West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-06-18
THE RACE QUESTION
In WEST VIRGINIA.

From the Hampshire Review
a reeent issue OF THE Advocate" OF
Charies,on--the negro organ In West
Virginia, contains vicious sttacS on Sena.
tor Cambell. Of Jefferson. a Representative
otthis District. for his attitude ON the race
question. and also arraigns Hon. George r.
Price for his declaration in the recent
Municipal Democratic Convention az
| Charleston that Il was the duty Of his party
Ito nominate good white clean man. 10
be elected by the good white clean citizens
OF the town"
The article evidently penned by some
degenerate white man. deliberately mis-.
quotes Senator campbell's remarks made
during the closing hours OF the recent ses.
sion OF the Legislature. What he did say
was that in his judgement this was a white
mans country. and that the ncgro under
existing conditions and the execution OF
the election laws by the Republican cor
ruptionis,s, ought to be disfranchised. lie
quoted Booker Washington as saying that
the Almighty had stamped the mark OF
interiority on the visage OF the African. and
strongly criticized President Roosevelt Tor
entertaining Washington on terms OF social
equality at the White House. Senator
Campbell claims to be. and Is. a better
friend OF the negro than those WIG have
use Tor them for political purposes only
II Is we'll authenticated fact that Booker
Washington did make the remarks In
question at a Negro Church In Charleston,
and President Roosevelt glories in his
recognition OF the negro as a social equal,
and the attempted humiliation of the
southern people by appointing negroes TO
administer responsible Offices aud boss"
| the whites.
Only last month the press dispatches
announced that the Union League Club OF
New York. OF which Roosevelt was Presi.
dent in 1893, had adopted resolutions
denouncing the recent election laws passed
by Virginia, Maryland North Carolina and
Alabama. The resolutions provided for
large appropriation TO aid In testing tho
validity OF these laws" &c. Of which the
renegade and negrophIie. John S. Wise.
whom Virginia has spewed out OF her
mouth, Is expected TO be the chief bene6
ciary. The Maryland election laws are
practically those OF Massachusetts, aud
the Supreme Court has just upheld the
| constitutionalIty OF the Alabama law. The
| dispatches state that ut Is understood
that large contributions will be made by
individual gentlemen OF the Club. In the
light OF the unqualified success OF the
similar Committees OF the Club appointed
TO aid in the defeat OF the silver movement
In 1896, and the election OF Roosevelt as
Governor OF New York. some idea OF the
Importance OF this movement may be had
| On these two former Committees we're such
men as John ID. Rockefeller, ]. Pierpont
Morgan. Henry Clews. Joseph II. Choate.
General Horace Porter. Andrew Carnegie.
and score OF others whose names are
household words In every American home.
| The Union League Club is certainly the
most conservative and exclusive as we'll
as the wealthiest Republican body In this
country. and II is said its action will give a
| powerful impetus 10 similar action else
where
nice aggregation OF patriots this. and
one OF course thoroughly conveIsant with
the needs and aspirations OF the people
No one questions the tact that a msjorlty
Of the white voters OF West Virginia are
Democrats. aud therefore the balance of
power is held by the negro Is II wise or
right that an illIterate. vicious. and ire
sponsible electorate should control the
| dcstlnies OF great Slater For instance,
the county OF Fayette with on overwhelming
colored population. paying little or no
taxes, and which rolls up such a Repnbli-
can majority as may be needed to carry
that district, furnishes one fifth Of all the
convicis Ia the State Penitcntiary from the
fifty FIVE counties OF West Virginia. and at
least 90 per cent OF these are coIored and
vet IL Is by such negro dominated counties
that we are Indirectly governed. The
better class OF colorod voters owe IL to
themselves 10 wipe out this reproach OF
their race and to the State. Take away
the majorities given by the paupcr and
criminal population OF West Virginia and
IT would unquestionabIy belong to the
Democratic column.
The Advocate" criiIcizes Senator
Campell for injecting the negro question
into the debate on the Jefferson countyfree
turnpike bill he was advocating. but forgets
to state the Republicans brought about the
race question by advertlng in the debate
to the so called hold up" Of the eStraya.
CANT appropriation bills by Democratic re.
sentiment to the treatment members OF the
House had been subjected 10 when the
negro member OF that body from Fayette
county became 80 offensive as to almost
preclpliate a riot
The Advocate" closes lts article by
advising It's leaders that while division
Of the colored vote might be good policy
sometimes" to vote the straight Republi.
can ticket from poundmsster o President" 4"
and adds that 10 is our business now to
shut Of these people who are crying for
clean white vote
Senator Campbell may have been i'm.
polite In his remarks but had the courage
TO express bis convictions. and In view Of
the conditions existing under Republican
misrule In West Virginia seems justified In
his conclusions.