Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-21
coLoRED IMPORTANTLY.

In President Roosevelt'S negrophilistic
the Republican leaders at Washington
are reaping the whirlwind. No wonder a
Republican senator declared to Mr.. Hoar
that he thought tho abolition Of slavery
was mistake. It IS said that Repub-
lican senators and representatives are
being 'pestersd" to death BY negro de-
nands for the pensioning Of slaves, army
positions, and Federal civil Offices. The
Crum and the Indianola incidents have
stimulated importantly in respect Of ne
has been known In years.
There is no sort Of doubt that the
gradual elimination Of the negro from
politics in the South was working to pro-
duce contentment among the race. The
negro was slowly but surely beginning to
accept the Inevitable. especially since it
was dawning upon him that the North
was fas. becoming Indifferent to the
southern movements to restrict negro
suffrage. There was great promise in the
situation for both the negroes and the
whites Of the South. There was ercour-
asement to the former to prepare them
selves the better for the exercise OF the
suffrage, and the latter were justified in
expecting In time a more industrious and
reliable class Of labor. Logically il could
be counted on that friction between the
races would be greatly reduced and con-
sequently the whites would be more Will
Ing to contribute to negro education.
. But truly President Roosevelt threw
the fat into the fire. Not in two decades,
perhaps, has the negro been so dIscon-
tented and restless and assert.ve as he
has now been inado by Mr.. Roosevelts
codd!inS Of him. Not in two decades,
perhaps. has tho negro been done a
worse turn than is represented In the
administrations course in foisting him
into public positions where he Is, especial
IS obnoxious to the whites
The Presidents negrophilist1c policy
aside from its effect In illtensify1ng race
prejudice in the south-aslde from breath
Ing new life into the race issue in this
secuon-has caused the negro to render
himself more obnoxious than in years to
the North
His demands for pensions, for army
positions, and for more Federal offices is
but The legitimate fruit Of the Presidents
defiance of race prejudice, and so far as
the negroes progress and happiness are
concerned, Mr.. Roosevelt has set the
clock back many years. The race is slow
to learn and It Will be a long season be-
fore If ceases the opportunities to which
the President has encouraged it.
Meanwhile. what with the changing SEN
timent lat the North on the negro oues-
ton, the majority of the race may find
their last condition in that section worse
tEan their first. Between the feeling the
President has stirred up at the South
and the impatience the negroes demands
has excited at Washington the outlook is
.er the undoing of a vast deal that had |
been done in the negroes interest al.
ready we have indications that the new
negro ..on to Washington" movement is
creating disgust at the North. and pro |
ducing hopelessness regarding him.
a New England paper which has been
great exploiter Of Booker Washington, |
md had reached the conclusion that he
had the true idea OF solving the negro
problem to tho best advantage of the
colored brother significantly remarks
that the negroes latest demands in force
.or recognition do not look as if the race
as setting much store by Booker's a.
ice And another northern Republican
'ontemporary intimates that the negro is
INVITING tho Republican party to unload
him without further ado.