The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-30
WILL IGNORE THE NEGRO
ROOSEVELT TO AID THE "LILY WHITES"
Latest Hobby of the President Will Probably Be Pushed For . Time, at Least-Iahe Recent
 Naval Maneuvers.

are the best of reasons for the belief that President Roosovelt's plans for the reor- ganization of the Republican party in the South contemplates among other things. the elimination of the negro to an extent which will be, or should be-. quite pleasing to that faction of the party which will be, or should be. quite pleas ing to that faction of the party which has gained for itself the name of lilly white."
 To the Republicans in the South who think that results can only be obtained with the assistance of the negro, however, the news of the Presidents intentions will come as an unpleasant shock. It has been only within the past few days that anything really definite was known of the manner in which the President re- garded the Southern situation or of what he proposed to do in order to have mat ters arranged entirely to his liking. The visit of Cecil A. Lyon, Chairman of the Texas Republican Executive Committee, to Oyster Bay last week, and the things which were said by the President on that occasion. are regarded as having brought out in an unmistakable manner the posi- tion occupied by the Chief Executive in tfie prSihiSeS. lne A<yOu tuC1uont na8 Oeen talked of more than any other of ts kind | this summer and since it has been stated with some show of authority that the Presidents vehement utterances while MT. Lyon was in his presence were in- tended to apply to Southern Republicans generally. and not to Mir. Lyon person. ally. it has been observed that the affair has had the effect of bringing out num- Der of features which were not formerly in evidence.
 Briefly stated. the Presidents idea seems to be to let go of the negro en- tirely and to build up in the South Re- publican party composed largely or who'll ly of white men. His idea is said to be that in this way and in this way only can Republican successes in the South be hoped for. He believes. 1t is said, that the elimination of the negro will bring back into the ranks of the party many white men who have either refrained from voting 1t all in local campaigns during the past few years. or have voted with the opposition notwithstanding that they were Republicans at heart. The President appaf ently believes that the number of white men who can be gotten back into the fold through these m cans will be much lager than the number of votes which will be lost as a result of the practical obliteratIon of the negro in politics. These ideas have been gained supposedly from Southern white Repub. licans and the stand that will be taken by Booker T. Washington and other ne- groes who are known to be close to the President, remains to be seen.
 Mir. Roosevelt will probably push this latest hobby of his as he has pushed all the eothers-temporarily at least--but when the real difficulties begin to be in evi. dence 1t may be that he will be made to change hts mind as to the desirabiIity of getting rid of the negro. who. it must be admitted even by Mir. Roosevelt him. self. has done much for the Republican party in the South for rearly or quite three decades. The Presidents answer to this problem would probably be that the negro has already been disfranchised in several of the Southern States. that, therefore, he is no longer a factor in pol. itics and that the Republican party as a whole. Is not responsible for his not be- ing so.
 Of course 1t is perfectly natural that MT. Roosevelt should be anxious to bring an end to the factional fights which are raging in various States of the Union and particularly. so far as the South is concerned. in Texas and Louisiana But other Presidents have entertained sinii- lar ideas and have accomplished nothing. So long as there is patronage to be di- vided the Republican leaders in the State and local organizations will continue their lights and 1t is not likely that anything the President can do will bring an end to the struggles. This fact. of course, is particularly favorable to Democracy. It sadmitted even by Republicans that the local quarrels which are so much in ev- idence all over the country will increase the chances O Democratic success in the Forthcoming Congressional campaigns; and It would therefore seem that the Demo- crats will only have to be careful and active in order to make sufficient gains to capture the next House.