The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1908-03-12
HENDERsoNvILLE. N. q.
nsoP" TO COLoRED VOTERS.

dorsed Mr.. Taft for president.
put a plank in its platform de.
manding suffrage rights to every
illiterate negro in the South. un.
der pain of reduced representa-
ton in congress for any and all
states restricting the voting priv.
ilese. This commits Secretary
Taft to the policy of prosecuting
and prosecuting southern white
men for the part they have taken
in the effort to protect this Sec
ton from the curse of negro
domination and means a reign of
terror in states, like North Caro-
lima, which have passed restrict
i've suffrage laws. OF course
the republicans do not expect
the electoral vote ola sisle south
ern state and they have no re-
gard for the interests of any peo-
pie who are unwilling to ''bow to
the mandate of their dictum."
The radical idea now is to catch
the negro vote of doubtful states,
viz: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
New York, New Jersey, and a
number of other northern and
western states, regardless of con-
sequences.
Reasons for the Ohio republic
can declaration are traceable to a
meeting of negro bishops some
months ago who issued this
warning to their race: "We do
hereby raise our voices in stern
and solemn warning to the COM
ing republican, national conven-
ton not to put in nomination for
the presidency either President
Daoo- -.lC~~~o~ Toee or
pain of having arrayed against
either of those gentlemen at the
polls next November the almost
solid colord vote of the North"
This warning from "their broth
ers in black" frightened the Pres
ident and his big War Secretary
to the point of promising return
of negro suffrage in the South in
the event of Taft's election. II
is even charged and not denied
that Mr.. Roosevelt himself
wrote this obnoxious plank Of
the Oohio platform. If true, il
is the crowning piece of infamy
of his administration, next to the
incident of dining with Booker
Washington in the White House.
1t is an everlasting shame,Cthis
proposition to reopen the race
problem in the Southland nc
decent white man can afford tc
stand for any such thing. Hon
John Sharp Williams calls the
Ohio declaration "a startling
piece of political petifoseing,'
and adds:
eff the republican party wishes I'M
fourteenth amendment to be enforced
it should repeal the fifteenth amend
ment. After the passage OF the nj
tenth amendment, whereby the Soutf
vas forbidden to disfranchise anybod!
on account of race, color or previous
condition Of servitude, it lies in no man
mouth to say that any Southern STATE
does disfranchise anyone without prov
ing his statement. The statement Cal
not be proved because it Is absolutel!
false. The fourteenth amendment lei
the Southern states with the option 10
each state to let the negroes vote or no
vote, as it chose, but If it did not allow
them to vote, it would be subjected to
reduction of representation"
But they will not repeal the
fifteenth amendment. On the
other hand their acts of hypoc'
risy are going to continue anc
the white people of North Caro-
lima and elsewhere in the South
may as well make up their mind.
TO stand together in preventing
this latest proposed intrusion up
IN their riShtS Here is the ne,