The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-12
ALABAMA'S NEGRO TURMOIL.
REPUBLICAN, PARTY NOW IN A
STATE OF WRECK.
Last FAN the Negro Had been Eliminate cd
From Political Consideration and
Solid White Citizens We're In Party
ContrOi-split Came Over Endorsing
Roosevelt for Reelection and the
Presidents Recognition OF Negroes.

| sofia Wnte l" Heass
Controi--split Came Over Endorsing
| Roosevelt for Reelection and the
| Presidents Recognition OF Negroes.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, May 1.-THE negro
question is the pivot on which Republican
politics in Alabama is just now revolving
at so bewilcering a pace that the un,n-
| formed outsider is able to make little OF the
situation save well defined article OF
chaos. II all dates from what is described
by Republicans here as the deliberate
effort on the part of the Administration at
Washington to crush the white Republican
organization in the State and to rehabilitate
the wing. really the tattered margin,
of the party which is identified with the
negroes.
! Out of that have come the conferences
| the conflicting calls for committee meetings
and the talk about reading men out OF the
party" which are now in progress and nave
| been for week. What the harvest will be
! is not a. yet for any man to say. The most
probable early outcome is the selection OF
two conflicting delegations to the Republic
| can National Convention next year-a negro
or black -and-tan delegation strenuously
favorable to the nomination Of Mr.. Roose-
welt, and white delegation equally strenu-
| Gus in opposition TO Mr.. Roosevelt's ambi-
! ton.
| The general effect upon the Republican
| party in the State seems sufficiently OBJ
/ vious SO far as all appearances now go,
! that party must drift a wreck for years to
| come-a forlorn darelct mourned by ne
| Croes and officeholders having just enough
vitality among them to draw their salaries,
send delegations to national conventions
and serve as object lessons of recognition
| of the colored man" in Northern States.
where in close ee stions the negroes might
| hold the balance Of power.
1t il true there Is a large and vigorous
| group Of Republicans who will not permit
without ii struggle the party to sink thus
into the mirc. They fought hard for years
| to get it out Of the mire and their labors
apparently were crowned with success.
Never since the war had the outlook in
Alabama, from a Republican standpoint
been 80 hopeful and so full Of promise
The party had men in it's councils who IN
all that makes for good citizenship and
that commands respect were among the
| best IN the state.
The whole drift Of events was toward
a not distant day when the Republican
party in several OF the States of the solid
South would be Il serious factor. In no
| Southern State was this tendency more
apparent than in Alabama. There was in
| the mountaineers Of the northern part OF
| the State native nucleus of Republicanism
to begin with. On top of that came the
wonderful industrial growth. the springing
up of such narvels as this great manu-
| featuring city of Birmingham
New blood came pouring in. not only
| h,,f
from the North There grew up a strong
commercial and manufacturing element
for which there was only needed such Bryan
| ite, Chicago Kansas City platform spurs as
we're furnished TO utterly disgust them
with the hands into which it seemed that
the Democratic party had hopelessly fallen.
With every day Of the last years Of Presi-
dent McKinley's life weeds Of mere preju-
dice were whitening and dying. The
negro as a political irritant had ceased to
exist, because by constitutional means he
had ceased to exist as political factor.
| In 1902, after many years Of more or less
pulling and hauling and decentralization.
the Republicans of the State at last got to-
gether and started of on a new line Of de-
parture that appeared full Of promise.
| On Sept. 10 and II last there was held in
| the fine new city hall here in Birmingham
n Republican State Convention which, in
! point of enthusiasm and in the sterling and
representative character of the delegates
| would challenge comparison with any SINH
lar convention in any Northern State.
| There was not negro delegate among all
the 100 delegates and alternates assembled.
There was not anything Of record tending
! in the slightest degree to warrant the as
sumption that negroes were excluded be-
cause they were negroes. Some twelve
| contrasting negro delegates were rejected.
to he sure, and there were about seven
white delegates also whose credentials
were not accepted.
But under all this. of course, there was
hardly anv concealment Of the set pur-
pose on the part OF the white Republicans
Of Alabama to make the party in the State
henceforth a white mans party. Among
white men who live in the South, whether
they be of Southern origin and Democratic.
or whether they be Of Northern origin and
Republican, there is, as regards the negro.
no difference of opinion except in this, that
the Northern way becomes harsh and in
tolerant toward the negroes, whereas the
Southern man remains good-natured and
patient. As to the impossbility Of the
negro as a political factor. and as to per-
hitting him to pass the dead line beyond
which is social equal ity, the white Re-
publicans Of Alabama and the white Demo-
Gratis are fully OF one mind.
There were thousands OF men in the State
who. either openly or secretly, were in sym
pathy with the Republican party. yet as
long as that party was the negro party
and as long as being member Of it meant
sitting in conventions with negro delegates.
Just so long would they keep out Of it. To
the existence. save as an empty farce, OF a
Republican party in Alabama. there was
one essential: it must be white mans party.
The negroes themselves were Of no value
to it. To all intents and purposes they
had no vote In the entire State there are
only about $500 qualified negro voters.
Why. then, argued the white Republic
cans here. should we utterly blast all hope
of success at the outset by the fatal handi-
cap Of negro delegates in a State where
negroes do not vote? Not that the con-
vention that met here last September COM
mitted itself as a convention to this posi-
ton. 1t did not. 1t simply did not seat
negro delegates 1t was a white man 8
convention. When it rose from its de-
alterations. the Republican party Of Ala
| l,o, WINS IN n In sis ~ solidtv nd at ron OFT