Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-29
THURSDAY. JANUARY go, 1868.
THE SOLID SOUTH.

There can no longer be any doubt but
that a, persistent effort will be made to keep
the South sohdly Democratic for 1904.
Whether this is inspired by the hope
that enough States in other sections Of the
Union will give their ELECTORAL votes to
the Democratic candidate for President to-,
with the solid South, elect him no one
can tell. Whatever may be the motive,
the Southern Democracy has already COM
menced its campaign with its most fire.
quenty used and effective weapon, the
negro 1t locks like the Democratic press
and politicians are determined to make the
race issue more acute than ever before.
The recent appointment of negroes to
Federal offices by President Roosevelt i
being worked to the fullest extent by
the Democracy for partisan ends. This
is especially so in connection with the
re.appointment of Mrs. Minnie Cox, a
colored woman, as postmaster at Indian
ola, Mississippi. and the closing of the
office at that place by the President be-
cause of the demand of certain citizens
made upon the postmistress to resign.
This, with other incidents, has been seized
upon to kindle into living flame the hate
of certain Southern whites for the negro
race and make the Republican party more
unpopular in this section. 1t looks like
the effort may be very successful.
This effort 10 decry the President, and
ipjure the Republican party, for the APP
rointment of negroes to office would be
more excusable, perhaps, if not so incon-
sistent with the former attitude of the
Democracy. This applies to the Virginia
Democracy as well as to that of the entire
South. MIR. Cleveland, while he was
President, appointed negroes to office, and
after so doing was twice again enthusias-
tically supported by the 'Solid South for
the Presidency; and the Southern Dem
ocracy would take him up and support
him again, if they thought they could win
on him.
The Democratic press has been very
critical of President Roosevelt, both foi
entertaining Booker T. Washington al
dinner and for appointing negroes to Office
One Of the most extreme journals on thi:
line has been our esteemed contemporary
The Richmond Times. 1t was formerly g
most conservative and fairly independ
ent paper; but lite intense dislike for Presi
dent Roosevelt has given it severe attack
OF negrophodia, and it has recently been
doing much to fan the flame of race hate.
Our contemporary does not seem to real
ize that it occupies and is cultivating a
ludicrously Inconsistent position. Its ad-
miration is as ardent for MIR. Cleveland as
its hate is intense for MIR. Roosevelt Why
hate and denounce Roosevelt for certain
acts, anil honor Cleveland who committed
similar acts while he was President? The
Times will not undertake to deny thatCleve-
land entertained Fred Douglas, negro,
and bis white wife, at his table in the
"White House," thus not only giving his
sanction to what is denounced as social
equality but condoning the much more
distasteful principle of amalgamation. The
Times will also not undertake to deny that
Mr.. Cleveland entertained at bis table the
mulatto QUEEN Of Hawaii, woman of
doubtful reputation. This is not all. Mr.
Cleveland appointed negro postmasters in
the South, some of them right here in
Virginia. There were two such appoint
ments in the Fifth District, made at the
request Of Congressman Swanson, and one
in the First District made at the solicitation
of Congressman Jones. These two men
now represent their districts in Congress
and are among the most prominent and |
honored men of the Virginia Democracy.
When Roosevelt appoints a 'nigger" to
Office it is a crime. When Cleveland ap.
pointed colored gentleman to an Office
it was an excusable virtue.
Again, we have been informed by the
Richmond News that when General Wade
Hampton was elected Democratic Cover
nor Of South Carolina one of his first acts
was to appoint several negro magistrates,
and he, perhaps, filled other offices with
negroes. The Philadelphia Press recently
had communication from Washington
which stated that there were negro magis-
trates in Mississippi who had been elected
or appointed to the responsible positions
by Democrats.
Why pursue the subject further to show
the gross inconsistency, we might say n.y.
of the Southern Democracy on the
negro question. 1t may be mistake in
President Roosevelt to appoint negroes to ,
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