The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1910-10-20
THE NEGRO
In Politics is Discussed by
One of the Local
Preachers ca
az key;..- 8. p. Mest. !

The negro's place in politics. Now
we come to the most vital part Of our
ASbject We baye left out OF this
sar:es two VERY, interesting and help
I'll links, namely. THE Negro in sa-
cred H:stor8Y and The Negro in
.imerican History" and have jumped
to the concluding numbers in the fear
taat our motives might be impugned
or misunderstood, because 1t is gem
orally known that we do not always
agree In all things with those who are
our acknowledged leaders. as we ac-
cord availability only to Deity. THE
Negroes Place in Politics" there is
the subject for this paper and the
Others may follow later II time per-
mits.
And coming right down to our
Uni:sc States politics, we lay down
as our major proposition as we begin
his discussion: That the negro must
be found with his friends" Now, the
only question that remains to be
settled IS, Who are his frlends?. On
this point we must do Just as we have
done in showing the status of the
negro in the past. We must pass in
grand review the dotngs of the par
ties with which he has had to deal or
rather that has had to deal with him
in past years, namely, the Republican
and Democratic parties, the acknowl-
edged dominant parties in politics to-
day.
On this important point we find no
considerable trouble in keeping
straight the old negro. the man who
smelled the suAphurous vapors of the
Civil war and reconstruction days.
But It is the younger negro who has
only Just heard tell OF it who is in
clined to play loose and fast" so you
can never get line on him. 1t is
the same old story of the burnt child
dreading the fire" And while we
may disagree somewhat in municipal
affairs, It is the negro's duty and our
province in these papers to. take a
statewide and national view of this
part OF our subject The writer OF
these articles was living, and listening
and trembling when the battle joined
at Gettysburg and have been awake
and taking note of things from that
day until now. SO we speak as one
of the "old Guard" And there is no
way of judging the future ony by
the past. If these two parties stand
10 ranything in general principle they
are the same ESSENTIALLY as in other
years. II they are not the same then
the leaders ought, and we believe
would take down the name and put
up another better suited to their aims
and purposes.
Hence we assume and assert that
while the issues before our country
have changed with passing years, the
essential principles of the great par
ties are the same as they have ever
been.
Now, there are. as we see it. three
great principles in, or sides to, politics
Namely, social. moral and 1nan.
cial side. And while these overlap
and interlace, still sharp enough line.
can yet be drawn for practical discus.
sion. We take the national side first
and who we ask has been the
friend of the negro socially through
all the nifty years OF the existence
and contention OF the two great par.
ties. Who has stood for and who
against the higher status of the ne
gro? Somebody is about 10 say
chestnut" now we know, for the
want Of a better argument. hut ]
want to tell you It is red hot
chestnut. Go stand as we have stood
at the grave of Sumner and in imag-
ination hear him in nearly his last
words to Judge Hoar. Take care OF
my civil rights BILL" and then ASK
yourself which was the friend of the
negro then. the party of Preston
Brook or the party of Sumner?
But this story is written in history,
and the facts and statistics stand out
before the interested reader and he
can pursue them at his leisure or we
can give them at another time. But
this we wish to say, that we have
found that while the old proverb vox
populi vox die is not always true, vet
when the negro as other men are
given time to compare fact with fact
and party with party, will not be able
/, to see that Notwithstanding the impro-
prieties and even granted irregular
lities that may have crept into the
G. o. P. from time to time in mu-
inequalities or state or in the national
politics. One fact stands out clearly
to ali the world of observers, that on
the whole the Republican party has
given to the negro all the way long
the very best he and the country at
large has had socially, morally and
financially for half century. And
no party ought to be more severely
censured or vigorously dealt with than
this party If 1T resorts to questionable
means to accomplish its ends in reia-