The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-02
A Despairine Pntriot.-A

a DespairinE Pntriot-A Washing
tonian who recently visited Cen Lew Wal
lace at his home in Charlottesville, Ind.
brings back a report which contrasts
strangely with the alleged declarations of
this veteran Hoosier Republican leaders
intention to support and vote for Mr.. Nc
Kinley General Wallace lately completed
a handsome new residence at Crawfords-
Vile. While he was in the slough of de-
spoRd last winter, Immediately after the
passage by his party. under the Presi-
dents strong personal urgency. of the Ok
nardized Porto Rican bill, this famous
soldier, statesman, student, and Iitterateur
had carved in the marble mantelpiece of
his library an inscription expressive OF the
sentiment which then moved him to elo-
quent outbursts against the Administra-
ton This inscription, OF course is there
yet. and reads In this wise: THE Republic
Of Washington Ceased to Exist February
g. 1899. Present Condition: Waiting for
the Coming Of a Caesar" The date en-
ployed by General Wallace to designate
the death Of the Republic is that on which
the Treaty of Paris was ratified by the
Senate. BY this treaty as is known, the
United States came into possession Of Porto
Rico. Guam. and the Philippines and swung
out boldly into the whirling eddy of world
politics. General Wallace has been talking
a great deal to his neighbors about the
Administrations Imperialism and has been
frightening them with predictions of all
sorts of sudden but stealthy conversions of
the Republic into an Empire By Mr.. Hanna
and Mr. Mckinley. and 1t Is said his towns
men are unwilling to believe that after
preaching to them against the Admins
tratiOn he is now going to support Mr.
NIX n1a for al
WINGED that General Wallace's attitude is
being misrepresented by the Republican
managers ana that he either will take
the stump for Bryan or will ensconce him
self in the library of his new home during
the campaign and expatiate to such neigh
bors as are permitted TO see him upon the
dangers and terrors of Imperialism as set
forth succlnctly in the inscription upon
his marble mantelpiece.
Mckinley md the BIacis.-It is fire.
citizens of African descent apparently are
more solidly united in support of Mr. Nc
Kinley than OF any President since the
franchise was bestowed upon them. In no
part OF the country is there any consider
able movement among the negroes against
the President as there was against GEN
is explained glibly by the Administration
people as being due to the fact that Mr..
Mckinley has appointed more blacks to
ofice than were ever appointed by any Of
his predecessors. Many of the best places
in the Federal service at the South are
now held for the first time by negroes, and
this has had the effect of reconciling the
colored man and brother to Mr.. Mckinley
in those States where the Afro American
vote counts. In Indiana. Ohio. and Illinois,
for example, the colored vote is factor
when stirred up against the Republicans.
and II was this vote which contributed
considerably to the defeat OF General Har-
rison In 1892. General Harrison aroused
the hostility of the blacks while Presi-
dent. not only by his refusal to put them
in important Offices in the South, as Mr..
Mckinley has done, but also by SOME very
tart and truthful language he employed to
refute the claims made upon him and his
party by delegation OF Southern negroes
who called OF him soon after his inaugura-
tion. He listened to his visitors with some
respect. but with marked impotence, and