Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-02
CONDEMN TAFT
AND ROOSEVELT
C0L0RED VOTERS PROTEST
AGAINST BOTH MEN
REPUBLICANS MUST NOT NoMi-
NATE EITHER
Largely Attended Meeting at Scott'o
Hall Declares for Revolt Because
Of the Brownsville Dis
n,Issal

Charging ingratitude and chicanery
as reward for forty years fealty to
the Republican party, 100 negro voters
who crowded Scotts hall, 561 Central
avenue, last night decided that they
could not vote for either Taft or
Roosevelt If they were nominated this
month by the Republican national con-
vention Accordingly they formally
protested against the nomination of
either and thus completed the chain of
protests from the race that extends
from the lakes to the gulf and from
the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The Brownsville dismissal of a ne
gro battalion, while the immediate
cause of the protest, was only one of
number of reasons. AS ]. L. Ed
monds put 1t In calling the meeting to
order, house cleaning is In order and
the ten millions of colored people in
tend that it will be thorough If the
Republican party asks the suffrage of
the race for either Taft or Roosevelt
He said the politicians of the race
were, as usual. trying to stifle the ex-
preston of sentiment, but the race
would not stultify itself, but would act
with independence and courage. Taft
was responsible for the Brownsville
dismissal and Roosevelt was Influenced
by him. mo Taft no Brownsville" Is
the terse way he put 1t.
". IIuuSoH, Hedu Ol IL COlOTtu HiSuI-
ance society. presided and w. j.
Wheaton was secretary. After sing
ing america" in splendid chorus the
audience listened while Mr.. Edmonds
prayed that Roosevelt might be more
deliberate and mindful of the constitu-
tional rights of the colored people.
Must Defend Rights
George w. Smell said the Brownsville
case-the dismissal of the colored
troops without trial-was a blow at
constitutional privilege. 1--WE must be
ever ready to defend our liberties" :"
said he, "for whenever there is devia-
tion from them we are the first to
suffer. And our race is not alone con-
cerned for when it is found we may
be made to suffer the white man will
be in jeopardy"
The race had nothing personal
against Taft, but he is the man chosen
to perpetuate the Roosevelt policies.
and If the Brownsville episode is one
of the policies the negro must see that
1t isn't perpetuated. The race intends
to learn now where and when its rights
begin and end.
Mrs. Eva Queen declared the atti-
tude of the Republican party toward
the colored race was becoming worse
each day. Its fealty was not being
rewarded by the square deal. but 1t
had been patient until the Brownsville
DOOlneTdHS WOKE IL up. NOW ltS re-
sentiment must be mighty
Must Vote Against Taft
Charles c. Flint said 1t was no use
for the colored voters to protest unless
they followed their protest by voting
against the Republican party He told
how the 206 Republican delegates at
the ST. Louis convention had made
possible the nomination of Mckinley,
of the establishment of the gold stand
ard and Republican success over Bryan,
and that this was rewarded by manip-
ulations by the Republican national
committee so that the colored repre-
sentation at Philadelphia four years
later was only sixty, and the effect
was to almost eliminate 1t altogether
He charged that there was an alliance,
an understanding, among the higher
ups" of the party to break the solid
south and Roosevelt's dismissal of
the negro troops was q bid for the
vote of the south. He said he had lit
tie belief that Taft would be nominated
or thai it was intended he should be.
The convention was to be Stampeded
for Roosevelt. Therefore the protest
of the race must be against both men.
1.-THE voice of Roosevelt yesterday
was one for the negro to obey" said
Flint. but today there is none who
will honor him except as president of
the United States"
Mr.. Flint said the meeting was not
one of "colored Democrats as has
been charged, as there are only two
"colored Democrats" on the great reg
lister. He said the result at the polls
would show that it was colored Re-
publicans who resent the Brownsville
affair.
Not Afraid of Democrats
Paul M. Nash, a lawyer, said the
resentment of the race to Taft and
Roosevelt was so strong that General
Stone, chairman of the California state
committee, had gone east to learn.
the colored voters could be met in the
campaign. He appealed for political
action from motives of principle rather
than expediency. There were three
grievances against the party in power
the present administration. They
were all constitutional questions. One
was the continued peonage of negroes
in the south, a thing the administra-
tion had failed to suppress. Another
was the discrimination against the race
in the abridgment of citizenship, and
the other was the denial of the right
to vote In the south. In each case the
administration had been powerless.
He said he had been asked: "How
can you vote for q Democrat?"
Because" he made answer, "if a
Democrat better serves my purpose
than a Republican. it is my duty to
vote lOT Illlll.
Silent Friends"
He said the menace of Tilmanism
and Vardamanism was less to be
feared in it's open character than the
silence of the supposed Republican
friends" of the negro. He reminded
the audience, too, that it was Tillman
who was chosen by the president to
take charge of the rate bill in the
senate.
He declared the real test of the Re-
publican's love for the colored man
would come at Chicago when the col
ored contests from the south were
passed on by the convention.
After Hugh s. A. Cummings had
completed the speechmaking resolutions
were adopted condemning Taft and
Roosevelt and a permanent organiza-
ton, a branch of the National Negro
Political league, was formed with j. L.
Edmonds, president: O.. Hudson, vice
president; w. j. Wheaton, secretary;
T. j. Anderson, corresponding secre-
tary, and G. w. Smell, treasurer. Other
meetings will be held.