Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-04-27
THURSDAY, APRIL %, 1899. y
THE NEGRO HAS BEEN THERE
BEFORE.


The Richmond Times mas grown frantic
over the fact that at the $l.00 Jefferson
dinner attended by Mr.. Bryan there were
negro men and negro women mingling
with white men and white women. We
publish in another column an article taken
from the editorial columns Of the Times,
which is a caustic criticism of Mr.. Bryan
for participating in meeting, Jointly,
social and political, where negro men and
women were guests. The Times, no doubt,
thinks this act of Mr. Bryan will so disgust
the Southern Democrats, who have been he
blind followers, that they will desert him.
We do not question the sincerity of the
Times, but we believe its judgment is at
fault. The Democracy of the South is
only hostile to the negro when his politics
is Republican. Even in Virginia leading
Democrats have not declined to mingle
and stand hand in hand with negroes at
political gatherings. Does not the Times
recall how John w. Daniel, the idol of the
Virginia Democracy, at political gather
ing in Lynchburg spoke from the same
platform with the negroes Arnold and
Derrick, and, getting between the two,
took each of them by the hand, and in
that position announced to the audience,
that "when the best men of both races
Joined hands in cause it must prevail"
or words to that effect. That act did not
disgust the Virginia Democracy with John
w. Daniel. Then when MIR. Cleveland
was President he entertained at his table,
at the ''White House," the mulatto Queen
of Hiwali, also Fred Douglas and his
white wife. After those acts on the part
of President Cleveland he received the
solid electoral vote of the South for Presi-
dent, by receiving the solid Democratic
vote o. all the States Of our section. The
Southern Democracy may desert MIR,
Bryan before 1900, but it will not be be-
cause of his lance at the $1.00 dinner,
where negroes Of 10th sexes mingled with
white persons. If they abandon him 1t
will be for the same reason that they de-
serte Mr.. Cleveland because they did not
think he could be successful candidate.
What the Southern Democrats want is
plac. ard power If Mr.. Bryan can be
used as means for securing that end,
they will not hesitate 10 rally to him,
though he should mingle socially on many
occasions with negroes. They will make
the race issue sharp and strong when it
suits them, and cast it aside when they
wish. Has not the Times heard the ter
rible groanings of the Democratic press
over the appointment of negro post
master in Virginia by Republican Presi-
dent, and then see, the proof given that
several negroes had been appointed pest
masters in Virginia by Mr.. Cleveland at
the request OF Democratic Congr essmen,
among them Swanson and Jones. The
latter had negro appointed postmaster
at a certain place in his Congressional dis
trict with the avowed purpose of having
an old white Confederate veteran act as
the deputy of the negro.
The Times ought to see that the aversion
of the Southern politician to the negro
il dependent upon his politics. AS long as
Mr.. Bryan mingles in semi'social way
with Democratic negroes he will not have
committed a sin which the Southern Dem
ocratic politician will not readily condone.