The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-07-31
!. WHY.
HE is OPPosED CLEMENT GIVES
:.5=' HfstREAsoNs. i 4 <
Silepce ON Brownsville Question and
Alleged Endorsement Of Disfran- !:
chisement Laws Puts War Sccre-
tary in Bad With Editor. =

! communication printed on the edito:
rial page OF the Observer, George 6.
Clement, editor of the Star Of Zion,
explains why, in his opinion, the
blacks are; opposed to Taft as presi-
dent. His letter follows: y. t'@ :
I There are, doubtless, many who
wonder why the dishonorable dis
charge OF the three companies of Me-
gro soldiers SO universally and BIT
terly ,afronted our people. The an
sWer is easy. The, record of the
black soldiers in 100 Indian. battles
on western fields, at San Juan and
La Quasima and In the Philippines,
was the. one green spot, the one Price
less oasis In all the desert OF recent
race conditions which touched, most
intensely the patriotism of/the Me-
Lgro. =. ...'5.. ~. t..
| To have this record shattered by
one blow without due process Of law,
and to have our honored soldiers dis
graced before their alleged crime
was proven, was more than we could
stand. 1t pricked us to the quick,
and we will be a long time recover
Ing from the shock.
| The Negroes were not prepared for
the absolute disregard of the rules of
evidence, and the bias which con-
demned, at least, $50 innocent men;
with few (not more than dozen,
possibly guilty. 49, 49,. r..
Roosevelt Not Expected to- Apollo
~ H.. gize.'
We know that Mr.. Roosevelt, hav-
Ing once taken a position, however
1mpulsive and arbitrary, would not
retreat. He does not acknowledge
wrong however culpable his action in
the light of subsequent developments.
That the parties here concerned were
Negroes is unnatural in this respect.
| When Archbishop Ireland. one of the
greatest Americans, plainly contra
d1cted our honorable, president and
proved him mistaken, there was no
retraction; hence, we expected moth
Ing favorable from Mr.. Roosevelt, al
though his attitude was unreasona-
BILE and unfair toward a great major
1ty of the dismissed soldiers
+ But we are shocked when he class
ed them all with the arch assassins,
Guiteau and Czolgosz, and declared
that even if congress voted their re-
instatement he would refuse to or
der. 1t. That settled it, SO far as Mr..
Roosevelt and the Negroes were con-
/ cerned. 49, -.
| 1t was then that an exasperated
and insplted race, through accredit.
ed leadership, asked Mr.. Taft If he
were made president would he be
willing to refHstate the discharged
soldiers in accordance with congress.
sional findings and recommendation ?
Thus far he has refused to answer
Then, this same race Leadership
turned to Mr.. Bryan with the same
question and his reported answer is
that he would carry out the law and
do his duty as president or else re-
sign. .....
Taft Approved Suffrage Steal.
> There Is yet a deeper and more
widespread resentment against Mr.
Taft, which makes it impossible fol
, self-respecting Negroes to vote fol
!; him. This Is his position in refer
ence to the Acknowledgement of the
black voter, as he expressed it a.
} Greensboro, N. c., several month,
| ago. 49, -.
IL Mr.. Taft plainly condoned the &C
: ton of the southern states in tn,
!, presence Of ''lily-white'' republican
audience. We shall not enter into
/, the merits Of the disfranchisin,
laws, with their grandfather claus
es, etc., but We shall attempt to stat,
why we repudiate Mr.. Taft's candi
dacy upon the grounds above men
toned
t Be 1t remembered that the hasty
acknowledgment of the Negro wa,
used to serve partisan republican In
terests. 1t was a political act by al
powerful political organization
for partisan interest, primarily, aut
the interest of the Negro, secondari
ly. s. 49,. z -
Be it further remembered tina
whatever value arose from the Negro
vote accrued to the republican part,
and served especially to furnish Off
ces and feather the nest of the south
ern white republican politicians. The
very men to whom Mr.. Taft was
speaking have been the recipients Of
whatever benefits were obtainable
through the Negro votes. One prom
inent gentleman owed his seat In the
United States senate to the Negro
vote. Others were judges, congress
men, governors, members of the state
Legislature, etc, by this same vote.
" Negro Used While Useful.
! Mr.. NTaft's party Dyed it to itseit
to be at least consistent, If not CRATE.
full. AS the presumptive nominee OF
that party for the nations creates.
office, Mr.. Taft should havs been true
to the traditions and obligations Of