The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-26
THEY WILL UNITE.
Kansas Negroes Will Organize a
Political League.
Failure OF Republican Leaders
to Keep Pledges.
DIDN'T GET PLACES:
Claim That Workers Were
Promised Recognition.
Prominent Negroes From Over
State to Be Invited.

Plans are being made by the negroes
of Kansas to organize strong political
league, for the purpose of securing
more political recognition for negroes.
and meeting of the leading negroes OF
the state is to be called to meet in To-
peka about April 10 for the purpose OF
making the organization.
Negro leaders in Topeka, Kansas City.
Wichita, Pittsburg, and other towns
have been in correspondence on this
subject ever since the adjournment OF
the Legislature, and the feeling that the
negroes of Kansas have been ignored
by the Republican party is stimulated
by the failure of J. w. Fisher, j. H.
Ransom, Ned O'Banion, and a number
of other negroes who worked hard in
the campaign to receive any substantial
recognition for their services. 1t is
claimed that the Republicans promised
to give some good state appointments
to these men in recognition Of their SER
vices. Fisher was found a place as
commissioner for the collection of negro
exhibits for the jamestown exposition,
out there has been nothing doing for
any of the others. Ransoms son has
been employed as a messenger in the
office of Governor Hoch for the past few
months, but indications are that he will
soon lose this job because of the fight
being made for the appointment of an
old soldier to the place.
1t is the purpose of the proposed
negro organization to vote for which
ever political party shows a disposition
to give 4he negroes more political recog-
milton. Naturally the negro voters line
up with the Republicans, but If the,
proposed organization accomplishes its
objects, it will swing the negro votes to
the Democrats in the next election, un-
less the Republicans are willing to
make terms.
I'VE have been voting the Republi-
can ticket right along and getting no
political advancement" said one OF the
leaders of the insurrectfon today. This
organization will have for it's object the
political advancement of the negro
Whenever q negro applicant for office
has come up he has been defeated by
the Republicans, and this attitude of the
party seems to be getting stronger all
the time. We can get nothing but such
jobs as janitor at the state house, ana
we feel that we are entitled to some
thing better, and propose to get it, II
we can't get what we want from the
Republicans. we will vote for the Dem
ocrats. We certainly will lose nothing
by so doing
It is possible that the new movement
may get behind the Republican Square
Deal organiza tion, and work for the
square deal candidates. The negroes
are generally favorable, IT is said, to
the primary election law. They say
that they can get nowhere under the
system, and that by having
a primary they at least will have the
right to cast their votes for whoever
they please. For this reason they may
be inclined to back up the Square Deal
Republicans and help bring about the
overturn of the political machine.
The Republican state central COM
mfttee in the last campaign found OUT
that the negro vote Of the state was
not to be depended upon as in days OF
wore. Thousands of negro Republicans
refused to vote the Republican ticket
because of the alleged prejudice against
them on the part of the Republican
party Much money and energy was
spent by the Republican committee in
trying to get the negroes back into line,
but these efforts were not entirely sat-
Isfactory In some portions Of the state,
negro speakers sent out by the Re-
publican party were driven out of town
by the negroes when they tried to
speak Threats were made that w. T.
Vernon would be similarly treated If he
attempted to address meetings at vari-
ous places. Vernon was not lnoked
upon with favor by all of tbs negro
voters.
Invitations are to be sent out at once,
t is said, to a large number of the
prominent negroes of the state to come
% Topeka for the meeting in April.
and help start the movement for state
The name for the club
laS not been selected.