT INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH LAST MONDAY EVENING AND PASSED A SET OF CUT AND DRIED
RESOLUTIONS COMMENDING OR PATTING THEMSELVES ON THEIR BACKS.
HON. S. B. TURNER AS ONE OF THE HONORED MEMBERS OF THE MEMORIAL COMMITTEE WILL YOU
PLEASE STAND UP AND STATE WHETHER OR NOT YOU HELD A CONVERSATION WITH JULIUS F.
TAYLOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 27TH ON 35TH STREET NEAR SOUTH PARK AVENUE IN
WHICH YOU STATED THAT "YOU DESIRED TO SECURE AN OPTION ON SOME VACANT GROUND IN
A COLORED NEIGHBORHOOD WHICH COULD BE UTILIZED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR PLAY
GROUNDS FOR COLORED CHILDREN?"
It will be recalled that on Sunday
ifternoon Jul' 8, a largely attended
ieetui",' was held at the Negro Fel
iship League, 30th and State street
od throe members of the Citizens
Committee was elected at that meeting
visit Springfield, HI., in connection
tith tlu members of the same com
mittee w liich were selected at the mcet
h held at Bethel Church, Monday
ttenm;:, July 9, at which time more
ijn fifty dollars was collected in the
"inklii.r 0f an eye to defray the
Wnal i enses of six members of the
omittie to and from Springfield
lt same Monday evening after Louis
Anderson, Edward H. Wright and
Ll S. 1. Turner had been denied the
teurt of addressing the meeting at
thel l linrch the committee departed
f Springfield and on Tuesday morn
J? it was good and ready to call on
Pernor Frank O. Lowden was ready
tod willing to receive each and every
iembcr of the real Citizens Commit-
wth a hearty handshake and right
r ie riel he let them know that he
s ver much pleased to greet them.
without delay Governor Lowden in-
fd tl'e members of the committee
. he w ould leave no stone unturned
aii efl'ort to severely punish all the
fliers of the Illinois National Guards
absolutely failed at East St. Louis
rS the race rioting in that city
' those found or proven to be guilty
'iiijl to do their duty would be
Jd out of their respective co'm-
hiies.
' as further announced by Gov-
0r Lowden that no other committee
Wt'd citizens up to that time had
'nterested in tho "Welfare of those
suffered everything at the hands
..
e lawless mob at East St. Louis,
. & his attention to the fact that
7nas of Colored citizens of Uli
, We at that very time bing sup
ported by the White and Colored citi
zens of St. Louis; Mo., and without
the loss of any time Governor Lowden
called up the Red Cross officials at East
St. Louis and requested or directed
them to get busy at once and that
immediate attention must be given to
relieve that unfortunate and deplorable
situation. He further informed the
committee to the effect that "there
were no funds on hands belonging to
the state that he could use in that di
rection that he very much regretted
that fact, as he was perfectly willing
to do everything in his. power to aid
those whose homes and all their other
belongings were destroyed at the hands
of the mob at East St. Louis."
The report of tho regular Citizens
Committee who had the honor of call
ing on Governor Lowden and a strong
memorial to the Congress of the United
States praying to that august body to
institute a most thorough federal grand
jury investigation into all the causes
leading on up to the complete reign
of mob and lynch law at East St. Louis
were on motion of Julius P. Taylor
adopted by a rising vote at the big
meeting at Quinn Chapel, Tuesday
evening, July 17. Rev. J. C. Anderson
presiding. Mrs. Ida B. Wells-Barnett
very interestingly gave a heart render
ing account of her two visits to East
St. Louis, on her first trip she arrived
in that city just 48 hours after tho
last Colored person had been put to
death at the hands of the mob of
White ladies and gentlemen who claim
to be first-class christians.
Aside from Mrs. Barnett, Mr. A. H.
Roberts, Mrs. W. M. Farrow and Rev.
J. C. Anderson were tho other speakers
tho report of the committee follows:
CITIZENS COMMITTEE REPORT.
We, the undersigned Citizens Com
mittee chosen at the Mass Meetings
held under the auspices of the Negro
Fellowship League and Bethel A. M. E.
Church and directed to confer, with
Governor Lowden over the situation
caused by the riot at East St. Louis
and to continue the investigation pre
viously begun, beg leave to make the
following report:
Your Committee arrived in Spring
field, July 10th, the morning following
the Mass Meeting at Bethel Church
and by appointment met Governor Low
den in the Capitol Building where our
conference was held at eleven o'clock.
There were present also Adj. Gen.
Dickson who participated in the con
ference, also Col. John R. Marshall who
had spent some time in East St. Louis
soon after the riot.
The express purpose of the commit
tee was:
First, to call the attention of the
Governor to the fact that thousands of
citizens of East St. Louis were exiled
from their homes and were the bene
ficiaries of- charity in St. Louis, Mis
souri, and to request that some pro
vision be made by the Illinois author
ities for their protection and mainte
nance. Governor Lowden took prompt
action upon this matter. In our pres
ence he called up the Red Cross Of
ficials at East St. Louis and directed
that immediate attention be given to
this situation and then assured the com
mittee that the city of St. Louis would
not be required further to take care of
citizens of Illinois.
Second, to call to the attention of
the Governor the manifest inefficiency
and indifference of the Illinois 'militia
during the time of the mob the possi
ble connivance of members of the
militia with, tne mob and to request
that investigation be made of the work
done by the militia to the end that a
court martial be ordered if justified by
the facts.
HEBkt -aB y v.v ia&Si&mEP qHHk &v3s?-32oH
HON. FRANK O. LOWDEN.
Governor of the great State of Illinois, who assured the Citizens Committee
which was composed of Rev. John W. Robinson and others that he would
do everything in his power to aid the Colored people who lost their be
longings during the race riots at East St. Louis, HI.
Upon these serious charges which the
committee supported by newspaper re
ports and experiences related to mem
bers of the committee by victims of the
mob the conference was frank and
earnest; both sides desiring to deter
mine upon the best way to fix responsi
bility upon all who aided and abetted
the mofy So far as the militia was
concerned the Governor gave his as
surance that the charges would be fully
investigated and if proper, a court mar
tial would be ordered. Since the con
ference a court martial has been or
dered, although we regret that no mem
ber of the Eighth Regiment was named
thereon.
Third, to demand for the victims of
East St. Louis, many of them refugees
from home and work, the full protec
tion of the law in the enjoyment of
their lives, the protection of their prop
erty and the right to earn their living
by honest-toil. To the justice of this
demand Governor Lowden gave his
hearty assent- and declared that all
citizens of Illinois should have the full
est protection of the law if it required
the exercise of all the power of the
State. But your committee from its
investigation believes that the same
bitter vindicative spirit which mani
fested itself in the awful deeds of July
3rd still exists in a dangerous degree in
East St. Louis to-day and that no earn
est and effective measures will be
taken by public officials to curb that
spirit or prosecute known murderers
who took part in the mob. Our belief
is that security for life and property
will come only through action of Fed
eral authority by Congressional investi
gation and a Federal Grand Jury at
East St. Louis. Believing this your
committee has prepared a Memorial
which we respectfully submit for your
consideration.
Dr. D. W. Cook, Rev. J. W. Robin
son, H. A. Watkins, Lucius W. Wash
ington, Mrs. Win. Farrow, Mrs. Ida B.
Wells-Barnett
The following from Washington, D.
C, shows that the Hon. Lawrence Y.
Sherman, United States Senator from
Illinois means business at every stago
of the game, urging tho prompt adop
tion of his resolution for a congres
sional investigation of the recent race
riots at East St. Louis, 111., Senator
Sherman the first of this week told
the senate the situation still was ser
ious there and "that there is as much
influence in securing acquittal of guilty
men in Illinois as thero ever was in
Georgia."
"I ask this because this country is
liable to be again humiliated," Senator
Sherman said: "Both tho Colored and
the White citizens of East St. Louis
are living on the edge of another com
motion, on the edge of a volcano that
may result in a riot worse than tho pre
vious one."
The resolution was referred to' tho
committee on contingent expenses of
the senate, since it involved the ex-
(Continued on page 4.)
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