The Washington bee., 1908-09-19

ing HIOdi4 ing anu CA ploi4d+Oif
clauses.
The attempt to discredit Judge TAFT
in the .ees OF the Negro electorate OF
the country by representing him as an
enemy to the civic equality of the race
is dirty politics, and will not succeed,
The spirit of fair play, inbred in the
American heart, revolts against such
unrighteous tactics and they will be
rebuked when the sober, second
thought of the people has had chance
to assert itself-and that time is now
at hand.
Criticism IS alread giving place to
praise, and the hitherto deceived mem
bers OF our race are ra'lying to the
to the standard of this broad-minded
statesman, bestowing upon him with
interest the cheers that the chicanery
OF the enemy have led them to behold.
Just as we may regard the previous
deliverances of Judge Taft as mere
analyses of a disagreeable state OF at
fairs, to call attention to the necessity
for correction, his Cincinnati keynote
is to be accepted as the definite prom
ise of the Republican candidate for
the Presidency of the United States
that there will be undertaken by his
party a systematic and comprehensive
plan of relief from the evils that now
bar the Negfo's Door of Hope.
AS a locker ON in Vienna" the
Secretary ofWar coud lonly investi-
gate, regulate, suggest; but as the
prospective Chief Executive ofz the
nation, about to be commissioned for
the great work of racial redemption,
he can extend direct assurances OF
sympathy with our desires for a larg
er citizenship and outline policy that
will bring about the reforms needed.
His Cincinnati speech, therefore,
comes at the psychological moment.
1t marks the beginning of the end of
the fallacy that the Republican nomi-
nee is inimical or Indifferent to the
welfare of Negro people and places
him squarely upon the constitution of
the United States as the platform up
on which his campaign is to be pitch
ed.
With respect to the colored vote,
the Cincinnati message leaves Judge
Taft complete master of the situation.
A determined effort will be made by
the managers of the campaign in
Washington to have every Republican
employee of the Government go home
to vote. A tabulated statement is
being prepared b Mr.. Henr NJ. Vamp,
in charge of the Interstate Republican
Headquarters opposite the Treasur,
which will show how many Repub-
lican voters there are in the service
here and it will be pointed out to each
that it is his duty to make the journey
to his legal residence and put in a
ballot for Taft and Sherman. State
ments will be made from time 10
time showing the progrese of the
work Steps will be taken to locate
the colored voters and have them
vote in their respective States.
Some little embarrassment has been
felt by the clerks in the departments
by reason of the Presidents order to
the Civil Service Commission to strict
ly enforce the regulation forbidding
Federal employees to engage actively
in politics. Many are anxious TO do
more than the law allows, but oce
backward about resigning to under
take campaign work, for the order
ntimates that those who go off tenn
porarily to engage in such work may
have a hard time securing reinstate-
ment after the election. However,
this prohibition does not apply o
those not embraced in .ue classified
service, and the campaign will have
to wag merrily along with the men
who are too high or too low in grade
to be looked upon with disfavor by
the cmmission's "eagle eye"
Taft and Sherman continue to be
endorsed by the colored voters who
maintain a residence in the various
States. but who make Washington a
temporary abiding place. announce
ment is made that the Taft and Sher-
man Colored National RepublicanClub
of the District of Columbia, compos-
ed mostly of Temporary residents who