Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1908-10-23

An evidence of the sentiment Of the
leading colored men Of the country, we
herewith give extracts from interviews
received at headquarters during the
past week.
Bishop c. T. Shaffer, M. D., D. D.
of the A. M. E. church, presiding over
the 18th Episcopal district, comprising
the states of Michigan, Indiana, Hi
nois, Iowa, Wisconsin, minnesota,
North and South Dakota and Ken
lucky, among other things says as fol-
lows:
Eyes, have had an opportunity 70
observe and guage the general trena
of sentiment among my people. l
have met them in five states in con-
ference gatherings in the past six
weeks, all of which have been repre-
sentative in character, representing
possibly 10000 people from ever
section of this territory. These gath
erings lasted a week each, and gave
ample opportunity to develop the drii'
of sentiment on almost every possible
subject and phase of subject OF public
interest, whether moral, religious, civic
or political, state or national, and es-
pecially so on the political, in the re-
port on the state Of the country with
the discussions thereon, which draw
out every phase of sentiment, both
pro and con, held by members OF tn
BODY, And | ask any thought
full and honest man, white or black,
republican or democrat, in the light OF
the history Of the past, where DO the
best interests Of the Negro lie? What
party, | may ask, has contributed most
to his freedom? What party gave him
the elective franchise? What party
secured the passage of the amend
ments of the constitution by which his
civil and political rights have in some
measure been safeguarded, and what
party at every stage in the Negroes
progress in his struggle to develop
noble manhood and womanhood has
babe him a Codspeed on his way:
And on the other hand, what party
has stood in the way and barred every
forward movement Of the Negro OF
this country for the past forty, years
and presumed to fix tor him BOUNDS
half way between that Of a man ana
a beast, to pass which and to be a
man in its estimation was high crime
and misdemeanor Let ecno an
sWer.
No, say what you will to the con-
trary, the colored man in the main
with all of his best interests tor today
and somewhat of the future is insep-
arably allied with republican party, and
II is my judgment that quite W per
cent of the race will cast their votes
accordingly in November. And Should
the party fail Of success at the conf
ing election, am satisfied it may no.;
be laid at the door of the colored
man."
DR.. E. C. Morris, Of Helena, Ark,
as president of the Baptist Association.
which represents membership 81
over 2,5OO,OOO. DR.. Morris, among
other things, says as follows:
at will not be denied that the re-
publican party came into existence tor
the purpose of championing the rights
of all the people without regard C
race, section or creed. 1t is also a
notorious fact that as soon as free
dom came to the Negro, as result;
of the civil war, the republican party
made those fundamental principles ap-
ply to the emancipated and empha-
sized its purpose by adopting three
amendments to the constitution OF the
United States. No intelligent coiored
men will deny that the party has main
tanned a record for over forty years
! of standing by those amendments,
thereby proving itself to be the con-
slant friend of the Negro. 1.
ITO vote against the platform OF
principles enunciated by the republi'
can party in its national convention IN
June last can mean only one thing
and that is, to give sanction to doc
trine advocated by many prominent
men in the democrats party who are
openly advocating the repeal OF the
l4th and 18th amendments to the con-
stitution, thereby seeking to give le.
gal sanction to the disfranchisement of
the Negro"
The Hon. J. T. Settle, Memphis.
Tenn, Is one OF the leading colored
men in that section OF the country, and
J in fact his voice has been heard on
| the stump In every campaign for the
| last twenty-five years. Among other
things he says as follows:
have recently returned from Wicll-
| tia, Kan, where made some speeches
and ] find the colored voters there al
most solid for out ticket. The DEM
locrats are, however, working hard
among them. =" #
when the colored voter is con-