Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-21
Alabama Lily Whites.

In another column of todays Star appears
a letter from Mr.. Hugh l.. McElderry OF
Talladega, Ala. on the subject of the LILY
White movement in that state He takes
sharp issue with The Star. but does not,
in The Stars opinion. present case which,
in any measure, justifes what he and his
friends are attempting politically.
Why should the Lily Whites of Alabama
have accepted so promptly the suffrage
clause of the new state constitution? Its
constitutionality was questioned before its
adoption not only by them, but by some
very eminent democrats. Senator Morgan
was consulted and declared against the
grandfather" provision. The matter Is
not closed The expectation Is that the
United States Supreme Court will yet In
some way pass upon 1t. At any rate the
Lily Whites seem to have hurried to change
their party machinery to conform to what
they had but recently characterized as an
outrage and a violation of the principles OF
good government.
They then decreed that representation In
conventions should not be based upon popu-
lation, but upon an actual republican vote
cast" AS the negroes had practically all
been DISTINGUISHED by the democrats. this
action would necessarily produce LILY
Inc delegation from Alabama, so selected,
presenting itself at the next republican ma
tional convention and attempting to infiu-
ence the situation in the matter of the plat
form and the candidates. Let US imagine
the delegates interrogated by the national
leaders of the party. and asked as to how
many electoral votes Alabama would cast
for the nominees of the convention. None?
Then what in thunder are you doing hereT
Could the Lily Whites deny that they were
there practically by sufferance? That. II
the same rule which they had applied at
home were now applied to them, they would
have to walk out?
Mr. McElderry denies that this movement
is a hunt for office, and cites the cases or
several Lily Whites who are too prosperous
to care for office. Small as the Lily Whites
would make the republican party OF Ala
bama there would not, of course, be offices
enough to go round. But Lily White su-
premacy would mean a Lily White division
of the federal patronage
Application for the pie" would be as
prompt as has been the acceptance as
finality of the suffrage clause of the new
state constitution.
Verify the negro in Alabama is between
the devil and the deep blue sea. He Is dis
franchised by the democrats on the allega-
ton that he is too ignorant to use the bal
lot And yet had he been permitted to vote
and had his vote been counted, he would
have supported sound money and protection
both in 1896 and 1900. The men who dis
franchised him voted on both those occa-
sions for free silver and free trade, and
gave Alabama's strength in the electoral
college to the man whom today they are
doing their level best to forget. He then en-
counters the Lily Whites. who agree with
him politically, but object to the color of
his skin. They believe in the republican
policies They go so far indeed, as to in
sist that only through those policies can
the country hope to prosper. The negro
believes as they do. and largely because
some of them, who once trained with him
and took his vote, taught him to do so.
He wants to help them now. But no. The
democrats have drawn the line at him, and
the Lily Whites simply follow suit!
The Star repeats its former statement.
The Lily White movement is compounded
OF humbug and ingratitude and no repub-
ican leader of national influence and ambl-
ton can for moment afford to give it
cOuntenance.