The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-02-27

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RIVAL BIDS FOR THE NEGRO VOTE.
When it comes to shrewdness i'll
politics, Hanna "takcs the cake"
For the past year, President Roose-
velt has been making such Il strong
play to the colored gallery, that the
public at large thought that his star
ofpopularitv with this class Of our
citizens was so strong in the ascend
ency, that there was no one who
could successfully compete with him
in getting the negro delegations, from
the Southern States, at the next
National Republican Convention.
With the doors Of the White House
thrown wide open to Booker Wash
ington, and the control of the poll
teal appointments practically in the
hands of this colored Professor, every
one regarded it as foregone matter
that Mr.. Roosevelt would control
the vote o. every delegate south of
Mason and Dixon's line. If there
was any doubt about Il single stone
being left unturned, this was re-
moved by the Presidents recent
letters and utterances Oh the race
question. He even went so far as to
close a United States postoffice be-
cause some of the patrons objected
to the postmaster, because she was
negro woman.
While all this was going on, i:-er"
Hanna said nothing but did power
iuI' lot Of thinking. He saw that
the only way to divert this portion
of the vote of the National Assem-
blage, which will play such import
ant part 81 the seleo.ior1 OF the next
Republican candidate for Presi-
dent, was to introduce an act which
was strictly novel ard up-to-date."
Just as things seemed most secure
and public attention was beginning
to turn in other directions, an inno-
cent looking bill appeared in the
Senate; introduced by request" by
Senator Hanna, which provided for
the pensioning of all ex-slaves, by the
United States Government. Nothing
could have been more crafty planned
or cunningly executed. Every news
paper in the land that leaned towards
the negro Immediately heralded the
magnanimous? act as one behttinga
great nation in trying to right the
wrongs? it had inflicted. Those who
opposed any such ridiculous move
could make no serious onslaught as
the shrewd preamble byrequest" at
once put silence to the argument that |
the Senator seriously intended to
press the measure.
While the situation presents its
amusing side to those who are not |
directly interested, it is no laughing
matter with the people of the South.
This trucking for votes by these two
ambitious statesmen? cannot be
viewed in any other light than with |
alarm by the white people who will |
not submit to negro domination. |
Owing to the increasing numbers, it |
is all that we can do to hold them in |
their places if we are let alone, and
allowed to handle them in our own
way. But when two men, Of the
calibre and position of those in ques-
ton, for presumably selfish ends,
step into the breech, the situation is
of nature that should call forth the
protests Of not only the white peo-
pie of the South, but the self-respect-
ing members of the Caucasian race
throughout the entire country. We
cannot believe that such action finds
favor among the better class of
Northern people-They profess the
doctrine that the bloody shirt had
been buried IN the oblivion Of an un-
mentionable past. They say that
the theory of government during the
DEMONSTRATION" period was mis-
take, and the sooner it is omitted
from our histories, the brighter the
country's deeds of valor will shine
If all this be true, and we believe it,
is it not time that the better element
of the party, to which they belong,
should rise up and rcbulle them both
by an enforced retirement to private
life, where Mr. Roosevelt can enter
tain negroes at his palatial Fifth
Avenue home i'll New York City, and
Mr.. Hanna, who is many times a
millionaire, can contribute, from his
private purse, such sums toex-slaves
as he secs fit. In this philanthroPic
work, the people will not NEEDLE.
The protest now does not come from
any hatred Of the negro. Itowes its
inception to those who have been
called upon to deal with them for
generations, in fact ever since the
time when slave holding was found
not to be profitable i'll the Northern
States.