The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-06-20
Staff Correspondence.

otaH correspondence.
Washington, D. c., June 1.-The
political pot continues to sizzle
merrily.. The wise-acres are discuss
ing the situation freely, but when
asked for a "tip" as to which way
the, wind Is blowing, invariably
shake their heads, and smile in a
mysterious way, as If to say, t'I
know what want to happen, but I
am afraid to hazard an opinion at
this time as to what will happen.
And that Is the whole story. EVERY
man jack Of them" has marked pre-
ference for the Presidency, but they
are scared to guess out loud for fear
they may commit themselves';to a.
- choice which may turn out to be a.
frost" Now, that the school ques-'
tion has gone to sleep for a few
moments and Auditor Tyler has ,ta-
ken bis place without friction, the
storm center of the newS which dis to
,nominateHa candidate for the Presi-;
,dency, ,hovers about the next Repub-
lican National Convention, and the
part the Negro will play therein. - A
A prominent co1ored leader, whose
name cannot be used without Vio1at-
Ing 9. PROMISE of secrecy, said to your
correspondent. the other day at the
corner Of 14th and U streets:
y Il don't like to confess some un-
pleasant truths, S'said he" but it
does look to me as If the black Re-
publicans Is up against stiff pro-
position, and If he doesn't play poli-
tics skillfully, the entire kit of us
will have our names enrolled on tie
down and out list am not. per-
hitting myself to be- deceived by this
CHATTER here in the District Of Column
bta, where lot Of jack legs are@Fafs-
ing a fog In opposition to this man,
or In support Of that one, for the
whole. outfit done up in a bundle
|wouldn i bid in for tWo-bits at a
dead-letter sale. I aTh> thinking
about, the figure we shall cut, Or, fail
to cNt in the actual membership Of
the next national convention, where
we have, in the palmy days OF the
past, been an element to be reckoned
with when 1t came to nominating
= the candidate and in making the
platform for him to run on. Will
we be In the game at all this year?
That is the question we are asking
ourselves, To get down to brass
tacks, there is no use In counting on
a single Negro delegate North Of the
Masons and Dixon lines That set
ties that end of the problem, with
out division. The Northern Negro
can have, his say at the polls, and he
- Will have the proud privilege Of vot-
ing for white delegate at the prim-
aries, but when it comes. to sitting
in the convention as delegate
that's another story" -, IF
"What I am most worried about"
continued my reflective friend, his
brow corrugated with thought, rs
the anomalous situation In which
the once powerful colored RepubliL
cans Of the South find themselves.
The reorganization of the party,
which was .inauguraated under Nc
Kinley and Is now being continued
under Roosevelt, has put the lilly
white Republicans and the literally
inclined Democrats In the saddle,
and the colored brother has been
gradually eliminated from the poll
.tlcal equation. One by one, we have
been ousted from the good federal
Jobs, and where we still hold on we
are made to realize tat we are kept
there by suIerance, and we must not
interfere with the working Of the
machine. At this present time, 1t so
happens that the masses Of the Ne
groes are not in sympathy with the
Republican machine. The office
holders are apparently acquiescing,
because they have no alternative
unless they wish to commit political
suicide. The machine will name
the delegates, to the next Republi-
can convention, and If the colored
brother refuses. to fall into line ia
due season, he will be left out in. the
cold when the slate Is made up. /
am not sure. that the Negro will not
be frozen out, even If he Is willing to
fall into line for the leaders think
tbey have enough white Repu blicans
now to carry their point without
considering the Negroes Of the party.
Judging by the remarks of Mr.. Pearl
Wright, the national committeeman
OF Louisiana, and Roosevelt's ap-
poiBtee as Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, the hope some have ex-
pressed Of bringing in contesting del
Agations and having them seated, is,
practically Knocked out, for as he
says, the machine WIFI control the
committee on cEeditentials, and the