Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1908-12-01


Charleston. W. Va. Nov. IL. 1908.
To the Editor:-In your issue Of Novem-
Der 10 find this paragraph
West Virginia (thanks to the Byrnes)
is again solidly in the Republican col
umn
suppose You mean by this that my
brother and m, self are responsible for
the Republican victory il this State. be-
cause we were instrumental in securing
the adoption of the two race planks in
the Democratic platform If | am cor
rect in this Interpretation of your para
graph, will ask you to enlighten me.
and such of your readers as may be in
terested, as to your position with respect
to those two planks. which, take it
from your freehand criticism of mine,
you assume to be impeccably correct.
Were you opposed to the adoption of
the Jim Grow" plank If so, was it
because you believed common carriers
engaged in passenger traffic should be
allowed to continue to force white and
colored passengers to occupy the same
coaches and often the same seats when
riding on their roads?
Were you opposed to the adoption of
the suffrage plank? Ifso, was it because
you believed that the ballot. placed IN
the hands Of the negro. as Thad Stevens
declared, las punishment for traitors, .
should be allowed to remain there?
| Ii your answer to both these questions
is in the affirmative. then / have MOTH
ing more to say. The argument would
entail too much time and labor, and, tie.
sides. would prefer to leave the matter
with your readers and the people among
whom you live. for decision. They know
the proper way to handle it.
If, on the other hand, you opposed the
embodiment of those two planks in the
Democratic platform for the reason given
by those who fought them in convention,
/. e, that the party would lose votes by
such action. then would like to go a
few steps further into the matter with you
take it that you felt no fear that the
Democratic party would lose the vote OF
any white man because of those planks
don't believe anybody harbored a fear
of that kind, or that there is anything in
the outcome that would justify any such
fear. 1t must be. therefore, that you
feared the loss of some negro votes, and
that you now feel that your apprehen-
sions were borne out by the result. Is
that fact? If SO, will you kindly say
how many negroes you know, of the ooc
or 1000 in Jefferson county, who have
hitherto voted the Democratic ticket be.
cause they were Democrats? A hundredi
Fifty Twenty-Five? Ter?
/ I'll guarantee that you do not know
more than the number last mentioned
Then what
| One per cent. That proportion, and
it is large one, carried out throughout
the State, would mean loss of from I5o
to 200 votes to the ticket. No more
Now there are some Democrats who
have chided me because, creGitinp me
with the adoption Of the two race panks
they say put it out of their power tc
buy negro votes That ] had, IN Other
words, made It necessary for them tc
obey the law
Surely, sir, you are not OF that number
Nor would be thought to be.
Indulge ME please, while say this:
do not wish 10 claim more than my lust
/ share Of the credit for the adoption oil
those two race planks; but l cheerfully
accept full responsibility for whatever
effect they may have had. Ard if tina,
effect was only to make traffic in negro
votes impossible to practical" Demo.
Gratis, | shall txult in the knowledge that
bore at least some part in purifying the
elections of my State, and in the redemp.
ton of my own party.
Very respectfully yours,
GEO. BYRNE.