The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-21
NEGROES ARE ANGRY
WANTED TO CONDEMN PRESIDENT
 ROOSEVELT.
Booker Washington Attended Baptist Convention in Washington To Stem Tide of Resentment Against
 The RevubIicans.

Washington. Sept. 20--(Speciai.)-- The National Negro Baptist Convention. which closed It's sessions here this week. was probably the most represent ative religious gathering of the race ever assembled at the Capital City.
 While delegates were present from many States of the Union.- the large majority were from the South. owing to the fact that the denomination ts stronger in that than in any other sec- ton.
 It was a hard task for the more con- ssrvative leaders to prevent violent outbursts from some of the ''hot-heads" who showed @ strong tendency to bring politics into the discussions. Beyond any doubt, negroes all over the United States are smarting under the action of President Roosevelt in dismissinK without honor the two companies of ne- gro soldiers in the 25th Infantry. If 1t had not been for the cooler heads among the preachers, and those who earnestly pleaded with the fire e-eaterE" that a religious gathering was not the proper place to shoot of political speeches and pass resolutions of cep- sure or disapproval. there uHdoubt- edly would have been an expression condemning the President and Secre- tary Taft. It was all the older and more conservative preachers and edu- GdIOIS COuAu oO tu pACNNhN ~AAc @SshNAAF
 Although Booker T. Washington deliv- cred the principal address before the convention, 1t Is freely alleged hero that he was in favor with comparative ly a small percentage of the delegates and visitors who attended the sessions.
 Any number of the leading delegates have had no hesitancy in asserting openly their belief that the mission of the Alabama educator to this city was to accomplish nothing less than the elimination of criticism of President Roosevelt. One of the prominent dele gates declares that had the conven- ton realized this Washington would not have been invited. And he said that had the Bronwsville matter been brought up the first day there would have been a very few votes against It
 Quite a number of the Virginia ns- groes say that the men of their race in that State are practically one with politics and that the indications are not 1000 of them will vote next year. The reason of this is that the White Republicans have organized about the closest 'Lily-White" party that exists anywhere in the South.
 What makes the negroes so mad is that their race under the old order of things outnumbered tho White Republi- cans in Virginia almost ten to one. But since the new Constitution was adopted, of course the negroes nave been heavily disfranchised. Only about 25,000 negroes in the State are now eligible to vote. and of that num- ber at the last election for Governor, only about 12.000 paid the poll tax. which is s1.50 for each voter, pay ment to be made six months in advance of an election.
 On account of the 'Lily White" cnp- CTS of the Federal office- holders. the ne- groes became aggrieved, and not 1000 of those who scraped up the money for the poll tax even would go to the vot- ing nIaces. Alfred J. Stofer.