Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1908-01-17
COMMUNICATION.

IOMMUNlOAllUN.
Editor Bystander:--I have read
with much interest the timely
editorial in your last issue on the
Coming City Election" and de-
sire to hereby heartily endorse
the sentiments expressed therein,
especially with reference to the
attitude which the Negro voters
Of the city should maintain to-
ward the various candidates for
mayor and councilmen of Des
Moines under the new Des Moines
Plan.
Permit me also in this connec-
tion to add that fortunately for
the Negro voters the question Of
the party to which a candidate
belongs, does not eater into this
campaign; for the reason that un-
der the new law the ten who re-
ceive the nomination at the pri-
maries on March 16, as well as
the five who are elected on March
3Oth, may be all Republicans or
they may be all Democrats, for
the law provides that any ''voter"
may be a candidate for either
mayor or commissioner and that
''the two candidates" (regardless
of politics) receiving the high
est number of votes for mayor
shall be the candidates and the
only candidates, whose names
shall be placed upon the ballot
for mayor at the election and the
eight candidates (regardless of
politics) receiving the highest
number of votes for councilman,
or all such candidates if less than
eight, shall be the candidates and
the only candidates whose names
shall be placed upon the ballot
for councilman at such election z
say, ! consider those provis-
ions especially fortunate for the
Negro voters, for the reason that
it imposes upon each of them a
duty which many Of them have
never been accustomed to per-
form, namely, that of selecting
the best man for the respective
places regardless Of whether he
be Republican, Democrat, Popu.
list or Independent. Heretofore
the majority of us have simply
waited until the Republican tick.
ct had been nominated after
which we have gone to the polls
and voted her straight because
Abraham Lincoln was Republi.
can end because we believed that
it was thru him and other mem.
bers of his party that we or our
ancestors were emancipated from
slavery; and while this was per
haps not a very intelligent me' h
cd of procedure ! have no quar-
rel with any Negro who is natur.
ally inclined towards a member
of the grand old party, other
things being equal, but since in
this campaign there is no Repub
lican party, no Democrat party
and no other party we must sup
port the men whom we suppor
regardless of whether the are
allied with any particular party
or clique. Therefore my advice
to every Negro voter in Des
Moines is that whenever you are
approached by a prospective can
didate, either for mayor or coun'
Gilman, first enquire of him as
the Germans, the Irish, the Jews
and all other nationalities o1
voters do, what will you do BY
way Of giving my people repre-
sentation in case you are elected:
If he answers unfavorable tell
him you can't support him. If he
answers favorable tell him you
will look up his past record and
if you find he can be trusted tt
keep his promises you will see
what you can do by way of assist
ing to elect him.
Very respectfully
S. Joe Brown,
1857 Seventh ST.
Member Des Moines Plan Com