The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-26
NegrOmania of Teddy
Makes Mercury Fizz.
A SECONDlNG SPEECH
That's What He's After---He Wants it
by NegrO---His Henchman Fly
ing Around Like Lunaties
Weeping Eyed, Look
ing For One.

Especial to News and ObserYer.)
Washington, May 25.-When win
the race question in politics cease
worrying the Roosevelt administra-
ton? In one form or another ii
seems ever present. Just now the
burning issue at the White House is
the choice of negro to make one. of
the nominating speeches at the Chi
cago convention.
OF the many counsellors who have
been approached by the President on
the subject, by far the greater num-
Der have advised against having any
negro orator. The Southern Repub-
licanS almost to a man, Insist that it
would be a mistake, especially as APP
piled to their section of the country.
They argue that to put the colored
man forward in the convention at this
time in so prominent manner would
make it harder for them to counteract
some recent events in their section
and would give the negro himself an
exaggerated idea Of his Importance in
the party-an idea of which they have
lately been trying mighty hard 10 di-
vest him.
The Western element of the party
and some of the New England leaders
argue to much the same effect The
former tell the President that his per-
sonality is platform enough for those
to whom he must look for votes TO
elect him, and that his record on the
race question since he has been insthe
White House speaks louder than any
negro's speech in the convention pos
sibly could. Following up this sug-
gestion at least one of Mr.. Roosevelt's
New England advisers has pointed out
the danger of picking up a colored
man haphazard from the few that will
sit in the convention to make a nomi-
mating speech. One mistake in such
emergency might do a candidate more
damage in a half hour than could be
repaired during the whole campaign
1t is this fear, more than anything
else, that causes the leaders of the
party in all sections to tremble at the
Presidents suggestion.
But their fears count for little
against the Presidents fondness for
bringing in and mixing with the coll
ored man on every possible occasion.
He has expressed a desire to have a
negro second his nomination, and
though the program makers are null
ing over the matter and throwing all
sorts of obstacles in the way of the
plan being carried out, there has as
yet been no countermanding of the
order. They are, therefore, beginning
to look around in earnest for the most
available negro orator. Naturally, i'm
the almost total elimination of the
negro from the convention the best
orators of the race have been left out
of the delegation. If either William
II. Lewis. of New York, or Charles w.
Anderson, of Massachusetts. were i'm
the convention he would probably b.
chosen. But Lewis was kept off OF
the ground that he was an office-hol6.-
ers and Anderson was excluded at the
instance of Governor Odell. Under
these conditions the Presidents mind
reverted to ex-Congressman Henry p.
Cheatham, of North Carolina, and
with this idea in mind he suggested
to the Tar Heel Republicans that they
make him one of the big four" at the
Greensboro convention. But the office
hungry doodlers who manipulated that
aggregation had no idea of doing any
thing of that kind. -and hence Cheat
ham was left to be sent as a delegate
by his district. Whether or not that
fact will cut any figure with the Presi-
dent in making his selection of a negro
to second his nomination remains to
be seen.
FRED. L. MERRITT.