The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-09-18
THE NEGRO VOTER.

| nave Dcen taking Bryan anu
the Democratic party during the
present campaign are placed in a
ridiculous light by the signed letter
recently issued by John H. Atwood,
Democratic National Committeeman
from Kansas, and warm personal
friend of the "Peerless Leader of
Democracy" Atwood is one of the
leaders Of the Democratic party in
Kansas and what he says on the
negro subject must be endorsed by
the party. He advocates the dis.
tranchisement of the negro and
states that the Kansas negro is a
social and political menace. Atwood
opposes the mixed schools and says
the time is coming when the people
of Kansas will place restrictions on
negro suffrage.
This letter of Mr.. A.wood's has
already done its work in Topeka
and other cities where it has been
circulated. The letter shows the
position of the Democratic party on
the negro question in its true light.
1t is the first plain statement of facts
made by any of the party leaders
on the subject in years and is re-
freshing in its frankness. The letter
reads;
"By one of those strange ironies
of fate which sometimes overtake
the benefactors of individuals, peO-
pies or races, the state of Kansas,
which has done more, perhaps, for
the negro than any other state in
the Union, is now suffering a grew
Gus political wrong from the hands
Of the freedman and his descend
ants.
civilian A. Harris would now
be governor of Kansas had it not
been for the ignorant negro vote,
and there have been times in the
past when the Democratic party
could have elected its state ticket
had it not been for the ignorant
black vote of Kansas City, Leaven-
worth, Atchisen, Lawrence and
Topeka.
"There was time when the
negro vote was not a considerable
factor in Kansas politics, but thai
time has passed. The influx oi
negroes from the South, the rapid
multiplication of those native to
Kansas soil, and the increasing In.
sistence upon the negro upon social
equality, make the Kansas negro
not only a political factor, but 9
social and political menace.
"If the last general election be q
4 criterion, the negro now holds tbs
balance of political power in Kan.
sas as he does in Missouri. This ia
/ itself is bad enough, bat In Kansas
we have suffered for long years the
/ outrage of mixed schools, fastened
upon US by the Republican pollti.
clan.
"Mixed schools lead the negroes
to aspire to a mixed society and this
close contact of the races is pro.
ductive of troubles from which Kan.
sas would be free if the negro had
less political power sad were no,
admitted to the same schools with
the whites.
Kansas has lerg been weary OF
the negro politician and it is more
than weary of the mixed school.
Patience has its limits, aad l believe
that the time has come when the
people Of Kansas will join with the
people of Missouri in restricting
negro suffrage.
"ldonotadvocate the disfranchise
ment of the negro on the ground of
his color. The idea is abhorrent to
the principles of our free govern
ment ard its execution would be in
conflict with the constitution.
"But our constitution will permit
the disfranchisement of the ignor-
ant, depraved, lazy, vicious and
debauched negro, and this dIsfran-
chisement should be accomplished
TO the end that eur free institutions
may not suffer.
"JOHN H. ATWOOD.
democratic NationalCommittems