The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-30
NEGROES AGAINST
SECRETARY TAFT
He Is Regarded by Them as
Stalking Horse for
President.
REsEnTFuL TO ROOSEVELT
REsENTFUL TO ROOSEVELT
Prominent Negro Says President
Has Shut Door OF Hope
to Them.
ny WALTER EDWARD nAnn1s.

WASHINGTON, d. c.. August 90
candidate; he's just beating the bushes
for Roosevelt. but he is not going to
scare out any colored game for the
man with The Big Stick. Judge Tafts
limp, lame md ridiculous apologies
and advice to the negro race in his
Tuskegee and other speeches along the
same line settled him with us. But
we are not bothering with him at all.
1t is the man who is the real candidate.
Theodore Roosevelt, who has been fool
ing us, who opened the door to us, and
when We were about to enter, slammed
it in our faces"
The speaker was one of the best
known negro politicians of the South,
man who has held the highest APP
pointive office ever held by negro In
an executive department of the Federal
government, and one whose party
standing has not only sent him to ma
tional conventions, but has placed him
upon the highest campaign commit
tees of the Republican party. He asked
that the conversation of to-day be not
quoted in connection with his name.
Possibly the description has already
come too near to Identifying him. He
continued:
The trouble just now among the
negro Republicans of the South, who
are universally disconnected and sick
ened over the conditions in the party,
is that there Is no organization. The
Republican delegations could be cor
raled in every Southern State within
thirty days for Foraker or any other
candidate who is similarly opposed to
the policy President Roosevelt has re-
Gently practiced against the colored
people. I never saw anything like the
feeling I saw manifested throughout
the South wherever I went on my re-
cent trip to Georgia. The negroes feel
that Mr.. Roosevelt has turned the pic
ture of our race to the wall. Why. sir,
/ If negro should be fool enough to say
anything against Foraker in the hear
! ing of the average Georgia negro, he
would be lynched on the spot, and In
no time.
Foraker could get the delegation to
the Republican convention from every
Southern State, and the negro voters
in many of the States of the North
would be strong enough to send dele
gates for him from certain congress
sional districts
Nothing is lacking but organization
and leadership. Anyhow, you may set
II down that the interests Of the coll
| OTeQ race w Ill Dc luheii Sstic VI. muse
interests have been outrageously
abused by this administration. The
cause of the negro will be championed
in no uncertain terms In the next ma
tional convention of the Republican
party. The negro citizens Of the en-
tire country are ripe for revolt against
the Administrations political plans, In
|cluding the selection through it's agen-
Icies of q candidate for the presidency
"What about Secretary Taft's stand
ing among your people?" was asked.
| 1--WE don't consider him n candidate
Twas the reply, and then the colored
man made the statement with which
| this article is opened.
| Touching Georgia politics. the col
| ored sta tesman said;
Georgia has a Populist government
Enow, and at last Tom Watson is the
boss with big B. Hoke Smith amt
! In 1T with Watson, And didn't he make
! himself felt in the contest for the Mis-
Isissippi senatorship! Why he turned
the entire Populist vote OF mississippi
against Mr. Williams for Governor Var
daman. In Georgia found the colored
people very sore because of the dis
reimbursement proposition. The negroes
4 or. Georgia feel there Is no call forssuch
/ radical action at this time. The old
line Democrats are against it, and
!. they will help us tightit. 1t was the
/ wild, Populist clement that brought
| about tile enactment of the prohibition
law, and tile negro is going TO heir
the conservatives repeal the law and
1 reStOra old couditiOnS.'s