The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-07
Adopt Report Unseating
Both White and Negro
Florida Delegates
THROW OUT NEGROES
FROM MISSISSIPPI
Colonel Delivers Long Speech Stating
His Views on Negro Question.
Harris Letter Is Distributed
Among the Delegates


Chicago. August 6-The troublesome
southern negro question, which for 9
time threatened dissension in the first con-
vention of the national progressive party
finally was disposed of today when the
convention. without dissenting voics
/ and without discussion, adopted the re-
port of the credentials committee, unseat-
ing both the white and negro delegates
from Florida and throwing out the negro
delegates from Mississippi.
Colonel Roosevelt during his "confes-
sion OF faith was heclsled by a specta-
tor who interrupted him with the demand;
What about the negro question:
Instantly the convention was in an up
roar. but Colonel Roosevelt silenced those
who objected to the question with the
statement that no one could ask him a
question he was afraid Of
| The colonel then proceeded at soma
length to state his views on the negro
question. He declared he hoped condi-
tions might so improve in the south that
at future progressive conventions those
II states might StIu dS dcltStlco hthiOCn
who would have the character and stand
ing of the negro delegates from West
Virginia, who he asserted were I'm those
respects, the equal of their white as
sociates.
In taking the stand he did Colonel
Roosevelt asserted he was sitting, In
advance. conditions which had led to
the crushing disaster and death of the
great republican party ITSELF
The report of the credentials commit
tee. unanimously adopted, contained a
resolution recognizing the inherent right
of each and every state to determine
the qualifications and manner Of cleo
tlon Of its delegates to national eonven
| tions."
This resolution was regarded as Civ
| ing the southern states the right to choose
delegates as they pleased. It was also
| interpreted as not imposing the direct
primary system upon any state partici-
pating In the convention of the new
party.
Harris Letter Again
| In replying to the interruption as 20
! the negro question, Colonel Roosevelt
said:
ANY respectful requests for informa-
ton l will always have an answer for,
and during my administration | never
did anything | was afraid to be ques- :
toned about and l shall not begin in
the progressive party
There has been distributed here a let
ter which | wrote to Mr.. Julian Harris
| three or four days ago. In that let
ter / set forth my views and the rea-
sons back of my views in detail and 1
think, with clearness that will prevent
any misapprehension; put | can give you
by example just what mean by the pol
icy | am advocating.
II think the American people is a
mighty good people to lead and mighty
poor people to drive. think we can
get the best results from our fellow Amer
leans in other sections of the country by
treating them as we expect them to treat
US and by ourselves living up In our home
to the principles that we profess.
I'm republican national conventions.
hitherto, there has been large represen-
tation of colored men. all from non-re-
publican states, the virtue of the republic
cans of the republican states taking only
the form of trying to make the demo-
| cratic states be good Do you see what L
mean? The colored delegates all came
| from. the states that never cast re-
publican electoral vote, that never elected
a colored man to office, where largely
| owing to the action participated In for
As years by the republican party the col
ored man has gradually lost all of his
political rights. SO that the old policy of
attempting to impose on the southern
states from without a certain rule of con-
duct toward the negro has in fact broken
down: and. friends. l regret to say that
every man who has ever been to a ma
tional convention knows that the charae-
ter of the great majority of the colored
delegates from the south, from those old
rotten borough states, was such as to re-
fleet diseredit upon the republican party
and upon the race itself. CApplause)
Good Negro Delegation
Now, as soon as the progressive party
was formed I at once set about, as many
men in other states did, securing from
the northern states themselves an ample
recognition of the colored man in the
states so that as a matter of fact there
Is in this convention a representation
from the republican states Of colored men
such as there never has been anything
like before in any convention In the
country. tapplause) and more than that.
representation of colored men, who in
point Of character, Intelligence and good
citizenship, stand on an exact equality
with any of the whites among whom
they stand. tApplause)
| Just before | began my speech, you
may remember that there was good
deal doing-( laughter)-two colored dele
gates from West Virginia came up to
shake hands with me- do not know
their names One is the state librarian
of West Virginia; one is colored bust
ness man from West Virginia who had
never taken any great interest in politics
before. Never before has West Virginia
sent two coIored delegates TO nation>4
convention and the eolored delegates, ii
sent are in character and standing the
peers of the white delegates from that
state.
The Northern Negroes
Now, we sent delegates from New
York. colored delegates; we sent colored
delegates from Rhode Island Do you
think Rhode Island or West Virginia or
New York would have sent them II they
had been told they had to? They wouldn't
have. You had 70. let the movement come
from within.
.Front Maryland and roapsylvania you
have dAlegates; yes, and NV Jersey
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