The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-19
NEGROES LEAGUE
To OPPOSE TAFT.
j. NJ. WALDRoN SAYS THEY'LL
VOTE FOR BRYAN-HAS A MEM
BERSHIP OF 7oo,ooo-HEADQUAR
TIERS OPENED IN CHICAGO AND
A LARGE FORCE EMPLOYED
TO ORGANIZE FOR BRYAN-A
NEWSPAPER TO BE STARTED.

/ 10 j. MDlOu w cluTDu- a tul-
ored preacher, of Washington, former
in Jacksonville, the negroes of the
country are becoming engaged in
| formidable movement against Taft.
Rev WaldTOn says that all the an
| ti-RooseveIt and anti-Taft negro or
CARNATIONS and their sympathizers
among the colored people, are being
merged with the National Negro Po-
liticaI League, of which he is presi-
dent
He says that the league has deter
mined to support Bryan for president,
and that it will conduct a compaign
of its own among the colOred people
of every state with the object of de-
feating Mr.. Taft.
Along this line the following teIe-
gram was sent TO Mr.. Bryan this
week.
Hon. William J. Bryan, Fairview, Lin
coin, Neb.:
We congratulate you upon your
nomination to the presidency by the
representatives of the American peO-
pIe-not by the hirelings of a boss
and we predict your election next No
vember by handsome majority
Judging by assurances given us by
our people throughout the north and
west, you will receive 75 per cent of
the coIored vote.
J. MILTON WALDRON, d. D.,
President Of the National Negro Amer
lean Political League
Claims Promises From Bryan.
WaIdron said Mr.. Bryan and other
leaders of the party had given his
league sufficient assurances that if
Mr.. Bryan is elected he and the Dem
ocratic party will treat the coIored
man with due consideration
Nearly all the members of the ex-
ecutive committee of the Negro Am
erican Political League are residents
of Washington. OF the number are
Rev. CorOthers, pastor of the Ameri-
can Episcopal Zion church. and Rev.
George W. Lee, of Vermont avenue
Baptist church, the largest COlored
congregation in Washington.
Waldron is pastor of Shiloh Baptist
church.
1t is asserted that the league has a
membership of 100000 through it's va
rious branches and organizations in
affiliation with it.
Reasons for Leagues Stand.
Reasons for the proposed political
departure of the black race are set
forth in a statement prepared for pub
LEGATION by WaIdrOn- 1t says:
I'VE went to Chicago with the
avOwed purpose of heartily supporting
the Republican party should it return
to the principles upon which it was
founded.
But when, on reaching Chicago. we
found that more than twO-thiTds of
the delegates to the convention were
office holders appointed by President
Roosevelt and pledged to carry out
his policy of destroying all those who
oppose him, whether they were good
men or bad, in the right or in the
wrong-and when we learned from
statements repeatedly made by Mr..
ROoseveIt's representatives at the con-
vention that he had decided to recog-
nize the Lily White faction in the
party with the avowed purpose of
eventually eliminating the negro from
politics in the South, in the hope of
building up there a strong Republican
organization. and when no efforts on
our part or on the part of the old
line white Republicans could induce
Mr.. RoOsevelt's delegates to pledge
the party to reinstate the discharged
negro soldiers who are innocent OF
participation in the shooting up of
Brownsville We decided. after repeat
ed and lengthy conferences with the
more than 200 representatives assem-
bled in Chicago from all parts of
America, to oppose with all our might
and main the election of William H
Taft TO the presidency of the United
States.
Must Fulfill its Pledges.
This action is necessary on the
part of our race in order to make the
Republican party understand that it
cannot in the future count on the IN
divided support of the negro unless
it fulflls the many pledges made 20
him
AT the conference in Chicago of
our league and the officers Of the
dozen other political organizations
which afteTward consolidated with it,
the league voted unanimously not TO
support Mr. Taft. and a committee of
five-J. Milton WaldrOn. D. D. of
Washington; E L Gillian, d. D.. of
Ohio: George W Gaines. D. D., of
Illinois: William Monroe TrOtter. OF
Massachusetts, and Bishop Walters,
D. D. of New York to be known as
an "Anti-Taft Campaign Committee"
was appointed and authorized TO de-
eide upon the best method 10 defeat
Mr. Taft and to carry on with vigoT
and unrelenting zeal the war against
him.
All to Vote for Bryan.
This committee finds that the ma
jority of the negro leaders, and their
people as well, favor supporting the
Democratic nominee for the presi-
dency-
Every intelligent, self-respecting
negro knows that he will be read out
of the party if Mr.. RoOsevelts policy
triumphs next November and MT. Taft
is elected