The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-15

convict farms and prisons" The plan
outlined by Mr.. Roosevelt, and which
took him to Africa to complete. con-
tains solution to every vexatious
question connected with this prob
lem. The fact that the negro now is
citizen Of the United States and Is
property owner. and all the diff
culties. legal and otherwise, entailed
in the execution Of this plan, all are
solved in the explanation of Roose-
velt's intentions to deport him, as
disclosed by his confidant. "Theo-
dore Roosevelt relies on his popular
lty as Napoleon did on his" asserted
the attorney, Ito carry him through
all his difficulties in his novel scheme
to deport the American negro to
Africa He believes that it will be
easy to persuade the nation to abro-
gate the Fifteenth amendment, and
then the negro will have the same
relations to the Federal government
as the Indians. and they were elected
from their lands handed down
through centuries of ancestors AMI
forced to migrate thousands of miles.
as In the case of the Seminoles. He
relies on the support Of the South
for the financial burden necessary to
carry out his plan, provided his re.
ports Of conditions in Africa are fav-
orable. If it is pointed out to him
that the territory he would annex
practically Is far inland and not &C
ctssible, he will point to the success
of the Mormons in making a fertile
valley out Of Utah, when they were
obliged to cart all their material and
supplies overland from Kansas City.
Roosevelt will burst from the jun
giles of Africa next April and say,
Here, have done it; now help me. I
have risked my life for a year to find
solution to your negro problem. I
have organized a friendly federation
Of tribes In the most fertile country
of Africa I have prepared a place
for the negro, where each can have a
hundred and sixty acres Of land. This
is not the pestilential coast of Liberia,
but the very heart of Africa. The
colonizing Of this country will also
prevent the expansion Of our COM
mercial enemy, Germany And then,
exerting all his influence, he will run
through legislation and strike while
the iron is hot. He plans, If neces-
sary or possible, to have the individ-
ual States issue bonds to finance his
migration and expatriation PROPOSE
ton, In proportion to the negro pop
ulation In each, supplemented by
bond guarantee by the Federal gov
ernment. AS a last resort he relies
on the attitude of the South to raise
the money. II necessary by popular
subscriptions, feeling sure every
county and locality throughout the
South will open subscription lists and
that the money will pour forth in
abundance.
There is one more problem aod
Roosevelt seems to think he can
solve this also. And that is the nee.
essity Of being able to persuade the
negro to migrate. State legislation
Roosevelt knows he can control if its
object is to settle the negro question:
but by offering the negroes peace
and safety, freedom from conditions
that are now humiliating by Offering
each farm with bonus with which
to make a new start and buy the
tools of husbandry, by acclai,rirg
that he is the friend of the negro
and always has been, and that his So
luton will improve them as e. race
and as individuals, by these means
Roosevelt hopes to overcome the sit
uation without compulsory legis-
lation, unless it might be by a re-
mote time limit Of, say, twenty years.
II he does not find conditions over
there as he expected as he has NO,
announced publicly his plans, he can
withdraw gracefully and no harm
mas been done; but feel sure he will
DO his utmost to put the deal
through. 1t Is the kind Of an under
taking he likes"
What Is Roosevelt really doing in
Africa? Strong evidence is now be-
Ing brought to light which affirms
the rumor that he is there to solve
the negro question. Did Roosevelt,
a man who has kept the world in
turmoil for seven years. go out to
Africa with dreams equalling those
Of the Corsican, expecting to reverse