Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-08

Of my views in detail, and I think with
q dearness that will prevent any mis-.
apprehension: but I can give you by
example Just what I mean by the policy
I am advocating"
After making the m that under
the rotten borough system. many negru
delegates from southern States al 70.
publican conventions have reflected dis.
credit upon h Republican party, Colonel
Roosevelt cited two present instances OF
improved conditions.
SHOOK HANDS WITH NEGRoEs
Just before I began my Speech he
said. you may remember that there was
a good deal doing O%aughter). two col6red
delegates from West Virginia came up
to shake hands with me. I do not know
their names. Ono is the State librarian
Of West Virginia; one IL a colored bust
ness man from West Virginia who had
never taken any great interest in politics
before. Never before has West Virginia
sent two colored delegates to a national
convention and the colored delegates II
sent are In character and standing the
peers Of the white delegates from that
State.
NOW VIC Sent AGOm wow
York. colorei delegates; we sent COL
orAd delegates from Rhode Island.
They sent them. Do you think Rhode
island or West Virginia or New York
would have sent them II they had been
told they had to. They would not
have. You had to let the movement
come from within.
From Maryland and Pennsylvania,
! you have delegates; yes ana New Jer-
sey. From Maryland ana West vir-
| ginia there have come to this con.
vention colored delegates sent because
they represent an element OF colored
! men who have won the esteem and re.
| spect Of their white neighbors so that
all the honest and decent men car
| Join in sending the delegates of both
colors; and they send them here hon
estly and send them here OF their owr
free will. That is what we progress.
gives have finally succee iei in ioins
In the North.
THERE WAS AN EASIER WAY.
II o to take toward tae
southern States the exact attitude
that we took toward West Virginia
ana Maryland and I believe in adopt
ing thai action we shall naturally
and spontaneously see from thos
! southern States the repetition Of the
conditions In West Virginia and Mary
land, 80 tina in future progressive
national conventions you will see col
pred delegates come from the south
ern fulf States precisely as they no"
come from West Virginia ana from
Maryland"
Now, friends" Colonel Roosevelt
concluded. the easy thing for pe u
have done in this matter. II 1 had beer
Interested only in my own politica
advancement, was to have repeated the
dreadful plumbers made for so many
years by the Republican party; to have
uttered insincere platitudes about the
black man and kept him out Of the
northern delegations and brought hin
In from the South as a cheap method
Of paying any obligation to him. THAI
might have helped me; II would have
helped me with those people who accep'
fine phrases as a substitute for homes
faction. 1t would have driven dowr
still further the black man OF the
South. It would have kept the white
men Of the South solidifed in ar
angry. vindictive. defensive alliance
against any party that did Justice t.
the negro; and II would have sowr
the seeds at the outset In this Progress
sive party, the seeds Of dissolution
which we saw blossom into perfec
flower In the republican convention II
this city six weeks ago"