Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1903-06-09

Ne w SEklI
the mark of inferiority on the visage of
the African. and strongly criticised Presi-
dent Roosevelt for entertaining Washing
ton on terms OF social equality at the
White House Senator Campbell claims
to be, and is. a better friend Of the negro
than those who have use for them for DO.
litical purposes only. II is well authei,-
ticated fact that Booker Washington did
make the remarks in question at Negro
Church in Charleston. and President
Roosevelt glories in his recognition OF
the negro as a social equal, ard the at
temped humiliation of the southern peo-
pie by appointing negroes to administer
responsible offices and boss the whites.
Only last month the press dispatches
announced that the Union Leagre Club
of New York. or watch Roosevelt was
President in 1898. 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 the validity of these laws"
&c, of which the renegade and negro
phile, John S. Wise. whom Virginia has
spewed out of her mouth. is expected to
be the chief beneficiary. The Maryland
election laws are practically those of Mas
sachusetts, and the Supreme Court has
just upheld the constitutlonality of the
Alabama law. The dispatches state that
1T 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 1890. and the election
of Roosevelt as Governor of New York,
some idea of the Importance of this move
ment may be had On these two former
COMMITTEES were such men as John ID
Rockefeller, J. Pierpont Morgan, Henry
Clews, Joseph II. Choate, General Hor-
ace Porter, Andrew Carnegie. and a
score of others whose names are house
hold words in every American home
The Union League Club is certainly the
most conservative and exclusive as well
as the wealthiest Republican body in this
country, and it is said its action will give
powerful impetus to similar action
elsewhere"
A nice aggregation of patriots this. and
one of course thoroughly coDversant with
the needs and aspirations of the people
No one questions the fact that ma
jority of the white voters of West Virginia
are Democrats, and therefore the balance
of power is held by the negro. Is it wise
or right that an illiterate, vicious, and
irresponsible electorate should control the
destinies of great State For instance,
the county Of Fayette with an overwhel-
ming colored population. paying little or
no taxes, and which rolls up such Re
publican majority as may be needed to
carry that district. furnishes one fifth Of
all the convicts in the State Penitentiary
from the fifty-five counties Of West Vir-
ginia, and at least 90 per cent. of these
are colored; and yet it is by such negro
dominated counties that we are indirectly
governed. The better class Of colored
voters owe it to themselves to wipe out
this reproach of their race and to the
State. Take away the majorities gwen
by the pauper and criminal population OF
West Virginia and it would unquestion-
ably belong to the Democratic column.
The Advocate criticises Senator
Campbell for injecting the negro question
into the debate on the Jefferson county
free turnpike bill he was advocating. but
forgets to state that the Republicans
brought about the race question by adj
verting in the debate to the so called
hold up" Of the extravaganza appropria-
ton bills by the Democratic resentment
to the treatment members of the House
had been subjected to when the negro
members Of that body from Fayette coun-
ty became so offensive as to almost pre-
cipitate riot.
The Advocate closes its article by
advising its leaders that while a divi-
sion of the colored vote might be good
policy sometimes, to vote the straight
Republican ticket from poundmaster to
| President, and adds that it is our bust
ness now to shut off 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 his convictions, and in view Of
the conditions existing under Republican
misrule in West Virginia seems justified
IN his conclusion.