The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-08-29
THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PRO.
- JGRESSIVE CONVENTION
'.- 70. CHICAGO.
Makes. Statement
To The Vickersburg Evening Post in
Which He clearly Explains His
Views Or the Political Situation.

Shortly after his return to his
home at Vicksburg, Mr.. w. E. Mol
lison, a widely known colored law
yer who had been in attendance
upon the Progressive National con-
Vention at Chicago, had the fol-
lowing to say in the Evening Post
of that city:
Many inquiries have been
made and statements ventured that
the men who were not seated in
the late Progressive convention are
like Mohammed s coffin, suspended
tWlxt heaven and earth, not want
ed by the. Democrats, read out by
the Republican bosses and kicked
out by the Bull Moose. That state
ment is true only Of the first and
second of the two propositions.
Conditions have made the Negro
unnecessary to the Democratic par
ty in all the gulf states. The pri-
mary has eliminated the/black bro
ther tho the day when Lem Moore
as a Democratic member of the
Mississippi Legislature was a well
come member of the caucus in
which a Barksdale and Walthall
were candidates, and when his vote
came near being decisive of the
nominee Of the party. The Repub-
lican party Of Mississippi, purpose
ly kept of the baby size so that
the men in control may never have
trouble in managing it, does not
want any more than it has,, and in
fact was glad when the embryo
king bees left the hive. AS to the.
kicking out by the Bull Moose, :
there is nothing on which to base
any such statement as the papers
have featured. ..-.
"The truth is that Mississippi
is the only state in which there
was any question except Florida.
That state had both white and mix
ed thrown out. Mississippi was
the lone bone Of contention. Vir-
ginia and Georgia had not sent
other representatives than those
who were selected by the "provis-
ional' committeeman. Mississippi
had not behaved we'll in the Taft
convention. One Of it's colored
leaders had drawn the unenyiable
light of publicity about his head,
and it was covered with the sign
lof the dollar. And these dollars
had on them neither eagles to soar,
nor nightingales to sing, but the
croaking raven Of bribery. And al
so the man had misunderstood the
situation and boasted of the un-
happy handling of the Taft dol
lars, and forgot that Roosevelt s
name was untactfully connected
with the stick Of tar, and without
that 81 statesman s fault or knowled-
ge. And ahidavits Of Mississip-
plans that money had been offered
and refused, and the ugly boast of
thick-skinned ones that both sides
had been liberal, made Mississip-
plans persona non grata to a cam
paign which had for it's watch word
blazoned on every banner the com
mand from Sinai's craggy heights
! Thou shalt not steal. Another col
orcd man in Mississippi brought
the name into the limelight by de-
claring himself the National com
mittecman Of a party not even in
embryo; not thoroughly shaped in
the womb Of coming events. SO ali
in all, the high priests Of the new
Icult did not want these men who
were 50 much in unenviable evi
dence in the Taft convention with
the smell Of fire upon some anC
the brand of mendacity and boast
ing corruption upon others.
"MiSsissippi was not wanted il
the convention which met last Mon
day on the very scene Of the bat
tie Of month ago. If it must b.
represented then Senator Dixol
decided to have a brand new deal
and better have Mr.. Fridge though
his son made haste to disclaim an,
allegiance to the movement whicl
his distinguished father led.
"And then before the Provision
al Committee when the question o
Mississjppi's political life wa
hanging by a slender thread, on
Of the advocates of the white an