The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-09
Is ROOSEVELT On BOTH SIDES?
DOES HE APPROVE PRITCH.
ARD OR THE NEGRO
DELEGATION?

remove every negro office-h holder in
North Carolina. He has already removed
most of them. He could not have done
this without the approval or support Of
Mr.. Roosevelt. 1t has been accepted in
North Carolina that the kicking out OF
ance with an agreement with the Presi-
dent.
Just before the Republican State Con-
vention Senator Pritchard made hur-
ried visit to Oyster Bay and had a con-
ference with the President. A number OF
negro delegates, including ex-Congress-
man Cheatham, had been elected to the
Republican State Convention. Without
ceremony and without the least pretense
Of an excuse, they were kicked out Of the
Convention. Shortly thereafter Pritchard
was the orator at the Alabama
Republican State Convention, where
the negroes were excluded just
as they had been in North
Carolina. Everybody said that Pritchard
was the Presidents spokesman and that
Roosevelt was trying to build up re-
spectacle Republican party in the South
by eliminating the negro from participa-
ton in Republican conventions and kick
ing him out of office.
On Tuesday Senator Pritchard was in
Washington City and had an interview
with the President. The next day the
Raleigh Post, always a Prltchard echo,
except when it tries to fool Democrats
by some mild criticism about some i'm
material matter, printed under flaming
headlines, an account Of the interview in
black letters: white Republican
Movement in the South Approved by the
President" The article went on to say:
1.-THE fact that the President told Mr.
Pritchard that he was pleased with the
work and efforts of Southern Republicans
in his campaign leaves no doubt as to
his approval Of their effort to eliminate
the negroes as a factor in the Republican
organization. 1t will be recalled that
Senator Pritchard went direct from his
Oyster Bay conference to Greensboro and
the negro was unceremoniously bounced
from the State convention.
at was necessary to resort to drastic
measures to accomplish this, but there
was no hesitation. At the time the opin-
ion was expressed in this correspondence
that the President had given his ap
prevail to the scheme for the elimination
Of the negro in order to build up white
Republican party in the South. The ne
gro was cast out in order to bid for the
manufacturing element
That was on Monday. On Tuesday a
delegation OF leading Southern negroes
called to see the President by appoint
ment "to ascertain his attitude toward
the movement among certain Republicans
Of the South to exclude the negroes from
participation in the counsels of the party.
Upon retiring the delegation stated, to
quote the Associated Press account, that
1.-The President heartily disapproved of
the efforts of certain Republicans in the
South to exclude the negro from partici-
patton in politics"
Pritchard & Co. have given it out in
North Carolina that the President ap-
proved the exclusion of the negro. The
removal of many negro officers lent color
to this claim Pritchards action at
Greensboro and the disfranchisement by
Federal officeholders of negroes in Re-
publican Conventions in Alabama, Texas
and other Southern States has caused
the Southern people to accept the action
as in accordance with the Presidents
wishes. Within one day after it is given
out that Mr.. Roosevelt approves Senator
Pritchards kicking out of his negro as
sociates we are told that the President
heartily disapproved OF the efforts of ;
certain Republicans in the South to ex-
clude the negro from participation in
politics"
Unless there is some hidden meaning
somewhere we do not venture to express
an opinion of the Presidents attitude.
Senator Pritchard. the man responsible
for the appointment of 1000 negroes to
office IN North Carolina between 1895
and 1899, has been the boss who has
excluded the negro from Republican party