The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-03-20
~ Significant Admission.

The speech delivered by Secretary
of War Root before the Union League
club in New York, tends to confirm
the report that Mr.. RoosevclL's adyis-
crS have warmed him that lie has gone
bit too far on the negro question.
Mr. Root took occasion to say that in
extending White house courtcsics t,
the negroes, Mr.. Roosevelt had gone
no further. than any of his prcdcccS-
S0rS. lie also invited special atton-
tion to the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt
has appointed fewer negroes to Office
than did Harrison. Hayes or Mckin-
ley. Mr.. Root declared that tho four
tecnth and fifteenth amendmcnts
have utterly failed to carry into circt5
the plan formulated to elevate the
black man by making him Il citizen
and giving him the right to vote. Mr..
Root said that he believed that within
Il few years the Overwhelming domin-
ant white opinion in the south would
succeed in excluding the negro from
all offices in southern states and he
left upon his bearers the impression
that he did not regard it to be the
duty OF the north tointerfcrc with the
inevitable result.
The Kansas City Journal, one of the
leading Republican papers in the
west, commenting upon Mr. Roots
speech, says that because Mr. Roosc-
velt has had time to manif fest his dis
approval, il he felt any, but has not
done SO, the speech must stand as
tie latest and most up-to-datc Re-
publican doctrine as announced from
the White house" The Journal fur
thcr says: This speech, where it
deals with the negro question. is SC
absolutely contrary to the record OF
the Republican party it is difficult to
realize that it could have been de-
lvcrcd by one OF the party's leaders
so eminent In authority and high in
position as Mr.. Root is. If the atti.
tudc Of the Republican party is chang
ing the negro has himself to blame
In the border states between tho
north and the south, and III all the
| larger cities, the negroes are no longer
loyal adhcrcnts OF the party that freed
them. Republican leaders are begin.
ning to feel that they cannot rely or
the undivided support Of the black
vote, and SO it is not strange that their
sympathy should cool with this loss
of confidence. But Secretary Root,
T course, did not refer to This. lie
meant that the racial benefits which
were expected to cnsuc from clothing
the negro with citizenship had not
matcrialized and that negro suffrage
had proved il disappointment from a
patriotic standpoint
This will doubtless be interesting
reading to those who have imagined
that the Republican party was the
disintcrcStcd friend OF the negro. AS
the Commoner says it will be observed
that this Republican paper says that
the negro has himself to blame if the
attitude OF the Republican party is
changing. The fault OF the negroes,
according to this Republican organ, is
that in the border states between the
north and the south and in all larger
cities the negroes arc no longer loyal
adhcrentS Of the Republican party
The fault, according to this RepuDli-
can organ, is that the negroes have
givcii republican leaders cause to feel
That they cannot rely on the undivided
support OF the black vote.
And SO" says this Republican
organ, it is not strange that their
sympathy should cool with this loss
OF confidence" The Journal editorial
III which this comment appears is cn.
titled "A Significant Admission. .
The journal meant that the head line
should apply to Secretary Roots adj
dress; and yet it is particularly ap.
plicablc to the admission made by the
journal itself, which is, in effect, that
tho Republican party is the friend OF
the negro for political purposes only