The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-08-22
SURPRISE IN
PARTYIS
Rev. w. M. Mair 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 Roosevelts attitude toward the
Southern negro delegates? This has
caused considerable discussion and
! many are in doubt as to the real sit
uation."
II am glad that you have asked
5 this question, and l shall answer it
plainly and honestly. l have been
surprised and panied many times at
the statements made by supposedly
, reliable newspapers On this very
4 question. Now, whether we believe
! in a man and his party or not we
should be brave and honest enough
e to tell the truth about him and his
4 statements, and this is not what
: many editors are doing in discussing
i Roosevelt's attitude toward the
Southern negro delegation. Most of
the statements that / have seen are
either maliciously or %ignorantly false
. and if anyone will read Rooseveltts
q letter and speech on this subject he
S will see how far short of truth the
statement is when it is declared that
Z Roosevelt wants negro delegates
: from the northern states but would
have none from the Southern states.
u That is not his attitude at all. l am
IS, not pleading the cause of Roosevelt
q | am not in politics. | am simply
e stating the absolute truth when l
make the following explanation OF
this much discussed question. Here
are the facts. During the delivery OF
his speech some one up in the gal
is lery to the right of Roosevelt shout
IS ed: What about the Southern ne
"a gro?'
Political ~Degenerates.
putting aside his prepared speech
the speaker turned to the gallery and
~ in a half hours eXtemperaneous ad-
dress set forth his attitude toward
the Southern negro. Briefly explained
~ it is this. For forty-five a the
y republican party has distributed
~ federal patronage in the South
y. largely among the negroes, and as {
~ result that party South of the Masor
and DiXon's line has become a blacl
u mans party. This policy has led te
~. the negro's political degeneracy. The
type of Southern negro delegate tt
~ national conventions has been mos
W undesirable, and, to use Roosevelt
AZ exact language, such as to reiec
~ discredit upon the republican part.
and Upon the race itself. He hat
~, represented states that never cast
:. republican electoral vote. He wa
~ chosen and given d place in conven
lions simply because he held an APP
- pointive position under the govern
~ ment n the party in power. Hi
vote has often been used to perpet
y uate dishonest men and ~disreputabl
- methods in office and in party poll
=. tics. Under the new party this sor
~ Of thing must stop, for it makes it
"a appeal for support in the south t,
the intelligence, character and rea
progressive spirit of both black an
"a and white, and whenever in a regu
lar and legal manner delegates ar
~ chosen to national conventions the
Will be accepted whether white o
black. In short, the old time meth
VI: DDS of choosing negro delegates i
the southern states, based on tn
fact that they are oticeholders, il
respective of character and intelli
us gence, will be abandoned and tn
OF type of negro worthy the contidenc
. ID and support of the white man as wei
IT. as the black will be chosen. TIL
,h- negroes fitness as a delegate will de
ne pend on the respect, confidence an
as support he receives from the voter
of the district he represents and no
an upon the fact that he has receive
as a political plum from the federal &c
vernment. That is Roosevelt's al
~ titude towards the negro delegat
Le from the south, and the fact tina
ne Tennessee, Maryland and West Vii
ny ginia had negro delegates in the COL
vention while he was speaking
% sufficient evidence to convince an
~ right minded person that many state
" ments in the newspapers about hi
w. lilly white delegates is false. Thes
e delegates were chosen by the votes @
VI both white and black men. and NO
because they were the beneticiarie
10 of federal patronage. | say thes
~; things because the question abov
~ has been asked, and for the sake O
US truth and justice. The fairness O
l.s the proposition outlined I shall 10
~ discuss. This is Roosevelt's attitud
nd Ianro ta tha ,a.dor,s ,dn W.
nc What of the Outcome?
st what do you think the prospec