The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-07
DIXIE NEGROES
MUST IMPROVE,
SAYS COLONEL
Declares Black Men of South
Not Up 10 the Standard Set
for Them by the
Progressives.
SOUTHERN STATES TO
HAVE FULL FREEDOM
Resolution Adopted by Con-
vention Interpreted to Mean
Primary Will Not Be
Imposed.

southern negro question, which
for a time threatened dissensiou
~ in the first convention OF the Pro-
sressive party. finally was dis
posed OF today when the convention,
without dissenting vote and without
discussion, adopted the report OF the
credentials committee unseating both
the white and negro delegates from
Florida and throwing out the negro dele
ga tes from Mississippi
Colonel Roosevelt during his "confes-
sion Of faith al the convention this
afternoon. was hechled by a spectator
who interrupted with the demand
What about the negro question:"
Instantly the convention was in an up
roar. but Colonel Roosevelt silenced those
of his friends who objected to the ques-
ton with the statement that no one
could ask him a question he was afraid
or
The colonel then proceeded at some
length to state his Views. He said he
hoped conditions might so improve in
the south that at future Progressive con-
ventions these states might send as dele
gates negroes who would have the char
acter and standing OF the negro delegates
from West Virginia. who, lie asserted.
were In those respects the equal Of their
while associates.
Southern States Free.
In taking the stand he did to bar the
negroes sent from the south contesting
delegates to the present convention,
Colonel Roosevelt asserted he was sitting
in advance conditions that had led to
the crushing disaster and death Of the
great Republican party ITSELF
| The report of the credentials commit
tee, unanimously adopted. contained a
resolution recognizing tho 'constitu
tional and inherent right OF each and
every state to determine the qualifica-
Lions and manner OF election OF It's dele
gates to national conventions"
This resolution was regarded as giving
| the southern states the right to choose
delegates as they pleased 1t also was
| interpreted as not imposing the direct
primary system upon any of the states.
Roosevelt's Position.
| the negro question, Colonel Roosevelt
said in part;
Any respectful requests for infor-
| n15tlO0 ] VIII Always nave HI dHSWef
for. and during my administration I
never did anything I was afraid to
| be questioned about, and / shall not
begin In the Progressive party.
i / think the American people Is
mighty good people TO lead and n
| mighty poor people to drive. think
| we can get the best results from our
fellow Americans in other sections
OF the country by treating them as
we expect them to treat us. and by
! ourselves living UP In our own homes
TO the principles that We profress.
From Democratic State.
In Republican national conven-
tions hitherto there has been large
representation OF colored men, all
from non-Repuhlican states. the vir-
] tue OF the Republicans OF the Re
nublcan states taking only the form
| of trying to make the Democratic
states be good, The colored dele
gates all came from the states that
never cast Republican electoral
vote, that never elected a co'ored
nan to office where largely owing
| TO the action participated In tor
forty-fiye years by the Republican
| party, the cuIorSu Hidn Hao, 90 q .
| matter OF fact, gradually lost all his
political rights.
So that the old policy OF attempt
ing TO impose on the southern states
from without, certain rule of con-
duct toward the negro has In fact
broken down; and, friends, I regret
| to say that every man who has ever
been To national convention knows
that the character OF the great ma
| iority OF the colored delegates from
the south, from tleose old rotten oor-
ough states, was such as TO reflect
discredit upon the Republican party
and upon the race Itself.
Bull Moose Remedy.
| Now, rs soon as the progressive
| party was formed I at once set about
as many other men In different states
did. securing from the northern states
| themselves an ample recognition of
the colored men. so that as mat
tor OF fact. thore Is In this conven-
tion representation from the Re-
| publican states Of colored men such
| as there never has boen anything
CONTINUED on Page Two.l