The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-16


rupt methods. All the political driftwood
that can find a favorable current is stacking
up against the convention. The thing is
openly venal, openly avaricious. Never was
politics so practical and explanatory at one
and the same time
q To add to the Disgrace the political neces-
stiles of the moment have brought back into
the limelight what had been considered the
vanished type of the black brother from
the South In times past the negro politi-
ician lived the intervening four years between
conventions on the money be received for at
tending one convention. His purchase was
an admitted matter of barter and sale Never
a slave in the most thrillingly inaccurate of
onte-betIana romances was ever more frankly
up at auction than the Southern Repub-
lican delegate. Constitutional amendments
and the Lilly White" movement left great
many political Othellos with occupation gone.
l. remained for Roosevelts ambition to bring
them back as prominent factors in the four
year drama OF the Republican convention,
Writing from Chicago, staff correspondent OF
the baltimore Sun says:
This has been the season of the negro poll
tician. Never before in Republican conven-
ton, perhaps, has the colored brother en-
ioyed the importance which the Roosevelt con-
tests are now giving him. He attended con-
ventions in greater number in reconstruction
days but he attended then merely as the tool
of carpet baggers." Here he Is an actual
political entity.
From the day contest cases were called py
the committee the huge reception room of tnat
body has been filed with the blacks and tans II
is hard to say which hue has been in majority.
Put them altogether, and they have at ali
times outnumbered their white associates IN
the party. They are in the hotel loboles' Oh
course and they are found seated on the same
Fcouches with white politicians around the Two
big headquarters. They are everywhere.
vast majority OF the Southern contestants
are negroes The whole contesting delegation
from Virginia Is of the black race. Most OF
the Floridans and more than half OF the
T,ouisianians in the contest list colored
while perhaps two-thirds of the Mississippi dis
senters are OF the same class. But few or the
Georgians. Alahamans and North Carolinians
are negroes, and there are no negroes among
the Tennesseans.
Aside from the black contest1k.es, there are
already scores of prominent" coored politi
clans. some OF whom came to advise with one
or the other of the campaign managers about
how TO influence their fellow-citizens. These
are of the class that hang around the head
quarters by the hour and who engage in long
confidential conversations with the white poll
ticans. They always be found in the CEN
ter OF any conference and can always be de-
pended upon to talk voluoly IL given the
chance.
It has long been the professed dream Of
prominent Republicans to overcome the ma
tural prejudice against their party in the
South. Roosevelt talks OF breaking" the
record of generation. But such a hope
will never be more tangible than a dream. so
long as thers remains the constant tempta-
tion to bring into political prominence an ele-
ment that Is not only discreditable as repre-
senting the South, bat which tants with
suspicion the most important political func-
ton which the Nation whole has to per-
form. Personally, we think that there is
enough virility inside the Democratic party
to negative the danger of party dig
archy in the Southern States. But we hope
we are broad enough even to welcome a
strengthened Republication in the South In
the interest of political integrity In the poll
tics of the country az a whole
After Mr.. Taft and Colonel Roosevelt
shall have fought 1t out to the finish OF slush
and all the other more subtle brides which go
to proclaim Republican politics a card game
where the victory goes TO the shrewdest deal
err, IT would be matter for National eongratala-
tlon IL the convention should adopt the only
rule which under the circumstances can
make for business in its decisions, and ap-
portion the strength OF delegations from the
States in accordance with thu votes cast in the
preceding election. To- contSnas to. give to
the venal or ignorant minority OF Southern
delegates a decisive voice IN great national
convention is to perpetuate a crime which
not even the defeat Of Roosevelt can palliate.
COURAGE
ITO him who hath shall be given, runs the
Pa rable, "and from him that hath not shall be