The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-10-22
Negro May Oppose Patterson.

Nc&TO way oppOSO = oCCSASoA'
Aiken, Oct. 18.--A colored man
prominent in the ranks of the Repub-
lican party in Aiken has informed
your correspondent that the Rev.
Isaac Meyers has been named to make
the race for Congress in opposition
to Congressman Patterson by the Re-
publicans, whose executive commit
| tee for the End district met yester-
day in Aiken.
But another colored man, a Re-
publican as well, states that the mat
| ter has not been definitely settled
and that the committee adjourned to
again meet on Tuesday in Beaufort
to finally settle the matter. -
It IS understood that many of the
leading negro Republicans are not
in favor of negro running in oppos1-
ton to Mr.. Patterson, the Democratic
nominee, this year. 1t has been stat
eed that Dickson, the Barnwell negro,
who is employed in Columbia as
gauger in distillery there, is oppos-
ed to Meyers making the race. He
was present at the committee meet
ing in Aiken, but did not give open
opposition to Meyers nomination,
and it is further stated that the reas-
on why he did not openly oppose his
being named was because he is a ma
tive of Barnwell, Mr.. Patterson's s
home, and he was afraid that If he
opposed Meyers nomination hewould
be accused of being in "cahoots" with
the Democrats and would get a black
eye in his party.
Another reason assigned why Mey-
ers should not run this time is be-
cause they think that the next Ma
tional House of Representatives will
be Democratic, in which event they
do not believe that negro Repub-
lican would be- able to collect the
$4,000 as a contestant for Mr.. Pat
terson's seat in Congress (which Is
the primary object Of the contest.)
Another discouraging feature, says
negro Republican of the city, is
the $4,000 for making the last con-
test by Meyers has not yet been paid,
having been put off from time to
time, which is taken as an omen that
the sentiment in regard to these alb
surd contests is changing in the Ma
tional Congress.
To-day a prominent negro Repub-
lican was asked if there was fac
tion among. the negroes in this coun-
ty against Taft, and he replied that
there was not, but that great num-
Der of negroes spoke highly in favor
of Bryan. He said he understood
that in some sections the. negroes
had pulled off their coats anu gone
to work for. Bryan. He said that
there was a strong sentiment for
Bryan among. the negroes in some
sections, especially in the West,
where he said, according to the ne
gro newspapers, there were about
twenty-five negro preachers and
other professional men at work
against Taft.
I It will be recalled that the negro
Republican conventions all over the
State had big splits about Taft and
Foraker, many of them being avow-
edly for Foraker because of his atti-
tude toward the negro soldiers of
Brownsville, Tex. This Republican
stated that he thought Taft was
against the negroes in the Browns
vile affair, and it is suspected that
Taft will lose many thousand negro
votes on this account. From what
can be learned among the negroes
here it is believed that the negroes
of the North and West are not stick
ing to the Republican presidential
ticket this year as they have in form
er years, and that Taft will not re-
ceive their support as literally as is
contemplated.