The gold leaf., 1909-10-21
NEGRO VOTE A HANDICAP.


Former Member Of Republican Cabi-
net Favors Its sEIimlnation-No"O some
Party State then-Rid Of the Negro,
He Believes Republicans Could Build
Up Strong Opposition Party In the
South.
Washington, Oct. 1O.-"Ifthe white
Republicans OF Maryland and the
North want to build the Republican
party up In their own States and In
the South as strong and respecta-
BILE opposition party locally, they
ought to favor the elimination OF the
negro vote"
This expression comes from a man
who was member of the Cabinet in
the recent Republican administra-
tion and has closely studied the
relation OF the negro to state and
national politics. He was in Wash
ington few days ago. His assertion
that the elimination of the negro
would benefit both parties was
brought out by the suggestion made
during the suffrage amendment cam
paign in Maryland that if it were not
for the negro and his vote Maryland
would always be Democratic State.
This former Cabinet member ques-
tions that view of the situation. He
declared that in the old days, when
there was no shadow of the race
question as it exists today, the two
great political parties-Democratic
and Whig-in Maryland and other
Southern States alternated in their
choice for Presidential candidates.
He cited the fact that in 1910 Mary
land cast all ten Of her electoral
votes against Martin Van Buren,, q
Democrat, and in favor of William
Henry Harrison, who was Whig,
and that in the same campaign,
while Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri,
South Carolina and Virginia voted
for Van Buren, the electoral votes OF
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mis-
sissppi, North Carolina and Tennes-
see, along with the electoral vote of
candidate, Mr.. Harrison.
Again in the campaign OF 1874 the
Southern States were divided in the
national elections. Tennessee in that
campaign cast all thirteen of her
electoral votes for Henry Clay, a
Whig from Kentucky, and against
James K. Polk, the Democrat, who
was candidate from her own State.
Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, South Carolina and Virginia
were all for Polk, while Maryland,
Kentucky and North Carolina joined
Tennessee in voting for Mr.. Clay.
Mississippi, Georgia and North Caro-
lima have all varied in their votes
and sometimes supported the candi-
dates OF the Wing party. So did
Louisiana when there was no dream
of the liberation of the former slaves
or OF the race question as it has ex-
listed since the Civil War.
After citing instances of this kind
in which various Southern States,
unhampered by the question OF the
negro vote, had unanimously sup
ported first one and then the other of
the two leading parties, this former
member of the Republican Cabinet,
after declaring that in his judgment
the elimination OF the negro vote
would aid in building up strong Re-
publican organizations in the South,
added his belief that such a solution
of the question would remove the ex-
cuse for demagogues of the South to
use the race question in getting into
Office and that it would deprive
Northern demagogues OF the use of
the bloody shirt and ballot-box
stuffing as method of securing
office.
He said there we're many men in
the South who, because OF the race
question alone, have always voted
the Democratic ticket locally and
nationally, but who favor the pro-
tective system and other Republican
policies which have no relation what
ever to the suffrage question. He
believes these would leave the Demo-
cratic party and vote their real po-
litical sentiments but for the negro
vote. II this vote were eliminated, be
said, he felt quite sure that the result
would be the formstio of a strong
anti-Democratic party throughout
the South, composed of substantial
white citizens. For the same reason
he believed the morale and standard
OF intelligence and qualification for
leadership and efficiency for office
In the Democratic party would also
be elevated. Both parties would, in
his Judgment, be vastly improved,
and the entire country would be the
beneficiary.