The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-07-18
DELUDING THE PRESIDENT.

A news item with a Washington, D.
c., date line, says:
Negro Republican leaders from diff
ferent paris Of the country called on
the President today to assure him that
the Negroes Of the country will stand
faithful to their traditions in support
of the Republican candidate for Pres
ident The visitors were George w.
Hayes, of Cincinnati; w. T. Francis,
st. Paul; Harry S. Cummins, Balti-
more; John S. Noel, West Virginia;
William Driskell, Georgia; B. ]. Davis.
Georgia; w. II. Houston, District of
Columbia, and Henry Lincoln Johnson,
recorder Of Deeds of the District.
Delegates to the National Civil Polit-
1cal League, in session in the city
were received by the President this
afternoon. They also assured the
President that the Negroes of the
country are with and for him."
AS The Advocate has had occasion
to remark once before when body of
officious Negroes hed themselves 20
the White House on a similar mission.
it's strange to what ends some folks
will go to gain entrance into the Exec
utive Mansion. Knowing that a prof
fer of the support of themselves and
or the Negro race is always an open
sesame, not a delegation of officers Of
Negro fraternal society which passes
through or meets in the National Cap
ital seems to be able to resist the
temptation to assure somebody that
1.-THE Negroes of tn" country will stand
faithful to their traditions in support
OF the Republican candidate for Pres
ident"
And who are these gentlemen so
cocksure that "the Negroes will stand
faithful to their traditions? Ben Da-
Wis, indicted, according to Golfers
Weekly, for stealing whiskey while he
was serving as an internal reverSc
officer, who escapes trial because Of
his usefulness to the Georgia Repu5-
lcan machine; Henry Lincoln John
son. who helped to manipulate the
conventions in Georgia for Preside,
Aaft-bo.n from a state in which Ne
groes ar disfranch:sed; w. II. Hous-
ton, OF the District of Columbia, whose
ninety thousand Negroes have as much
voice in the election of a President as
a FIJI Islander. Then there are w.
T. Francis, coming from Minnesota
with not enough Negro voters to form
a regiment, and John S. Noel, Harry
Cummings and George w. HAYES.
These last three are the only ones
whose assurance of support is worth
a picayume, and their assurance is
given weight here simply because they
are residents of states IN which the
Negro vote is an appreciable factor.
But passing over the question of
whether any or all of these gentlemen
EEL are really SO situated as to assure or
not to assure Mr.. Taft of the Negroes
support, the occasion Of their assemb-
ling In Washington is significant. Each
is member of the sub committee of
management Of the Grand United Or
der of Odd Fellows which met a few
days before in Philadelphia to close
up IT'S business prior to the September
meeting of the Order in Atlanta, and
to ratfy the JOhnsOn-Davis ticket for
Grand officers. Davis, who is backed
by Deputy Grand Master Johnson, IS
slated for Grand Master, and each Of
the others will be retained in the posi-
ton NOW held by him or elevated, if
he stands by Davis and Johnson. John.
son is Recorder of Deeds for the Dis.
trict Of Columbia, and feels thai he
must not let an opportunity pass BY
- to Show the President that he (John
SOM has influence with his people
what was easier than his issuing or
GERS to his dependents to join him il
assuring the crcdulous Mr.. Taft of tn,
! support of the race? All he had !,
T do was to pull the strings Failure t
move on the part Of any one Of tn
4 lay figures meant their annihilatio1
! as leading factors in ODD Fellowship
.s... ---o-a-e-