The Washington bee., 1908-07-11
NEGROES Bolt To Bryan
NEGROES SATISFIED WITH
HIS REPLIES AT INTER 81.
VIEW.


Suffrage Restriction in the South,
but Declares He would Not Veto
a Bill Restoring the Men of the
Discharged Battalion - Confer
ence Is Called
From the New York World.
Bishop Alexander Walters. of the
Methodist Zion Church. received re-
Gently the report of a committee Of
Negro clergymen and educators who
called on William J. Bryan few
days ago to ascertain his views and
attitude toward their race. So salts
factory were his replies considered
that an organized bolt of Negroes
from the Republican party is being
formed and open afiliation with the
Democracy arranged.
A committee is now in Denver en-
deavoring to have a plank favorable
to the race inserted in the Democrat
ic platform Bishop Walters is ar
ranging for a convention of leading
colored men from various States to
meet some time during July at At
lantic City to formulate definite plans
for political action.
The formal report, after describ-
ing the call upon Mr.. Bryan and the
preliminary talk, says:
We stated to Mr.. Bryan that there
were three things about which the
Negroes were intensely interested:
First - What would be the atti-
tude of a Democratic administration
respecting the restoring of the three
companies of the Twenty-ffth Infan-
try. discharged without honor by or
der of the President?
Second - What would be the at
titude of the Democratic party to-
ward affecting public sentiment so
that the Negro might enjoy the ben
eft of the ballot in Southern States,
and we might, at least, have a fair
and honest administration of the
laws that now disfranchise the Negro
in toto?
Third - That a Democratic ad-
ministratiOn would do nothing to
make conditions worse for the Ne
gro than they now are, so that the
Negro would lose nothing in the way
of employment in the service of the
Federal government.
BrydH'S AHS5verS
Mr. Bryan. answering, said that as
to conditions affecting the ballot he
was not free to discuss.
"As to the appointment of Ne
groes, they had received by way of
appointments from the Republicans
very little. His policy would be to
give the Negro such recognition as
he was fairly entitled to. Personally
he believed competent and qualified
Negroes should be appointed and CIV
en- recognition along with other citi-
zens of the country, and where they
support the Democratic ticket should
be taken into account.
"Mr. Bryan said that he regarded
the discharge of the Negro soldiers
without honor as aR outrage; that if
the men were guilty they should be
punished in the regular way by court
martial or trial by civil courts, as
every citizen, black or white, ought
to have fair trial before he is pun
ished in any way.
"The committee said the Negro
race had further complaint to make,
and that was that the President had
declared that if the bill pending in
Congress to reinstate the battalion
was passed he would veto it, and if
passed over his veto he would refuse
to enforce it. We asked if Mr.. Bry-
an would give us assurance as to
what his attitude would be in the
event of his being elected President
and such a bill was passed, and, fur
ther, if the President had authority
to reinstate this black battalion, would
he be disposed to act in the matter.
Would Enforce LGgU
"Mr. Bryan replied that any man
elected president would have to take
the oath of Office to uphold the Con-
stitution and enforce the laws, and
if he was elected president and such
g. -, ..ssaA l.. s.,a.,fs - -