Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-04
THE COLORED DELEGATES.
The Younger Men VIII Have Seats In
the St. Louis Convention.

The Younger Men VIII Have Seats In
the st. Louis Convention.
From the Chicago Record.
The republican national convention will
he attended by more young colored men
than have ever sat in a national convention
before. The most of them will come from
the south as a matter OF course. This has
always been so. But it is not among the
least remarkable features of the colored
mans development that even in the south
the young blood of the race is asserting
itself.
The veteran colcred politicians who have
been chosen thus far as delegates to the
republican convention are few. Wright
Quincy. from Texas. and Perry Carson,
from the District of Columbia. are about
all that are left of the old guard. 1t is as
serted tfat Mr.. Quincy was saved in Texas
by his willingness to- be a party to the
bursting of the Mckinley boom in his
STATE. otherwise he would have been left
at home to brood over the part he had
played in earlier conventions. AS it is, he
Is content to play second fiddle to a young
galveston lawyer named Ferguson. who
mas cfarge OF the Reed canvass in Texas
and who Is the father of the compromise
which stopped the growth of the Mckinley
wave In that state. Next to Frederick
Douglass. the colored men most familiar
10 republican conventions have been ex-
Senator Bruce and John r. Lynch of Mis-
slssippi. The Indications are that neither
o. these men will have seats in the St
Louis convention In the state convention
which elected the national delegates they
We're signally defeated by the young men,
led by James ]. Hill of Vicksburg who
WIN De remembered as the young colored
man whose appointment as postmaster Of
NlcksDurg by President Harrison raised a
storm of protest from the white Missis-
sppians. The Bruce-Lynch people will con-
test the right of the opposition to seats in
the convention, but the Hillites say their
victory was so decisive that they cannot re
Gnseated.
In South Can DINA it looks as though Gen.
Robert Smalis had gone the way of me
has-beens. EX-Consressman Murray is nov
the colored leader in South Carolina, and
ne ana his followers viii have seats in the
convention. 1t is very likely that ex-
Congressman Cheatham and John G Dancy
VIII lead the cOlored delegates from North
carolina. Both are young men, and are
regarded as good representatives of the
new type of colored men. Young men have
come to thH front in louisiana and the
colored delegates from that state will be
rev men and practically unknown outside
OF their native districts. james Madison
vance, young lawyer of New Orleans. is
the chief spirit OF the element which ha;
set aside the old-timers VINO were wont to
IoiioW the lead of ex-Gov. Pinchback and
Col. James Lewis.
Apparently Col. Perry Carson is a fixture
In District of Columbia politics. But it
must be remembered that the colonel is not
one OF the old guard who will not keep
ABREAST OF the times. He is not an edu-
Gated man; In point of fact it Is not so
very long ago that he had to get helm tn
read his own name. The possession of a
Keen native Shrewdness and a positive
talent for handling men has made him
well-nigh invincible in the politics of the
District '1->
1t is likely that the moral caliber of the
colored delegates to the ST Louis ccnyen-
ton will be higher than in previous con-
Nentlons. The delegates chosen are in the
man men better equipped to assume pub
lie responsibilities than those formerly Sc
lected. The desire to create a healthy tone
OF respect for the race among thu other
elements of or citizenship is a first creed
among the younger element of the colored
men. This was the topic of a speech made
recently at Boston by James Madison
vance of New Orleans, and there is small
doubt ttat he echoed the sentiments of The
colored man who is fast assuming the di-
rectlon of his races affairs. One coIored
0eiesate mas been chosen north of the
Shlo river to represent a district in the St
Louis convention, Senator John p. Green
of Cleveland. Ohio. A number of colored
aiternates have been chosen from northern
states. AS to presidential preferences the
sentiment seems to be evenly divided
among the various leaders in the race for
the nomination. In the south, however
there Is an interesting situation which has
been brought about by the existence of the
color line In republican politics in that sec
ton: II In certain locality the Lilly
Whites are for Reed, that is enough IN
secure the black delegates for Mckinley
or they are fer Reed if the .whites'' are
for Mckinley.
The most gratifying feature of the sit
uation among colored men is the effort be-
ing put iorth to remove the reproach that
many colored delegates to conventions are
purchasable The friends of the new
movement hope for good results in This
direction. 0