The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-02
TIE LEADERS ARE ANNOYED
Some Strange Work Ahead Fol
 Campaign Managers.
Outside of once Holding Class, Few Negroes in wsshisston Like the Nonination of William How
 ard Taft.
BY ALFRED J. STOPPER.

ACfOIuAnA tO thG H0HoAR the managers of the Republican cam paIgn are going to have some strange work for the head men of that party to perform in a Presidential election year.
 Does 1t not seem queer. really. to read in the newspapers and hear dis cussed in hotel Hobbies the bare pos sibility of any considerable numbers of negroes breaking way from the party of Lincoln, Grant and Sumner7 As every one knows the negroes have ever since they had the right of suf- frage. been hlindly supporting the Re- publican nominees. The great major ity of them are going to do the same thing this year, in spite of the threats made by their preacher and politician speakers. But the remarkable situa- ton of negroes even hesitating about Loyalty supporting Taft in this contest is what is decidedly annoying to the managers of this campaign. The idea of even having to give the black voter a passing voice! It never was done before. and yet you can hear state nests to the effect that the revolt of the sons of Ham Is far greater than ia dreamed Of by the Republican poll ticians.
 Washington has a heavy negro pop ulation. This Capital City has been long considered the darkey's Para disc on Earth They are increasing year by year In almost countless numbers. There Is never an accurate censua as to how many biach6 are located in Washington. They move about from one part of the city to thA other and are crowded into the alleys. and the more narrow strests- Whgn tho census enumerator goes around it is difaeuIt to obtain correct information here. The negroes are in o0pstant conflict with the police of Washington. and they refuse to give out things about themselves lest they be arrested at aorne future time. There are good and bad negroes In WAah- snKfou. and the bad ones out number the worthy ones twenty to one. Nina- tenth1 of ths police court caaes are. khoBe of negFofs 4 great rnaDB uAs Rroes are employed ae clerks and mes- sengers in the departments of the gov nrnment. These represent the mpre respectable element of the race.
 Right of Suffrage.
 Most of these department negroes have the right to vote fin the several States from which they hail, and they are always expected to go to their homes at election time and stand by tho nominees of the Republican party.
 Outside of the officeholding class, few neg Aoes In this city like the nonli- nation of Judge Taft, Ever since his nomination was announced. they have been quiet and sullen. Just before the convention 1t was common to hear them remark in the traction cars and on the streets that neither Roosevelt nor Taft would stand a show at the Chicago convention. They talked this out loud then. They confidently, hoped that either Foraker or Cannon would be the choice of the convention, and those failing, they expected that pos- sibly Fairbanks or Knox would be put up. Now you never hear a negro any, where speak of Judge Taft. That is, not on the streets. Some of the of- flceh olders are making noise for the Chicago ticket and pretend that they like 1t. and possibly they do. but they have to. But you do not hear any of negro walters about town. the drivers of wagons or the fellows who work on the streets or carry hods say one word. They have 6 deep antipathy to- wards both President Roosevelt and Judge Taft, due undoubtedly 10 their action fin discharging the negro soI- diers implicated in the Brownsville shooting affair.
 visitors who come to Washington report that the same state of feei-
  New Jersey, Massachusetts. Indiana. West Virginia. Ohio and other com. monwealths. Opinions differ widely as to the percentage of negroes who wll refuse to vote for Taft this year Some people are positive that the re- volt is alarming for the Republicans in a number of the Northern and West ern States where in the old days the race held easily the balance of power L cratic parties. and without whose votes the Republicans could not possibly have been successful in the closer contests.
 Negro Bryan Clubs.
 Tn many of the larger cities the negroes are known to have organized Bryan clubs. There is one reported from Philadelphia with a membership said to be fully i've hundred. These men call themselves the Bryan Black Invincibles"
 Quite a number of the negro news papers have either come out squarely for Bryan or else have refused to sup port Taft These papers are being sent regularly to the headquarters of the Democratic Congressional Cam paign Committee. About the strong est of these negro organs is The Guardian. published in Boston. It is a remarkably we'll written paper is printed neatly. and shows signs of quite a prosperous business. It claims to be the leading race Journal of the United States. The Guardian pours hot count of the Brownsvilfe affair, the treatment of Senator Foraker by the dominant faction of Republicans in ohio. and calls loudly upon negroes all over the land to rise up and swat Taft and the whole Republican outht h.- .Nar RAu same time 1t complains bitterly of the alleged diEfranchisement of negroes in the South, but insists that the Re- puhlicans are worse enemies of the race than the White Democrats, be- cause the Republicans have gone back on a people who have supported that years
 One negro paper published at Dallas, Texas. swallows the Taft ticket but