OFFICIALS OF INDEPENDENT LEAGUE MAKE KNOWN PURPOSE IN PUBLIC STATEMENT
Claim A True American Negro Owes Absolute Allegiance To No Political Party
LYNCH LAW AND COLUMBIAN UNION OPPOSED
"There has been recently organized in this city a movement which is destined to change the political complexion of the Colored people throughout the entire country and will be the means of bringing about a greater benefit from a political point of view to all concerned. The movement will receive momentum as the people become more and more intelligent and can appreciate the advantage of dividing their vote like all other races. By so doing they will have autonomy and will be sought and treated with by all parties who are willing to make concessions on equitable terms. The Negro will never get what is justly due him as an American citizen until he learns this very patent and all important fact.
First of all we stand for a full and complete enjoyment of every right guaranteed by us by the constitution of the United States, unyielding in our advocacy of equal opportunity in all of our social, economical and political rights. For fifty years the American Negro has given almost salvish adherence and devotion to the Republican party, and having failed to support the Democratic party to any appreciable degree has caused us to be regarded as the friend of the one and [illegible] analysis has placed us in the unenviable attitude of being owned by the Republican party and despised by the Democratic party, thus making us the victims of an unfortunate circumstance, being between the upper and nether stone. We hail with very great delight the present indications of the Colored people beginning to discriminate between lifeless emblems and living personalities, they are beginning to emphasize "men rather than party." We believe the almost entire support of the Republican party by the Colored people in the past fifty years has been th cause of much of the race feeling and hatred injected in our political campaigns in the past, and has been greatly detrimental to our economic progress.
This is the time to divide vote, the psychological time for us to consider the advisability of dividing our vote in the future as all other races have done and have profited by so doing. Race solidarity has been a great set back to our people and decidedly injurious to our political welfare in this country. We believe the standard for political preferment for service should not be based upon color or religion, but upon character and competency regardless of race or creed. We contend for our proportional representation in the making and execution of the laws by which we are governed as a race. We are uncompromisingly opposed to lynch law, ku-kluk-klans, Columbian Unions or any other forms of oppression or race discrimination. It goes without saying that to division of the vote among our people would go a long way in allaying race prejudice and political corruption of the ballot. Our worshiping at the shrine of the "log cabin" for the past fifty years has resulted in leaving living perpetually in log cabins, while the political bosses are living in palaces at our expense.
With all Parties; Owned by None.
We have been accused by the thoughtless of being allied with the Democratic party; this is only a half truth; in fact we might say that we are allied with all of the poitical parties but are owned by none. We are free American citizens and reserve the right to think, act and vote for whom we please, regardless of their political affiliations. We do not owe any political party absolute allegiance and are not handcuffed by any political emblem, we recognize no mandate of any political machine. We are true American citizens and are willing to labor for purer and nobler ideals of citizenship rights and consider it just as sacred a right and duty to not vote for a candidate whom we do not want for office, who does not come up to our standard as an official in public duty as it is to vote for one whom we do not want, and vice versa.
As an intelligent element of the electorate we should be capable of knowing for whom not to vote for an election day, and be no longer like dumb driven cattle to go pell mell at the behest of the bosses and ward heelers. We wish to urge very strongly upon the recently emancipated women of the race to stand firmly against the insidious methods of the wily politician to decoy and lure you into so many of political tricks that he has used so successfully upon so many of the male members of the race in allowing themselves to be used as tails and exploited by selfish and low politicians, to viciate and corrupt the electorate for their own selfish purposes and self aggrandizement.
Now that you have won the ballot by your courage and perseverance, use it wisely and intelligently, vote for men and women of high ideals and lofty motives or none at all. Permit no one to influence you to cast your vote for any one who is undeserving regardless of his color or religion. We stand for political antonomy, that is to say we are ready to meet any political party regardless of their affiliations on terms of justice and equality of opportunity in [illegible].
We are fearless and will contend for every right and emolument to which we are entitled and will not rest contented until we receive them. We can not be bought nor bluffed, intimidated nor terrorized by any person or persons, organizations or societies, what not.
All persons who wish to be free and believe in manhood rights and are going to be their own judge in matters of voting for candidates for office in the coming and future elections are requested to send their names and addresses to our headquarters at 932 W. Walnut street. Over the First Standard Bank, Louisville, Ky."
JESSE B. COLBERT,
Pres. Independent Citizens League.
N. M. WILLIS, Secretary.

IN PUBLIC STATEMENT
Present State Of Affairs Of 
Claim. A True American Negro
State Normal At Frankfort FOR PEONAGE Owes Absolute Allegiance
Given Out For Publication To No Political Party
PREVIOUS REPORT U-NF-AIR , 'TIS CLAIMED
COLORED MAN ACTING SPEAKER OF NEW JER­SEY
LEGISLATURE
MURDERER IS INDICTED
SERVICE fOrt N. A.A. C. P. DRIVE OF RACE IS JURY FOREMAN
LAW AND COLUMBIAN UNION OPPOSED DR. ROBERT BAGNALL Of N.A.A.C.P. SPEAKS AT C. M. E. CHURCH