The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
DYKES BLACK DELEGATES.
EAGER rBoN FACES r TOWARD
81. LOUtS IND 4 MIEkET.

eyes OF the Northern politicians nre turned upon
him. bcamihs with unutternhlo love and long
ing. Like a golden beacon the Republican
National Convention looms M before him. His
dreams Grc roscaie with political hopes and
ycrdant with grecnbacks. the horcs ard the
Errenbacks being incXtricnbly comminrled
with each other and with Hnticipations OF tho
good times coming when the Republican marty
Of the United states of America in convention
assembled shall choose its best beloved son to
lead 1t in the march on Washington, aud when
votes in the Convention will hC worth $500 Mt
the lowest valuation. As n vote is an intangible
thing until 1t Is cast. commercial opportunity 10
not limited to n single deal. Verify the wise
Southern Republican delegate pulleth whatever
legs he can. and pulleth them all hard.
Never has the financial outlook IN Southern
politics been brighter. In the arst place, a large
number of candidates are TO be considered.
This makes the colorcd delegates valuable. In
fact. it makes all delegates valuable, but the
Others are not listed. Moreover. the other dele
gates go to a Convention. instructed for the most
part. No Southern constituency attempts to
instruct a negro Congress- district delegate.
They know better in the South. So there are
before them to choose from Mckinley, Morton,
Reed. Allison, Quay, Cullom. Davis. Mnndcreon,
and half n dozen other possibilities. All of
these nill poll votes on the first ballot. There
fore their henchmen will all be hustllng for the
favor of the dearly beloved colorcd brother. AS
tho said dearly beloved colorcd brother thinks
OF these things nowadays, he ticks his lips.
Reaching forth the glad hand to the political
nustlers of the North. he fixes on them the
blithe eye and makes his appeal:
Behold me. am full Of votes. Shall I not,
then. go to the Convention in style betting my
worth Must I toll by the wayside while
others ride In palace cars? Shall I not eat on
the way. and OF the fat Of the land Is quail
on toast any too good for n colored man with .
vote? Others NAV drink water, but as for me,
give me champagne, and give 1t to me in largo
quantities. Is there any hotel in st. Louis be-
yond nv mark ! trow not. He who gives UP
his time for his party's good, be he white or
black. is he not entitled TO be housed and fed by
that party There are carriages and convey
ances in st. Louis. My feet are weary OF walk
ing. should the friend OF any candidate choose
to provide transportation for me about town
! could hardly refuse and not be uncivil. I
am never uncivil. Incidental expenses? have
heard OF such things. Legitimate polite al ex-
penditures? Certainly. | am open To convic-
ton; wide open, mind. face, and pocket. In
fact. | fairly yawn for arguments regarding tho
worth of the various candidates. 1t is never too
late to convince me. but IL you come early you
avoid the rush. I have no prejudiccs. have
no bias. / have no favorite candidate. To be
accurate. 1 have no anything. but l hope to have
before / get through. So look out for me. I'm
coming"
Such is the cheerful ditty Of the colored Re.
publican delegate from the South. aud as he
says. so shall IL be. Already he has begun to
study up the rival candidate-in BrddstrsSt's.
A calm. persuasive man with an iron-gray
moustache. named Van Colt. has been down
having little heart-to-heart talks with the State
Cha;rmcn and the leaders who are supposed to
have influence with our Intelligent and
patriotic colored Republicans" What was
saii in these little exchnnpes Of confidence
Is not known of course: but a general i'm
preston has obtained that the persuasive
ments Of the New York delegation regarding
eaidrsd dsls ssps1s Started ID rs rif inhp0F As the to TSt the IS
bent the tree doesn't, necessarily incline, in the
still the man who is earliest on 81 the gr"und and
gets in the first good word for his candidate has
@ Of f0 0ouTssa t h1a ms i. leave leaves for 10 t the not s TatR 'h Oh id ssoal
H eas n forbid rSs He is is going DOWN there TO
just a little trip with no definite purpose in View
beyond seeing how the land lies Neverthe-
r lsisa ns Ssa for }lS 6en,rye' II Il he le% does Gfh' he m mi9
better have stayed at home.
friend Of Msjor McKiniey.' as everynoay
knows. He left town a few days ago, saying
most most nj uno s"s t%GtiiooSa d dep"rture t''' Few ~ Of his
friends, knew that he was going; fewer sttll in
three why he, was going. Could some Of the
others now see MIN In his act of taking a rest
that elastic term. some persons rest fiat on
their backs, others get out and tramp over
self on board of a Government vessel and goes
Staying ducks or tsh. pr. Chauncey nepew
Forwarded to him.; but sam Thomas's way is
different from all these. His, notion OF a
after hour. FOR day after day. interviewins men
very privately in hotel rooms. then catching a
Of the south to interview more men in the same
manner. Not an open-air speech to liven matters
dinner like the one GOV, Morton gave to Mr..
Platti Mayor strong. and a FEY other bosom
monotony OF conversaziones in stufy rooms
with persons OF influence. That's what 1t is to
RES" on the big mans behalf,
sam Thomas is not the only one who has gone
dusky brethren on behalf Of Major Mckinley.
The Hon; Marcus Ashtabula Hanna. chief
travelling Ike the invading locust Of ancient
times in a series OF long leaps. One day finds
hominem'S OF Which he he is a past master. and
the next discovers him in Baton Rouge con-
legitimate expense fund OF I.ouisiana's State
committee. Ills whispered words are full Of
gard him with awe, and the possible colored
delegates wear ph9tographs OF him pasted in
when they get To st. Louis.
What the Hon. Marcus Ashtabula Hanna has
Anderson and Caleb Sims OF this city have
been achieving for Morton, though on a smaller
they know how 70 get a. the prospective dele
gate directly, without the use Of cumbrous mid
die men like ChRirmen Of state Committees,
influential local leaders, and such. Which IL
less expensive.
As. yet, MIR. Ailison's boomers have not de-
scended upon The negroes; nor has Mr.. Reed
time, knowing that lac who buys last buys best.
Meantime the arrival % persuasive gentlemen
from the North is eagerly awaited by tho
colored Republicans. Well they know that the
ground must be gone over many times and that
golden seed from each faction must be sown,
though in the end there will be but one harvest.
W hat viii the harvest DEL the question that
thu various sewers would like to have an swered,
The whole thing may be- summed up very
briefly. First, there is the field TO he gone over
early in the season before the Congress con-
%vcnt!ons which elect delegates. This is the
work now being uone by sam Thomas. Hanna
ana the rest Of the earnest workers. II is anal
oGous To the farmers "sweetening up" his ten
acre lot before planting. Next comes the live.
lier work OF the Congress Conventions, II 10
kMAnnanl ilnN LAn