The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-08-22
IN
PARTYIS
Rev. w. M. MAR In an Intimate Report on Progressive Con
vention at Chicago, Which he Attended, Says In Num-
Der of Ways 1t Created a New Record

and with evident satisfaction to his
hearers. Ben Lindsay of Denver, Jane
Adams of Chicago, Prof. Merriam OF
Chicago University, Prof. Lewis of
the University OF Pennsylvania, Pin
chot, Beveridge, johnson and Roose-
welt, were the leading lights of the
convention. Such an array OF ability
and character will certainly add
strength to the third party. Dixon
and Finn and Perkins were present,
but were not active in the proceed
ings. Our own governor was present
and had a seat on the platform. He
made one of the most efficient speech
es of all the ~seconding addresses,
short, vigorous and %euologistic, leav-
ing no one in doubt as to what he
thought of Roosevelt, for he declared
the ex-president to be the greatest
man in the whole world. The plat
form was read by Prof. Lewis of the
University of Pennsylvania. 1t is a
strong declaration, and called out
tremendous cheers at times"
The Negro Question.
"Will you tell the readers of The
Republican, Mr.. MAR, something
about R%oosevelt's attitude toward the
Southern negro delegates? This has
caused considerable discussion and
many are in doubt as to the real sit
uation."
Il am glad that you have asked
this question, and l shall answer it
plainly and honestly. l have been
surprised and panied many times at
the statements made by supposedly
rolioh1n nucp nnorc ON this very
question. Now, whether we believe
in a man and his party or not we
should be brave and honest enough
to tell the truth about him and his
statements, and this is not what
many editors are doing in discussing
Roosevelt's attitude toward the
Southern negro delegation. Most of
the statements that / nave seen are
either maliciously or ignorantly false
and if anyone will read Roosevelt's
letter and speech on this subject he
) will see how far short of truth the
l statement is when it is declared that
: Roosevelt wants negro delegates
: from the northern states but would
: have zone from the Southern states.
I That is not his attitude at all. | am
81 not pleading the cause of Roosevelt.
i | am not in politics. | am simply
stating the absolute truth when |
make the following explanation of
L this much discussed question. Here
are the facts. During the delivery of
his speech some one up in the gal
$ lery to the right of Roosevelt shout
$ ed: What about the Southern ne
q gro?'
:, Political Degenerates.
putting aside his prepared speech
= the speaker turned to the gallery and
in a half hours eNtemperaneous ad-
dress set forth his attitude toward
the Southern negro. Briefly explained
= it is this. For forty-five years the
republican party has distributed
- federal patronage in the South
a largely among the negroes, and as a
result hat party South of the Mason
y and DiXon's line has become a black
4 mans party. This policy has led to
the negro's political ~degeneracy. The
: type of Southern negro delegate to
national conventions has been most
undesirable, and, to use R~oosevelt's
exact language, such as to reflect
!; discredit upon the republican party
and upon the ace itself. He has
represented states that never cast .
/, republican electoral vote. He was
N SliOoCii dlu SiNCh u PluNS III SohNSh
!; lions simply because he held an APP
- pointive position under the govern.
ment and the party in power. His
:. vote has often been used to perpet'
uate dishonest men and disreputable
methods in Office and in party poll.
tics. Under the new party this sort
y of thing must stop, for it makes its
Il appeal for support in the south tC
l. the intelligence, character and rea
progressive spirit of both black an(
a and white, and whenever in a regu'
lar and legal manner delegates are
, chosen to national conventions they
Will be accepted whether white OF
black. In short, the old time meth.
DDS of choosing negro delegates in
the southern states, based on the
fact that they are oficeholders, ir
respective of character and intelli.
gence. will be abandoned and the
type of negro worthy the confidence
! and support of the white MAJ as wei.
as the black will be chosen. The
negroes fitness as a delegate will de.
y pend on the respect, confidence anc
" support he receives from the voters
u of the district he represents and no
u upon the fact that he has received
70 a political plum from the federal go
vernment, That is Roosevelt's at
Z titude towards the negro delegate
= from the south, and the fact thai
e Tennessee, Maryland and West Vir
y ginia had negro delegates in the con
vention while he was speaking i.
sufficient evidence to convince an.
right minded person that many state
ments in the newspapers about his
lily white delegates is false. These
= delegates were chosen by the votes o,
- both white and black men, and no
: because they We're the beneticiaries
y of federal patronage. / say these
things because the question above
has been asked. and for the sake o.
- truth and justice. The fairness O
: the proposition outlined I shall 40
discuss. This is R%oosevelt's attitude
= and whether 1t is right or wrong ]
leave to the readers w judgment
s What of the Outcome?
"What do Won think the prOsnect