The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-03-02
THE CoLoRED MANS FRIENDS.

THE COLORED MANS FRIENDS.
Colored men, who are earnestly
striving for the elevation of their race,
view with alarm and disgust the eff
fort to prostitute their suffrage to the
qualification of political lust. 1t was
fortunate that an early state conven-
ton was held in Florida, and the
scheme of the anti-Roosevelt element
to send contesting delegations favor
ing Foraker or Fairbanks, as best
suited their purpose, was exposed,
From Washington continuously en-
anated stories in anti-Roosevelt pa
pers, declaring that the colored voters
of the south were revolving, and fake
interviews of colored bishops were
printed in Washington, which were. re-
pudiated. Then the worm turned.
In Alabama the tricksters ran coun-
ter to the influence of Booker r.
Washington and they are down and
out. They can not even muster up
the semblance of opposition. In Mis-
sissippi the most influential man of
the race. has publicly Tepudiated the
trap, into which he discovered his
race was being led.
The same tactics are being resorted
to in Kentucky, and Fairbanks work
ers here in Paducah, while striving to
poison the minds of colored men
against Taft's candidacy are really
putting in most of their efforts among
the dives, trusting to silence the bet
ter class of colored voters, while man
ipulating the habitues of the dives to
represent the sentiment of the race.
The colored mans friend is not the
fellow, who plays on his prejudices
and tries to use him as unit In OPP
position to the regular organization OF
the Republican party. Such an atti-
tude would put the colored man in
bad grace with the only true friend
he has.
Forgetting all the times Roosevelt
has protected the colored man in his
rights, these anti-administration
direct their attention to the Browns
vile, Texas, incident, and miscon-
strue that as an abuse of representa-
tives of the whole race. Soldiers of
the Twenty-fifth infantry were not
discharged as punishment for shooting
up the town and wounding people, al
though Senator Foraker and his in
vestigatng committee all agreed that
some members of the regiment, un-
L hn Gbnnffnn
were discharged, after it was clearly
demonstrated that they knew, who did
the shooting, and that they conspired
to shield the perpetrators. They were
not even punished for the conspiracy,
but President Roosevelt said soldiers,
sworn to uphold and enforce the laws
of the United States, who. instead OF
doing that. actually conspired to pro-
tect violators of peace and good or
der. disgraced the uniform and were
unfit instruments for the protection
of the republic. No honest colored
man can disagree with that judg-
ment. and any sincere lover of his
race should be glad such drastic les
son was taught where needed. Presi-
dent Roosevelt is making no apologies
for his conduct. and no one is ques-
tionlng the righteousness of his act,
except Sen. J. B. Foraker. who was
repudiated and cast out by the people
OF his own state; and the hirelings of
the biz trusts, who are working In
Kentucky TO defeat the hopes of Pres
ident Roosevelt for a continuation OF
his policies OF government.
1t is time for the best colored citi-