Arizona daily citizen., 1901-12-14
THE NEGRO IN POLITICS.

THE NEGRO IN POLITICS.
News of an interesting political
movement comes from Indiana 1t is
movement of cOlored politicians to
draw the color line Indiana is close
state poIitica y. going sometimes for
one party and sometimes for the other
But without the $4,000 colorcd voters
in the state the Republican party
would be in Il helpless minority,
This condition oi affairs has at
tracted the attention OF tLc leading
colored politicians of the state. and it
is said they have taken steps to make
their power felt, ana to demand Offices
and other recognition in return fOt
votes II is proposed to put a colored
ticket in the field at each election.
beginning with the Congressional cleo
tions next lall The colored people of
Indiana complain OF discrimination
against their race in the distribution
)f federal. state and county patron
age
The complaint is a just one. but the
movement will fail If n colored tick
t is put in the field az threatened.
the mass of the colored voters will
'ontinue to vote the Republican tick
IT. 1t is curious fact that the negro
race. They turn naturally to white
leaders for guidance Any c0mbina-
tion Of the voters of particular race
TO support one party or the other in
return for Office is contrary 90 good
policy and inimical to good govern
nent
The Republican party in several of
the northern states beside Indiana Is
dependent on the colored vote Tor
success. Large majorities OF the white
voters in Illinois. Ohio. vest Virginia
Us we'll as Indiana are Democrats. II
)nly the white men in these states
| ;ould vote. the Republicans would be
n hopeless minority, That the faith
fulness of the negroes has never been
rewarded with office by the Republi
cans may be perfectly justified But
I exhibits the utter hypocrisy and
ant Of northern newspapers and the
lorthern politicians when they de
lain and write sermons about the po-
itical treatment OF the negro In the
south
Politically. socially and industrlally
The negro is treated better In the South
han in the North There are many
positions which he occupies by thu
/ favor OF Southern Democrats which
the Republican party In the North
would not venture to give him. The
appointment OF a negro policeman la
New York City by the incoming ad
ninistration of Mayor Low. would. in
Ill likelihood produce a riot. And
yet negro policemen in Southern cities
nave not been uncommon.
The negro race in the Southern
states has been banded together
against the whites; but always under
white leadership. The race consolida.
ton has worked the negroes great in
Jury politically and otherwise. II has
compelled the whites to consolidate 70,
heir own protection and it has neces
Stated the recent schemes for disfran-
rhisement. he members of no othe
race OF people all think alike, and il
Is impossible that all negroes should
Lhink alike. The fact. therefore that
they all vote alike Is urged as an ar
yumsRt that they vote without think
Ing at all and that an unthinklng cleo
torate Is constant source OF peril tC
the state and should be eliminated
II. on the other hand. the negro vote
had divided itself among the parties
1t could not have been danger and
there would nave been no reason fol
disfranchisement. The very first effect
of division of the negro vote would
be division OF the white vote.