The Washington times., 1908-06-13
Taft Forces, However, Still
Ready to Champion
Race.
LEADERS AROUSE
STRONG OPPOSITION
Many Doubt That Colored Vote
Carries Great Weight Through
out the Country.
By JAMES Hay, JR.

CHICAGO, June 13-When the Taft
managers held d conference today and
decided to champion the cause OF the
negro race in the convention next week.
in spite OF the black races anita gonism
10 the Secretary of war, they once more
broke the set rules Of the game of
playing politics.
Never before in the history OF the
country have the blacks treated the Re
pubhcans with such hostility, such over
bearing defiance, such insistent de-
mands- They are holding mass meet
lngs every night in various parts of the
city, deriding and threatening the Taft
organization and adopting resolutions
which can be described by no other
word than insolent. They invade the
Ioboies Of the Auditorium and the Au-
ditortum Annex. making no secret Of
their enmity 10 Taft and bOasting that
they Will defeat him at the polls.
The negroes explain that they have a
tremendous organization, one which
tEey can sway and govern at their will
Ihey claim they can vote the race the
way they please in every State in the
Union. And they have again and again
gone 10 the Taft managers with the
open and unqualified declaration that
nothing can prevent them from WELD
ing this power TO beat Taft at the polls
Threats Disregarded.
In spite Of this. the Taft men. ignor-
ing the political slogan that enemies
are enemies and should be exterminat-
ed, took their final action TODAY in de-
termined 10 pay no attention to the
threats OF the blacks, but 10 keep Their
interests in mind. and not harm the race
in any way.
The Republican party is not going
back on the negro race" said one of
the Taft managers. That's all there
Is to IL.
But this decision II rot pleasing 10
al Republicans who are assembled here.
In addition TO the Allies" who want
Southern representation IN the conven-
ton cut down, there are TAFT men who
are irritated and indignant as a result
OF the spirit the negroes have shown
There are men high in the party who
have gone 10 Frank Hitchcock and beg
ged him to take steps TO eXterminate
the black race politically, 10 throw il
out Of the Republican party and TO tell
II TO seek what help Il may in the Dem
Ocratic fold. One Of these men. a dele
gate at large from a Middle Western
State, said today.
Would Abandon Race.
In my opinion. this convention should
be the Waterloo Of the negro race. The
time has come for US to cast them out.
We have fought their battles and we
have gained nothing by it. Why, they
have come here and tried to treat us
with the same domineering insolence
they exhibited toward Southern Demo-
Gratis in the days OF the reconstruction
period. So far as / am concerned, will
vote every time 10 throw them out, to
cut ourselves loose from their member
ship and TO let them struggle on as
best they may. I'm done with them"
But Hitchcock and the other Taft
managers refuse 10 follow the demands
of the angered delegates They believe
they should stand by the negro race
because the Republican party is re-
sponsible for the power of the black
people Also. they are convinced that
when the heat OF battle has cooled, the
rank and file Of the negroes viii remain
in the Republican fold.
They believe that the active hOstil-
ity against Taft has been caused by a
few leaders, and that these leaders can
not sway the race as they claim they
can. II this proves 10 be true. Hitch
cock Will have proved once more that
he knows all about politics..