Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-09-17
TRYING TO
HOODW|NK NEGROES
Democrats Pursuing Their Usus
Double Faced Policy.
UPhoIding Disfrenchisement In tn
South While Forming Colored Brya
Clubs In West.

lFrom the Baltimore Sun Dem.l
General Winfield s. Hancock, VIII
was the Democratic nominee for pres
ident in 1880, declared the tariff wa
principally a local question"-that
to say, a Pennsylvania Democra
might be Il protectionist for protet
tion's sake, while Democrat in Geol
gia or in Iowa might hold fast to tn
doctrine of a tariff for revenue only
The Massachusetts Democrat might b
a free trader without reservation
any kind, while the West Virgini
Democrat might be free trader onl
with respect to commodities whic
were not produced by his own state
General Hancock's pronouncemen
was considered an ingenious evasio
of the tariff issue, but it did not pro
duce harmony in the Democratic paI
ty, and the general was defeated.
Twenty-eight years have passe
since General Hancock defined tn
tariff as local question upon whic
the Democrats of each state were fre
to act with regard chiefly to local in
terests The principle which he the
formulated seems to have been adopt
ed by Democrats in the west in re
spect to the relation of the Democrat
ic party to the negro. Last week tn
West Virginia Democratic convention
embodied in its platform planks de
manding certain qualifications 70
voters, designed to disfranchise man.
negroes. Their platform also contain
a declaration in favor of separat
coaches for white and negro passen
gers on railroads. The West Virgins
Democrats not only refuse to hold on
the olive branch to the negro and in
vite him into their fold but they ar
determined to limit his political activi
ty by a DISTINGUISHING law and t.
bring him under the operation of
"Jim Grow" law when he travels OIL
the railroads of that state
What Are the Promises?
Out in Nebraska and in Kansas til,
Democratic campaign managers arr
organizing negro voters into Bryan
clubs. In Ohio no effort will be spared
to secure the support of the negro
'OtNho Iva lhC
ticket. What pledges have been giyeI
and what inducements have been of
fered does not appear. But it is q fai
Inference that the managers hav,
promised to do Something for the ne
gro," perhaps to recognize him in the
distribution of offices, If Mr.. Bryan
should be elected, and also to tax,
mand i'll respect to the reinstatement
of the negro battalion dismissed from
the army by President Roosevelt fol
the attack on Brownsville. Last weeI
when the West Virginia Democrat.
were declaring for disfranchisemen
law and for a Jim Grow" law the
Democratic convention in the Twelfth
congressional district of Ohio adopted
a platform favoring "the enactment
of laws which shall accord to all mer
accused of wrongdoing, whether sol
dlers or civilians, a fair and impartial
trial and an opportunity to be hearG
before conviction or punishment
This apparently refers to the Browns
vile incident 1t may also have
broader meaning and a more extended
application and may be susceptible of
an Interpretation which will make
southern Democrats open their ewes
with amazcment and possibly with ap.
prehensiOn.
Race Question Local Issue?"
There seems TO be no ground for rea.
sonable doubt that the Democratic
campaign managers in the west, in the
effort TO secure negro support for theiI
national ticket, are acting upon the
principle that the race question is only
local issue" 1t is evident that the
south does not approve this plan of
campaign, put is powerless to check it.
The Democracy of the south is in full
accord Will the position taken by the
West Virginia Democrats last week.
And yet it is assumed by those who
are trying to get negroes to support
MIR. Bryan that the south will act in
hearty cooperation with the Ohio, Ne.
braska, Kansas and Illinois Democrats
who are welcoming the negro into free
fellowship in the Democratic party
and probably promising to annul the
decision of President Roosevelt in the
Brownsville matter. The theory of
western Democrats that the race prob
lem Is merely a local issue is calcu-
lated to give the south much concern.
Many Democrats in that section may
question whether it is worth while to
elect Democratic president who may
open wide the door of political oppor-
tunity to the negro.
Chafin Needs an Ark.