The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1910-11-25


able contemporary very timely but
fail to see cause for alarm over the
question under discussion. A great
change has come over tnls country
in the last few months, and especial
ly is this true in those Southern
states near to and bordering on the
Mason and Dixon line. In States in
which the Negro vote was consid
cred a curse twelve months ago 1t Is
now sought; and it is acknowledged
that Negroes are using better judg
ment in their voting.
In an address to the Democrats OF
Tennessee, Mr.. w. o. Vertreese, who
is one of the foremost thinkers of the
South, and a man who few years
ago issued pamphlet in which he
strongly opposed the exercise of the
elect on franchise by Negroes, said
the following just prior to the cleo
ton:
But to recur; the Republican
party has proclaimed the equal
ity" of men, yet it has all the
while kept upon the books laws
that forbid men of other races -
such as Chinese and japanese
from becoming citizens of the
Tn ted States. Under Republican
laws men from Africa can be-
come citizens of this country,
but men from China and Japan
cannot. This discrimination is
one of race-indefensible and
unjust, if men and races are be-
lieved to be equal The truth
must be that the Republican
party has merely been pretend
ing.
1t really has deserted the Ne
gro in TennesseS The "old
heroes" the Confederate 'patri-
OTIS" are invited TO the Ne
groes' seats upon the stage. Aft
er exciting false hopes, and in
flaming feeling between the Ne
groes as a race and Democrats as
a party, the Republican party of
Tennessee apparently has cast
him off Has Mr.. Roosevelt
dropped a hint?
mention this act of Republi-
can insincer ty and ingratitude
Mt
really is working for good The
scales are now falling from the
Tennessee Negroes eyes. | do
not mean the preachers eyes.
As a. cass their preachers will
lie still held and deceived by this
hellied can't about morality and
"civic righteousness" and the like.
| refer to those Tennessee Ne
groes who are really concerned
9bout the welfare Of their race.
They arg opening their eyes. Why
az say this? Because rep,
resentatives of their class are
organizing clubs, which they
call Independent Republican
Party" clubs. assume that
they call themselves "Independ-
ent Republican Party clubs for
the same reason that the Repub-
lican allies call themselves In
dependent Democrats -because
the are not Republicans, yet are
not quite ready to say SO.
But the platform of principles
of these Negro clubs is signif-
cant. 1t declares that they do
not seek social equality. II de-
clares the Negro is in the South,
and to stay. 1t recognizes the
fact that he does not administer
public affairs. 1t says that the
Negro problem can and ought
to be adjusted by the white men
and Negroes of the South They
ask for justice and equality be-
fore the law They declare that
the Lilly White" Republicans
are seeking to eliminate the Ne
gro, in order to win "disgrun-
tied Democrats to Republican
ranks, so as to make Tennessee
Republican State This is
valuable, because it not only dis
closes the Republican program,
and explains their new affection
for Confederate patriots" but
also reveals that the Negroes Of
Tennessee have at least learned
that Republican professions as
to the Negro race are not sin
cere They may regard the Dem
ocratic view OF the Negro ques-
ton as unjust and unkind, but
they know It is sincere. They
perceive at least that they are
permanent inhabitants of land
where laws are made and admin
istered by men of the VIII te race;
that the men Of this race are di-
vided into two polit.caI parties