The Washington bee., 1908-11-14
NEGRO VOTERS DID THEIR
PART.
So Declares Collector Rucker Con-


So Declares Collector Rucker Con-
cerning Vote Cast Tuesday.
From the Atlanta, Ga, Constitution
Issue is taken by some of the Negro
Republicans of the state at the for
NAL announcement of the Republican
state campaign committee, sent out
from Macon on Wednesday, in which
the intimation was strongly made that
the Republican vote in the state was
larger than usual, and that the Ne
groes were not materially represented
in the total.
Collector of Internal Revenue H.
A. Rucker makes the following state
ment
Atlanta, Ga, November 6, 1908
Editor Constitution: Your paper of
yesterday, the sth, contains the fol-
lowing:
"The Republican campaign COM
mittee in Georgia was greatly elated
over the result, and yesterday gave
out. from headquarters in Macon, the
following statement:
Indications now point to a Bryan
majority of 5000, or less, State gave
Parker $4,000 in 1904. We claim
| greatest victory of campaign, as the
fight was made without aid of outside
or speakers. and with the Negro not
voting. Had the registered Negro
/ vote been cast, the state would have
| given Taft a majority over all. II
was white mans fight, and result
makes Georgia battle-ground in 1919
The people generally are pleased over
Taft's election
The campaign committee and al
other Republicans are elated over the
vote we have been able to give Mr.
Taft in this state. However, many
of us are disappointed because it was
not much larger than reported.
We fully expected Mr.. Tafts vote
to exceed that of Mr.. Mckinley II
1906. And with the colored men rally
ing as they did, it is surprising this /.
not true.
The ninth district, where the Re
publican vote is largely white, ha.
done equally as well, if not better
than it did in 1896, and this is alst
true Of the seventh district. But out
side of these districts the majoritie!
for Mr.. Taft were given in the blacl
counties, wards ard precincts. Thes'
counties are Appling, Baldwin, Chat
ahoochee, Camden, Greene, Libert,
Mcintosh, Screven and Webster-th'
first and fourth wards of this city anc
Collins and South Bend districts il
this county. The vote of the fourtl
ward alone for Mr.. Taft in this cOun
ty was within s. votes of the entir'
vote given him in Bib county, wherc
the campaign committee had head
quarters. Still it is alleged, as giver
out from these headquarters, that tn.
Negro did not vote and that sit wa
a white mans fight" 1t seems to nt
that this IS a gratuitous misrepresen
tation of the facts, which can be easily
proven. I admit that many NegrOe'
did not vote because they were under
the impression that they were already
disfranchised by the amendmen
> adopted at the state election in Octo
ber When this became known many
of us essayed to inform them, but thi:
might have been done more effective
" BY the committee.
I hope it is the purpose of the com
mittee to be fair, and knowing the
different counties of the state, as they
must, if they viii carefully, or ever
casually review the vote published II
your paper, they will change theil
conclusion that the Negro did not vote
or come up with the proof to sustain
it.
Very respectfully,
H. A. Rucker