The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-18
POLITICS OF FLORIDA
REPUBLICAN PARTY TOO SOLID FOR
ITS OWN GOOD THERE.
Capt. Welsh Says the Negroes should
Split Up-Mr. Roosevelt Popular
in that state.

Capt. John II. Welsh. inspector Of Gus
toms at Miami. Fla. past department COM
mander of the G. a. r. OF Florida, and
an ardent Republican, is staying at the
Hotel English Captain Welsh has been
nineteen years In Florida and is thor
oughly familiar with the State. In addition
to his duties as inspector of customs he
finds time to do some newspaper work.
and for four years has been the Florida
representative of the Associated Press and
the New York Herald.
FLORIDA is hopelessly Democratic" said
Captain Welsh yesterday, because of the
negro in politics. II the colored man as
a Republican could be eliminated or even
should he divide politically between the
two parties Florida would be a Republican
State, because every item of her sixty
millions of products needs protection.
Florida originally a Wing State. and
at the time she seeded she went out Of
the Union by a vote of one majority.
Florida, however, was not a Confederate
State in a strict sense OF the term, for the
reason that in the act of secession she
declared herself a free and independent
nation which action was never rescinded.
In my speeches heretofore in Florida cam
paigns, and in interviews in the press 1
have advised the colored man TO split up
politically on the ground that the Repub-
lican party cannot give him anything In
the South, because of race prejudice. If
the negroes split up they would be courted
instead of being ostracized. My advice
in this matter has been repeatedly pub
hshed In the negro papers of the South
and has met with hearty approval. The
Republican party has been badly split in
Florida for many years because OF the
colored race. One of the factions is known
hostile to the colored race. The truth is
that so long as the cOlored people are a
unit politically in the South they will be
feared the Irish and Germans were in
the Northern States in "Know-nothing
days, and as any other nationality would
be if voting solidly for one party. There
is not a white Republican newspaper in
Florida. All of the Republican papers
published there are edited by cOlored men.
As a rule the colored editors are a credit to
the profession.
Mr. Roosevelt will undoubtedly get the
solid delegation from Florida in the ma
tiOnal convention in 1904, and his reelection
Is moral certainty unless he should COM
NIT some grievouS mistake. He is a very
popular man in Florida, and what is true
OF Florida is true of the other Southern
States. All the prejudice growing out of
the civil war that ever existed in Florida
has been practically wiped out. The kind
Hest possible feeling exists everywhere in
the South between the eX-Confederate and
the eX-Union soldiers. Indeed, being an ex-
Union soldier in the South is a passport to
responsibility. The only feeling growing
out of the war existing in Florida to-day is
wholly confined TO people who never heard
an angry gun fired. There is perhaps not
more hospitable or generous people on
earth than those of the Southern States.
THE State of Florida is making won
derful progress. Perhaps there is no State
Of the Union in better shape financially.
Congress has appropriated over S5,0000c0 to
Florida this year, the largest appropriation
made TO any Southern State This money
is to be used for deepening harbors and for
public buildings. Miami, which had but
twelve feet of water, WILL thanks to Uncle
Sam, soon have eighteen feet of water be-
cause of appropriations made by the last
Congress. Miami is the most southern
and must in the nature of things become a
naval rendezvous Of great Importance
| There now three lines of ocean going
| egn ports. Fifty thousand tourists win
| ter on the Florida east coast annually"
Captain Welsh had not been I'm Indianap-
oils for twenty years previous to this trip,
| and says he was astounded at the won
/ derful development everywhere manifest
/ He thinks the most striking feature of the
growth of this city is the solidity of both
/ the public and private buildings. Captain
/ Welsh will leave here tomorrow TO spend
| several days in Lafayette and Chicago
He will return home by way of New York
and the coast.