The Washington herald., 1908-06-15
Washington Pastor Heads
New Move in Chicago.
THREATENS BOLT OF VOTERS
Declares COIOred Men VIII support
Democratic Ticket or Stay Home
il Republicans Nominate Either
Roosevelt or Taft-InsiSts They
Want No More Promises.

ing:
lot Of negroes representing different
colored organizations and including many
colored minister's have been holding a
series OF mass meetings here during the
past week
AS result Of these meetings new
negro organization was formed last night
called the National Negro American Po-
litical League. made up of representatives
OF some of the organizations Of colored
men. such as the Afro-Amerlcan Council
represented by Bishop Walters: the
Niagara movement and the Constitution
League in New York.
The Rev. !. Milton Waldron. pastor Of
a negro church in Washington. d. c.. a
graduate OF Lincoln University and the
Boston Theological Seminary. is at the
head Of the new league the purpose Of
which is to demand fair play for the
negro
The negroes are most bitter Just now.
For instance, the Rev. Mr.. Cary who is
graduate Of Atlanta University, and
took a postgraduate course here at the
University Of Chicago said to-day:
The Republican party has changed
very much from what 1t was. and the
negroes are the worst sufferers by this
change. a telephone-ruled convention
may be all right for a monarchy. but
not for a republic
White Leaders Aroused, Too.
We have had talk with some OF the
white leaders Of the Republican party.
and know they are aroused. too. over
this tendency toward one-man rule. There
is no desire among the men who have
been meeting here TO withdraw from the
Republican party. Every committee mem
Der expressed his intention Of remain
ing IN the party If we can get some
promise that the negro is 10 be treated
properly and as a man Four years ago
the party put in It's platform a promise
that the representation Of the South in
Congress would be cut down in accord
ance with the Constitution. Now they
have disfranchised the negro. They made
no attempt 10 keep this promise. and TO
a committee of colored men one Of the
present candidates declared that when
they put that in the platform four years
ago they had no intention OF keeping IL
The negroes are tired Of this. Mr.. Roose-
welt did not lift HIS little finger 10 re-
deem this promise. The restoration Of
the black troops is only incidental. We
could not ask for definite promise as
10 that but we are going 10 insist on
definite promise that the negro will get
fair play hereafter IN this political game.
Negroes VIII Bolt.
Mr.. Waldron said that no matter what
promises were made by Mr.. Taft or were
contained in the platform adopted here.
there was a large number OF negroes
who would absolutely refuse TO vote the
Republican ticket
"Of course, there IS a disposition to
smile at this on the part OF the politi-
clans, said Mr. Waldron. but we who
have been travelling around and have
churches Of our own know IT, There is
a colored Taft headquarters here. opened
with Taft money. Lots OF negroes go
there 10 meet their friends from out OF
town. and sit and talk against Taft.
The negroes are opposed 70 Mr. Taft be-
Republicans Of the Lincoln. Sumner. and
Grant type. lie went into Ohio in a re-
cent gubernatorial election and advised
Republicans 10 knife their ticket. and he
ana the President have waged an un-
scrupulous warfare on such stalwart
Republican as Senator Foraker
To all intents and purposes, he Is not
a Republican. but free trader. a bolter.
more OF a Democrat than aything else.
Some negroes may vote the Democratic
ticket. but the large majority will STAY
at home or join a third party. If the
party names either Taft or Roosevelt"
Taft Men Get Busy.
The Taft managers here have begun
TO get busy as a result Of the four and
five mass meetings these negro leaders /
have been holding every day. with the |
attendance running into the thousands /
Tomorrow there viii be a convention OF |
Taft negroes in a church almost oppo-
site the Coliseum, so II was announced I
to-day. The leaders OF the other side |
say that this convention has been organ !
lied by man in Cincinnati, TO whom
the Taft managers last week sent $500 ]
with instructions to offer the negroes /
there free rides to Chicago until the |
money was used up.
Internal Revenue Collector Charles w. I
Anderson. alternate-at-large from the /
state OF New York. was interviewed on /
the subject Of the treatment OF the South |
ern contestants before the national COM
mittee and the effect II would have on
the negro voters of the country.
Mr. Anderson. who put the 223 ron
tests from the Southern States?' he was
asked.
In my Judgment" Mr. Anderson re-
pAed, they were very largely inspired
by an organization in New York known
as the Constitution League, which has a
oranch IN this city John E Milholland
Is president and A. B. Humphreys is sec
retary. 1 believe, OF the league.
Democrats, Says Anderson.
1t curiously happens that nearly all ~
the colored men who went South and en-
couraged the bolts from Taft conventions
were men whose names had been dis
tinctly associated with the Constitute,
League and its management for the nasr
two years. Most or these coIored me,
are Democrats. The editor of the Boston
Guardian. which is apparently the official
organ OF the Constitution League. is him
self Democrat, and his father before
him was a Democrat a colored phvsi-
clan from Philadelphia, a colored law
yer from Boston. and another from Wash
ington, all OF whom have been advising
the coiored people 20 vote the Democratic
ticket in the event OF the nomination OF
Secretary Taft or the denomination Of
President Roosevelt. are Democrats. and
al are currently reported and generally
believed TO be in the employ OF the
league"