The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-11-24
CONGRESS-
EEPE TED BY TAT
sEcRETARYs SMILING COMMENT
ON THE NEGRO TROOPS DIS.
MissAL-EFFEcT ON
NEGRO VOTERS.

tary Taft said yesterday that he had
not considered any action by Congress
in relation to the discharge of the ne-
Rro troops Of the Twenty.ffth Infan,
TRY
"Bnt there is one thing l have learn
ed that Congress can do" he said,
smiling. at can investigate. l know
that from experience, for Congress
has investigated everything I have
ever had anything to 90 with"
There is every Indication that et-
forts will be make at the coming SEES
sion Of Congress to get through bill
which will have the effect of either
restoring the MORO soldiers of the
Tyenty.ffth Infantry to their former
status. or, If It possible, will give
them individual court martials by
which innocence or guilt in the
Brownsville "shoot.up" may be deter
mined. First. It is expected q Con-
gressIonal investigation will be de-
manded. Upon the result of this in.
vestigation. If 1t is permitted, will
depend future legislative develop
ments. Except in the case that the
Senate and House organizations take
the view that the matter will die ont
before the next election and stiflel
the proposed investigation. interest
ing developments may be looked for.
ward TO.
For the first time in the political
story of the last forty years the ne.
gro threatens to at last divide his
vote. Heretofore he has been driven
Willingly by the Republican orgarf-
cation, His vote in the doubtful
States has been placed by Democrats
and Republicans alike in the solid!y
Republican column basis upon
which the politicians would commenced
their preliminary estimates.
Promine5 negro politicians, and,
in fact, Republican leaders, assert that
a division OF the negro vote between
the two parties is impending, owing to
the action of the President in dis.
the negro troops Democrats
are skeptical over the outlook. Many
Of them belieev that the negro will
continue to vote regularly" regar'-
less Of the Presidents action. AT the
same time Republicans are fearful
hat the time has arrived when a con.
number OF negroes cannot {
be placed samely in the Republican
column. Should this tnrn out to be
rue the political effect would be far
There are many instan, !
'es where the negro vote substacted {
rom the Republican column and adn. c
ID to that of the Democrats would /
ave carried States FOR the latter. In :
1896 Mr. Bryan would have been elect t
ID had Il not been for the negro vote, Ia
md in 1900 the racealso would tiayxI:.
teen intentionally close for the Re Il
,ublicans. S
Considerable attention has been at i
racted to the statement, first made h
n the Times. that the orcer discharg- a
ng the negro troops was prepared in
October and held hack until the cleo q
ions were over 1t is further to be n
loted that the order was made pub. II
ic on election night, when it might c
easonably be expected TO be buried d
m the back pages of newspapers print /
ng the election results and would be
likely 10 attract little attention.
Republican politicians here are con. /
;ratuluting themselves on the PresI- f
lent's foresight in holding up the pub :,
ication of the order till 1t was TOO +
ate to affect the election. The Repub. !,
lea ncontrol Of the Slxtieth Congress
'0uld not have been changed. but the :,
majority It has could have been cut =
lown, and the indications given now
# the temper Of the cOIored voters r
throughout the country suggest that II 1,
hey had known what was contem- !,
dated that result would surely have :,
,een achieved.
Some of the well known men In
congress would have gnnc down to de- 4
eat. One Of them was the Presidents +
on.inlaw, Nicholas Longworth, who =
queezed through by small plural :
ty, running behind his ticket. and who
lad a large negro vote in his district. u
lie would assuredly have been beaten. .
Another is j. Van vechten olcott Of y
Manhattan. There are $500 negro 4
'oters In his district, end in the land :
Tide yearof 1904 olcott got only 100 9
The negroes were disposed a
o oppose Olcott despite the best ef- =
orts Of Charley" Anderson, until
ew days before election, when Booker /.
Washington went there Anderson :
fierwam declared that the situation ),
vas Strengthened out,
There Is big negro vote In William n
i. Calder's district in Brooklyn. Four =
ears agoRobert Baker, a Democrat, y
:Hrriel IT, Calder's majority this n