The Washington times., 1908-12-29
Taft'S Administration Is to
Change Tradition of
Blacks.
HITCHCOCK HAS
THIS END IN VIEW
Republican Clubs and Better Glass
of Office Holders in South
TO Bring Ii About.
Bv JAMES HAY. Ir.

AUGUSTA, Ga, Dee. 9-That the
Taft Administration will be signalizsd
by the Republican party ceasing to pose
a. the special guardian Of the negroes
IS regarded here as undeniable.
The arrival in Augusta today OF
Frank II. Hitchcock and his proposed
conference with John Hays Hammond.
president of the National League Of
Republican Clubs. regarding the plan
L. found Taft clubs throughout the
South, have served 10 put IL before the
party leaders that something more than
the glad hand and the winning smile
must be used in order TO make the con-
version of the South to Republicanism
a reality NO matter how ardent a Taft
man a Southern Democrat may be, his
aTdor will cool at the prospect of afnl-
iating with a party which makes itself
the agent of the negro.
tremendous pressure has been
brought on the leaders for the past Few
weeks TO persuade them that there
must be clear understanding that Re
pUblicanism in the South will be a white
Republicanism. This pressure has come
mainly from the highest elements of
Federal ofhceholders below Mason and
Dixon. n.S line. II has been pointed out
that the great hold Democracy has on
Inc South is the conviction that IN vot-
ing the Democratic ticket a man votes
Tor ine control of the negro and that in
casting Republican vote the negro is
made all the more powerful in this
section.
Taft Clubs in South.
Reports have already been sent out
that the practical work Of winning the
South will begin with the founding of
TAFT clubs under the supervision Of Mr..
Hammond and more exclusive selec-
tlon Of Federal officeholders. according
10 suggestions from Frank II. Hitch
cock, who is the acknowledged political
worker OF the next Administration. and
wFoSe experience has peculiarly fitted
hlm for such work. But these efforts
VIII be OF little or no avail unless the
party's attitude toward the negro IS
made clear.
Southerners are frank in their decIar-
auon tnat IL Republicanism is To take
mold mere il must do IL on the ground
that the Republicans will adopt the same
attitude as that o. the Democrats. They
must make II plain that while they are
Slad OF the support of any votes, wheth-
or blaCk or white, they will not strive
70 push forward the negro at the ex-
penSe or the white, In other words.
the party attitude toward the negro
must be the same as its attitude to-
ward any other class Of the Country's
p'pulatol. II the negro can qualify as
q voter under the State laws and believes
Republican principles are right. all well
ana good, but there must be an end OF
talk OF reducing Southern representa-
ton as result of the negro question
or OF IN any way interfering with the
South attitude toward the negro.
Must Control Party.
Unless this Is done, unless the South
ern whites are given to understand that
they can control and will control the
party with which they affiliate. the
Taft ambition to convert the South
runs its head against the inevitable
stone wall Of the Southern belief that
every Democratic vote is a vote toward
supporting the Southern position on
matters affecting the two races. Rv
some here il is COnteuded that Mr.
Laft speech before the North Carolina
society, a short while ago I'm New York
WAS a clear intimation that the negro
must work out his own political future