The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-04
Congressman Swanson of VT- giRia Says North Has Become
 Prejudiced Against Negro
ROOSEVELT'S POLICY
 IS HELD RESPONSIBLE
vlrelnIan Says President Has Given Negro Wrong Idea of His Import ance, Which Has Induced
 "Swelied Head"

Washington, August S.-(speeial.) .)-The statement made by Senator Arthur P. German of Maryland during the course of his interview yesterday in effect that the race question was a national, rather than a sectional one attracted wide spread attention among southern mem- bers of congress who are in Washington today.
 Representative Swanson of Virginia, who Is candidate for the democratic gubernatoriai nomination of that state said this evening that he believed the north had finally gotten It's taste of the black man as evidenced by recent lynch ings in that section, and he colncided with MT. German in the belief that the whole question was assuming national aspects.
 ",rhe recent disturbances in many nor thern states" said Mir Swanson, 'indi- oates that the north has prejudices against the negro greater than those of the southern people. The people of the north appear to be more intollerant of the negros frailties than are we of the south. While the crimes recently perpe- trated by negroes in the north evoking the lynchings in Illinois, Delaware and Indiana, have been far less grievous than those which have from time to time been perpetrated in the south, the offenders have fared much worse at the hands of the northern people than their brothers in crime have been treated by the whites of the south All this indicates that the negro question. when it becomes nat ional issue. as it will be by the gradual dissemination of the negroes to all parts of the country. will be regarded without any difference of opinion in any section of the country in an effort to seek its proper and successful solution.
 South Understands Negro.
 .The south," continued MT. Swanson, Understands the negro question better than any other sections of the country, and it will sooner or later be discovered that the south's treatment and settlement of the problem Is the one to be adopted the country over. The negro as force and factor in politics and legislation is an absolute failure and will hereafter pIONC ShNA HI tAiS AACA hAAt oONNAf NNSN N+.o west.
 Representative Livingston of Georgia, the senior democratic members of the committee on appropriations. and lead CT of the minority upon the floor of the house, outlined today what in his judg- ment will be the three main points of att tack by the democrats upon the repub- Jeans during the congress oon to begin It's sessions. They are as follows
 "1. A demand for the enactment of an elastic currency bill.
 "2. Demand for the abolishment or re- duction of rates in tariff schedules pro- tecting trust-made goods.
 "'3 Demand that the republicans either avow their intentions to stand by the President upon his negro policy or an ad- mission that they repudiate It.
 "The most important of the three, prob ably, is to define the attitude of the party generally upon the negro question. The President has outlined his creed on that problem. He has filled the negroes of the country with conceit and false pride. He has given them sad case of swell head edness,' if 1 might say. It Is getting so that there is no holding the black man He is rapidly outgrowing the clothes which were intended for him by nature. Now, let us ask the republicans of con- gress: The policy of your President on the negro question Is plain. Do you in- tend to stick by 1t or do you intend to renounce 1t? They must answer.
 Issue Is Important.
 'sThe negro issue is an important one before the people. That cannot be denied. And especially Is 1t of vital importance to the people of the south. The south de-
 f<x.. tf~ Inf.< IQ.ft what can the section do7 MT Roosevelt has conveyed to the black man false im- pressions of the negro's importance. It has caused insolence and crime Shall this go on? I say that If 1t does, 1t will follow a war to the knife and in 1t there will be many deaths. It cannot continue. Now that is the question which must be put to the republicans. Do they desire such developments, or will they repudi- ate the Presidents attitude upon the ne- gro question? The question can be blunt ly put and it can be answered categori- cally. With one answer or the other we can go before the people in the next cam paign. I believe that the negro problem will be of the utmost importance in that campaign.
 'Recently, and since the President s policy has been inaugurated, the blacks of the south have been getting together and shaking hands with themselves.
 They have been given inflated notions of their standing, social and otherwise. Why, in my state of Georgia, an organi- zation of negroes has been formed which Is termed The Band. It Is composed of blacks-men and women. It Is sort of labor organization, but It's government is beyond all reason. For instance, one rule of The Band is that no negro woman shall do the laundry work of any white woman or family. No negro in the or ganization will do the washing for a white family.
 Another rule provides that members of The Band engaged upon plantations shall enter into written contracts with their employers. and that such contracts, before being agreed upon. shall be super vised and approved by a local lodge of The Band There are other regulations