The broad ax., 1908-09-05
WHAT If He HAsN'T'


VIII the so-caIled Negro Demo-
Gratis advise us II Mr.. Bryan has mod
flied his views of Negro disfranchise-
men?-N. Y. Age.)
Mr.. Bryan has never, as The Age"
insinuates, publicly expressed him.
self in favor Of Negro disfranchise-
ment. he having merely stated, with
out defining his personal feelings,
that under similar conditions, any
Republican community in the North
would have taken the same steps to
curb the Negro vote as was taken
by the South. Ignoring the fact that
Candidate Taft has frequently ex-
pressed himself as being so unqUal-
ifedly in favor Of the methods be
ing resorted to by the South to elm
mate Negroes from the politicaI equa-
ton, his Campaign" utterances to
the contrary Notwithstanding, that
that he is more popular with an ele-
ment of Southern Negrophobists than
Is the candidate of their own parry
ignoring all these facts, what good
purpose does The Age" and sts i'm
itators hope to serve by pretending to
see In Mr.. Bryan's victory an added
menace to the Negro's political stat
us, or in Mr.. Taft's victory any hon
est purpose, policy or principle OF
restoring to Negroes their dwindling
political power?
So far as the two candidates are
concerned, every sensible man
knows, however either may now
express himself for political purposes,
that their opinions are practically
the same respecting political condi-
TONS in the South. Nothing could in
duce either man to turn his
hand to enforce the War Amend
ments; still neither man could
be induced to turn his hand or lend
his influence to further restrict the
Negro vote But every individual Of
discernment knows that in those
Southern localities where there IL a
purpose to eliminate the Negro vote,
this purpose win be carried out, as
has ever been the case, as readily
under q Republican as under Dam
ocratic National Administration, and
not only without Republican opposi-
tion, but with Republican approval,
as has been the case with Mr.. Taft
Republican success, therefore, as
sures to Negroes not one iota Of ad-
ded security in their right to vote in
any State. On the other hand, the
continued right Of Negroes to vote
IN the great State Of Missouri hinges
directly on the extent to which Ne
groes aid the Democrats OF that
State in the coming election, the re-
cent Democratic convention Of Mis-
sour having refused to go on Iecord
IN favor OF Negro Acknowledgement
because It was brought out that the
Negroes Of that State had divided
their vote with the Democratic party.
We refuse to recognize the question
Of Acknowledgement as being q direct
and vital issue in this campaign, for
the simple reason that neither party
AZ inclined to do more than the other
with reference to the same. But IL
an element Of the -surface-reasoners
insist on making Negro suffrage an
issue, we ask, In the name Of reason,
II Il would not be far more wise for
Negroes to curb the advance Of dis
franchissment by supporting the
Democratic Party, thus inducing
Democrats themselves to save Mis-
souri, from this disgrace, than It
would be for them to stin bllndly sup.
port the Republican Party, thereby
squirting Democratic ovsrturss Of
frisn@liness and making certain dis
Reinstatement In Missouri and IN
every other state, whether West vir-
glnia or Maryland. where the Demo
Gratis and my whites demand IL While |
The protested -NseTolovings fac
don OF the RspubIIcans look on with
indlRasncs. II not approvaI9 Moth.
ing Il more NEEDED d this campaign |