Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-03

NO COLORED MEN in CONGRESS.

Washington, Aug. 29.-When the
clerk OF the house of representatives
calls the roll of the Fifty seventh con-
gress next December, there will be no
colored man to respond to that call, or
TO take a seat in the lower branch of
the congress of the United States. The
tifty-seventh congress wiki be the first
body controlled by the republicans in
the past thirty years which has not
contained in its membership at least
one representative of the race to free
which the republican party was born.
it would appear from this absolute
lack of negro blood i'll the house that
all fear of niger domination has
been eliminated from the southern po-
litical problem. 1t is not because of
the changes in the constitutions of
some of the southern states that the
negro mas passed, las politician, but
because in the last decade there has
been a growing antagonism, even
among white republicans, to submit
ting to the negro control of republi-
can primaries. Twenty years ago it
was the custom+almos the invariable
custom--to nominate negroes for con-
gress in the hopelessly democratic dis
tricts OF the south. just how many
colored men have succeeded in getting
into congress it is difficult to ascertain
accurately. There is absolutely no
list OF colored representatives The
congressional directory divides the
membership of the house politically,
and the autobiography of each mem
Der states among other things the pol
itics of the successful candidate for
the seat. but neither in the index nor
in the text of this, the only official
guide, is the color line drawn. 1t is
also fact that few of the colored men
VINO have sat in congress in the past
distinguished themselves sufficiently
to insure the retention of their names
even in the minds of men usually we'll
posted in congressional affairs.
rAere are around the capitol today
at least dozen men who have held
official positions under the dome for
a score Of years or longer. and yet it
is safe to say that not one of these
could give YOU the names of five ne
groes who have served in the house of
representatives without consulting
many dusty old volumes of the Con-
STGSSlOGal h5cOfQ-
Perhaps the best known of all the
men of his race who have occupied
seats in the legislative halls of this
government was Blanche K Bruce, of
Mississippi, who served in the senate
for full term, tyori 1875 to 1881. He,
together with Hiram Fl. Revels. his
colleague for little over a year. were
the only two negroes ever elected to
the United States senate. Revels was
forgotten, except in Mississippi, al
most as soon as mis- term expired
Bruce, on the other hand, served as a
registrar OF the treasury and in other
public Offices for many years prior to
his death, which occurred two or three
Years ago. Bruce was a courtly, We'll
bred southerner Had his skin been
white he wouid undoubtedly have
achieved IN high position for himself
even in the state of Mississippi, where
ancestry counts for SO much. But
somewhere back In the past genera
tons was a negro mother. and the
faint African blood kept him outside
the pale. Bruce was man who never
tried to force himself upon the proud
Caucasions who We're his colleagues
He kept himself to himself, and won
the respect of everyone with whom he
came in contact. -.
OF all the men. of African descent
who ever sat in the. house of .represen.
.tatives probably the most brilliant was
John M. Langston, of Virginia. Lang
stan was seated after, a contest in the
sFjfty-first congress, late in the. summer
of 1880. He WAS a man of brain, of ed,
ucation and force. He filled the posi-.
ton of United States minister to Hay.