The Washington bee., 1912-03-30
NEGRO PREACHERS
VS..
PRESIDENT TAFT.


The appeal of the Negro preach
ers that was issued from the
Roosevelt headquarters and pub
lished in Fhe Bee of last week, has
called forth a letter to The Bee
from St. Charles, La. This appeal
d signed by men who denounced
President Roosevelt because he dis
charged those unfortunate colOred
soldiers who were alleged to have
taken part in the Brownsville,
Texas, riot a few years. ago. 1t
will be remembered that DR.. Cor
rothers, who is the chairman of the
committee on arrangements, was
the leading factor in the Negro
revolt against ex-President Roose-
velt, has now joined in a move
ment to have him nominated for
President over Mr.. Taft. Let us
review briefly this appeal. In this
appeal DR.. Corrothers and his sup
porters asks that Col Theodore
Roosevelt be given a chance, be-
cause he discharged the Negro
troops who were charged with hav-
ing blown up Brownsville, was
done in a haSty passion, while the
act of President Taft's, that IS, the
declaration of his Southern policy,
was deliberate. The Bee will ask
DR.. COrrotherS this question
When ex-President Roosevelt is
sued the order of dismissal of the
colored troops, did he not imme-
diately leave the country for Pan
anna? Did not Mr.. Taft, then Sec
retary of War, held up the order
Of dismissal to enable him to write
to Mr.. Roosevelt requesting a rev.
OcatiOn of the order of dismissal
Whose act was deliberate, the act
of Mr.. Taft or Mr.. Roosevelt?
Mr.. Taft, at the risk of being re-
buked and dismissed from the Cab
met, of his own volition, withheld
Mr.. ROosevelt's order until he
could be communicated with. What
was the result of the hold up? Mr..
Taft was rebuked by Mr.. ROose-
welt for not having carried out his
order of dismissal. The Bee must
confess that Air. Roosevelt was the
first to hold up to the Negroes of
this country the idea that a door
of hope and a square deal were to
be "iven TO them. But how much
of a square deal did they receive,
and what became of the door of
hope of which he so frequently
made mention? What has the
Southern Democrats held out or
offered the Negroes in the way of
bettering their condition and CON
trast-to the alleged declaration of
Mr.. Taft about Southern appoint
ments or his Southern policy. The
Bee is satisfied that the so-called
Southern policy of Mr.. Taft, if
there is a Southern policy, has not
appeased the wrath of Southern
Democracy. Then again. these
colored ministers say that they
want Mr.. Roosevelt. and i'll every
State in the South lily white Re
publiCans under the ROOSevelt-ban-
ner have repudiated Negro Repub-
licanS. Negro Republicans are not
invited to their councils. and neith-
er are they permitted to discuss
political issues with them. A few
weeks ago DR.. Corrothers and his
aAherentS were supporting the
Democratic party. and today he IS
associated with a Democratic jour
nal published in this city in the in
terest of the Democratic party
Does this new affiliati0n of DR.
Corrothers mean that he and hi;
supporters have joined hands with
the Democratic party and that Col
Roosevelt Is being backed by white
and Negro Democrats: The mos
amusing and the most ridiCulou;
thing on record today is the com
munication OF Mr.. r. L. Waring
better known as we See It. sen
to Ohio Republicans. A few
weeks ago he was Taft Republi
can, then he became progressive
Alter having been weighed in tn,
balance BY the Taft Republican
and found wanting, he then united