Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-09
BOLT, SAYS CHANDLER
Tells CoIored Citizens to Vote
Democratic Ticket.
MUST INSIST UPON RIGHTS
Urges Demand for Guarantees in Re-
publican Platform.
TAFT AS MENACE TO SUFFRAGE
Protest Against Nomination of War
Secretary for President at Meet
ing Last Night.
TAFT AS MENACE TO SUFFRAGE

the colored peoples demand for untram-
meled suffrage throughout the country
had arrived and urging them to demand
the adoption of a plank by the repub-
lican party at Chicago next week guar
the rigid enforcement of the
and fifteenth amendments.
former Senator William f. Chandler of
New Hampshire began his address as
speaker at meeting Of colored
citizens last night in Galbraith A. NJ. f.
Church. 9th street near NJ street.
The meeting was called for the purpose
of protesting against the nomination of
Secretary Taft for President Mr.
Chandler advised his audience if the re-
publican party fails to heed the colored
voters demands to bolt the party and vote
the democratic ticket.
To Voice Taft Opposition.
The meeting last night was called by
number of Washington colored ministers.
in an effort to present forcibly as posi-
BILE the alleged attitude of Mr.. Taft. and
those managing his convention compaign.
to the colored citizens at large. prepare
tory to general movement making
concerted protest against his nomination.
The meeting was called for o'clock
In addition to Mr.. Chandler. who was the
only white man to address the audience.
seven prominent colored ministers review
ed the treatment the republican party had
accorded the colored voter in the past. its
indifference to his rights and privileges
under the constitutional amendments. and
vehemently protested against the control
of the party by what was termed the lilly
white element.
II have come to you tonight. my
friends said Mr.. Chandler at the open
n Gnppch address Under
three texts-the constitutional amend
mentS guaranteeing you absolute suffrage
privileges: the republican platform of 1904.
a plank of which expressed sympathy for
you and announced the purpose OF cur
failing national representation in the
states where there were franchise acts di-
rected against you. with its assurance the
conditions would be investigated. and the
recent state convention of Ohio. with
about the same provisions. only putting
YOU on the track a little more. This con-
vention as you know, was the beginning
Of the Taft BOOM
The sneaker explained in detail the pro-
visions and import of his three texts. and
dwelt at length upon what he termed the
pa ra doxical Inconsistencies and the OPP
posing propositions of the second and
third to the first.
Taft's Attitude Defined.
Mr.. Chandler then proceeded to quote
published assertion that Mr.. Taft had
expressed himself to the effect that the
negroes of America were not prepared
for citizenship. and were given the right
to vote long before they were capable
of judging the import of the privilege
He gave short resume of the history
of the civil war. the causes leading up
to it. the adoption of the amendments
giving the suffrage right to the colored
man and it's ratification by the twO-t birds
vote.
"A ten-year-old child could see the
meaning of the conflicting assertions of
the republican party to these amend
revealed continued Mr.. Chandler. This
right of franchise was not asked for by
you; 1t was given to you by the blood
and suffering and toll Of the soldiers.
1SG1-,J.
And now, when this amendment is
violated by local laws in a number of
states. all the republican party says to
YOU Is: Well reduce representation in
Congress and the national conventions
respect the colored man..
THE fifteenth amendment is the birth
right of every negro citizen in this land
Do you realize it? Do you appreciate it i?
Tell me. if Mr.. Taft secures this nomi-
nation and is elected to. the presidency
where will the colored people of this
country find themselves?
Crisis Is at Hand.
You are on the verge | NAV saw of a
crisis. where it is up to you to insist upon
your rights guaranteed to you by the
amendments to the Constitution. There
are ten millions of you to whom suffrage
is abandoned. gone The day will com !,
you. And you will find yourself a sub
Ject race. trodden down. and only given
what the white man deems fit to give
you.
1T Is up to you whether you are 60
ing to have your rights or not II isn't
a case of who is going to be President or
who is going to he given the nomination
for presidency But it involves the flu
ture policy of the republican party iowa rd
you.
Insist that they place a plank in their
platform which will guarantee you your
rights. something of substantial FORM
something definite. an assertion positive
and to be relied upon, in behalf of the
colored manhood of this land-something
which will tell you whether or not they
are going to enforce the fifteenth amend
ment or any other amendment That is
what you want.
never asked anything unreasonable from
the republican party. There has been al
most no complaint against the treatment
accorded them up to this time. You have
the right now to insist upon the liberties
granted you forty years ago.
Negro Power.
And why shouldn't you? The negro
has made vast and almost unprecedented
development i'm forty years time. He is
educated. He owns property. He has
became a power in certain sections of the
country.
Formerly negroes. especially in the
south. enjoyed two privileges. the right to
participate in republican caucuses and
conventions and the right to enlist in the
United States Army. You have been alb
solutely deprived of the first in many
southern states. and an effort is now be-
ing ma de by the heads of the ma ton and
members of the republican party TO de-
prive you of the latter
II refer TO the incident at Brownsville.
Does any one suppose for moment had
these 1877 men been white men that they
would have still been kept out of the
srmv or given another chance to get
hocko Why, no. White men would have
been reinstated long 'ago. 1t Is simply
nothing more or less than a blow directed
by the heads of the republican party at
the colored soldier.
AS an additional proof that the colored
man is deprived Of the first privilege. look
at the actions of certain politicians in
Chicago now. The colOred delegates to
that convention are men bought-you
know that fact as we'll as l do-men who
will look with favor upon the present
presidential movement. who will oppose
inserting the plank in the platform which
the race neede because they have been
bought by office and are subservient to
p~rrtn