Goldsboro weekly argus., 1908-10-22
THE open DOOR.
An Intelligent and Representative
Negro Of This City Writes OF the
Political Situation OF The Negro
and Points The way To His higher
citizenship.

and P0iRtS The way To His higher
citizenship.
EDITGR ARGUS.
There is much being said about the
division of the colored vote in the COM
ing election and the writer teels that
this vital question has gone too long
without consid Grafton for the good of
the nego race in this codntry. We well
remember the time when it was almost
a crime for eolored man to think of
anything else except voting the
straight Republican ticket just as it
came from the press. In other words,
there were no candidates or issues of
any other party worthy of the favor
able consid Grafton Of the colored voter
NO matter whether that candidate was
. friend or whether the issues OF that
party were more favorable to their
needs than those of the Republican
party.
The stand the Republican party took
Oh the slavery question was respon-
Sible, in the main, for this one sided
way OF thinking, but it has been 43
years since the close of the civil wal
during which time, to our sorrow,
Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, CART cid,
Mckinley, all bold soldiers in defense
OF an enslaved race, have passed to the
great beyond, and from present day
indications, it seems that with the
wrapping of the drapery of their couch
about them, the lofty principles for
which these and other men stood were
carried away to return no more.
Forty three years have brought
about o wonderful change in the atti-
tude of the Republican party toward
the negro, just as it has brought aoou'
q great change in the attitude of thos'
who fought on the side OF the Conted
eracy. For some who were gallant
soldiers under the stars and bars are
now quite conspicuous in the high
places of our government whose SYM
boil is now ana was then the stars and
stripes Nor would they be in these
high piau At they were not regarded
As Abstittt ELY 10Y al 10 Lu0 hdGloh . nag
Meth. .cs that are now practised by
the Republica party, in this section
OF the country especially, would not
nave bctn countenanced in the days
go,.. hv Lily hiteism, for example,
was not known in this State until it
was hntched out while the present oc-
cup: nj of tie White House was filling
the unexpired term Of Mr.. Mckinley,
bu :. has elown to such enormous
= ro1,s rtions that we now have it with
all is plumage.
Colored Republicans who have been
in IL e harness for years-men W no cau
cu,I,fvRas vtI.ls under ouI new con-
stitution-men who hbve been dele
eaf{ time and again to National Re
publican conventions are not now al
lowed seats even in our local conven-
tions though duly elected. The writer
was himself dele gate to recent con-
veption OF the lily " hite party In this
county, with credentials in due form
ho, was not granted a seat, though
+b.re yere no other credentials pre-
sent,.d !r,tn that recinct. and tits prop
or or me to state that this action was
not taken because was not regarded
ms Repu blican, but simply on account
Of my coler. and some of the lilies
* ere bold enough to so express them
selves.
rhe colored Rapu blican voter is act
ualIy not wanted here. This lily whlte
machine would much prefer to lose the
ninety and nine stalwart Republicans
OF darker hue-staiwarts who nave
followed the Republican banner since
the surrender at AUpematox, Repub'
Hcans who haue always cherished the
memory of the illustrious leaders o.
he party. if by so doing thsyIcan gair
one lily- white voter No matter Of what
character, and this is what they are
pleased to call "a respecta BILE party ir
the south"
Rut what does this machine care
Ahout the size OF the Republican vote
in this State al the approaching elec
tion7 All they want is the privilege Q
freouenting Republican haadquarter
and predicting that "Nsrth Carolina i
surely going Republican this time.
although they are aware OF the fae
that this State has not cast soil
fary Republican vote in the elsctera
cellegs since 1872, and although II
known to them that they are losin
ground as is evidenced by the tact tina
the Democratic plurality At the Ias
general election in 1904 was iarKer p
ever Ii. 900 than it WAS in 1902, nor
than 49, 900 larger than it was in 1861