The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-06-29
TICK or i aEW FORGE Bill.
The Suffrage Plank in the Re.
publican Platform.
It is fhe Work of Crunpaeker. Lodge and
ether South iiaters, Backed Up by

Washington, June 23. The Southern
sufrage plank in the Republican plat
form is generally regarded here by
seading men Of both parties as the
rnost important. utserance OF the Con-
Fention. TT means the greatest strug-
ole IA American politics since the war
arasnst the South. The declaration
means that the Republicans are pledg-
ed TO sake up the question OF the re-
presentation IN Congress and in the
Electoral College Of the Southern
States that restricts the suffrage OF
the negro voters.
Itss is the result of persistent efforts
cf Representative Crumpacker, OF
Indiana, ID Congress and at previous
national conventions to commit the
RepubEean party TO reduce the repre-
sentation cf those States where the
negro vote is restricted. He has been
seconded by Senator Lodge; the spon-
Ssoref the Lodge force bill.
Presidents Harrison and Mckinley
were urged to support the Crumpacker
proposition, but they refused to revive
secsionalism On that issue. President
Roosevelt, however, readily gave his
sanction TO the CTumpacker plank, IN
view ef his experience IN connection
With the Booker " Washington incident,
the CrEm case and the lndianola, Ala
sbams, pestoMce confess.
REPRESENTATIVE Cowherd, chairman
Of the Democratic Congressional COM
uaittee, vigorously denonnces the Re-
publican platform generally and de-
cEares It Vulnerable TO Democratic at
tack because Of It's evasiEe character.
straddles on tariff revision, " said
C,oWherd, and repudiates Secre-
tarY Taft's proposed Philippine policy.
The leading issue made by the Repub-
I;cans comes to be on the subject Of
Sonthara suffrage. Crumpacker has
besn working fer years to get his party
to adopt has suggestion and, having
failed TO impress Congress with the
wisdom Of his contention, he has
fnaliy succeeded In securing recog-
nition at a National Convention 1t
means renewal of the force bill fight,
and It is intended to have its effect
upon the negro voters In the doubtful
States. The Republicans have made
il the leading issue OF the campaign
and We are prepared to meet them On
i.
The New York Herald of today says
ssI5 is freely admitted that this new
stand OF the Republican party on the
Sonthern Question may cut an I'M
portant figure at the St. Louis Con-
vension. The raising Of the issue with
q candidate who does new and daring
things, and nndouhtdly viii be expect
ed 30 make stern effort to carry out
the policy, will make the Democrats
of the South inclined 30 lay aside per-
sonal preferences and look for the man
who can win"
9 They have been for Judge Parker,
but Tammany says Parker cannot win.
They will now want the very strongest
candidate they can get, and will spend
their efforts and their money to elect
such one.
If they have any doubt about the
running abilities. of Judge Parker they
are likely to turn, in the great emer-
gency that confronts them,, to a strong
er candidate, If he can be found.
This candidate may be Mr.. Cleye-
land, if there is any means of getting
him to consent to serve. He is the
man who is regarded as the strongest
so run against Roosevelt. The South
has not felt warmly towards Mr..
Cleveland, but under these conditions
the South would swallow all its preju-
dices, and vote for any man who has
gone on record in favor of the conten-
ton of the South on the race question.
This Mr.. Clerveland has done. The
negro suffrage plank also brings Sena-
tor German prominently in the public
eve IS candidate, always assuming
that the nomination Of Judge Parker
is already doubtful.
Senator German is the foremost
advocate Of the rights Of the Southern
States to regulate their own political
affairs. He was the leader of the
Senate when the Democrats defeated
the Lodge Force bill in 1890, and un-
der his leadership the State OF Mary
land has become Democratic again,
through the operation of an election
law OF his own devising which ex-
cludes many negroes from voting. y
R. M. L. in the News and Courier.