The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-08-15

| w III VI N>t We nave put inc
: third party upon a solid working
basis. Whatever the outcome of
the campaign, we start with the
conVlctlcn that we are heading the
right way.'
In these words Colonel Roosevelt
alluded today to the Progressive
party ;lS man for untaintcd poll
ties.
Admitting that the party faced
momtntary crisis in Chicago over
the Negro problem, the ex-Presi
dent observed that the obstacles
facing the leaders had been over,
come in a way to inspire confidence
for the future.
IL felt that the time had come to,
put a party in the field that was,
unsullicd by the faint CT the vicious
selfish type of .Negro,' said the
Colonel. "When | got to Chicago I.
found that we were on the verge
lot the breaking point because or
the stand | had taken.
Il WAS advised by some of the,
supporters III the third party cause:
linen who had come with us for,
our work in the social and econ.
omcal phases of it-that it was
wrong tc attempt any dimrimina-i
ton against the Ncgro.r',N
ITO these welI-mcaning people
| replied that the new party had to
face the problem of holding out
against the type Of Negro."who
stood Tor nothing in our political
life but selfish office seeking, who
/ Fastened himself to a party for
what he could get cut of it. They
told me that if | attempted to shut
out the Southern Negro from our
convention we would be making a
I local issue Of the race problem,
which they considered wrong.
"Thcy argued that 'Abraham
Lincoln had made the race issue a
national one, whereupon | replied ::
Nc, YOU are wrong. Abraham Lin
coin made it Il local issue in refus-
ing to take any stand as to individ-
ual states. He applied the broad
prlnclplc, but left it to the states
to decide what to do about it,. in
exactly the same words | told them
I'VE were to leave it to the Southern
States; as our party advanced, to
determine what Negroes ought TO
be allowed in and whom we were
to exclude.
cit was no easy matter to con.
iVlnce them to my way. | insisted
that the matter must be thrcshcd
out cn the spot and not left as a
ghost to come up later. If we
failed to purify our party at the
start and let the country know our
position I maintained that we
would be making fatal mistake.
" After serious conferences thepc
in Chicago those who had opposed
ne came to SOC that ! was right.
and we took solid stand in the
!, convention. The break that threat
ened was avcrtcd Now we have a
party that, unlike the other parties,
has Il well-defincd attitude for de-
Icency in politics.
cit may be that the stand we
took Will cost us some votes among
certain Of the Negroes in the South,
but we are sure to attract to our
cause men who believe that the
Negro can best be helped by put
ting him on his honor and upon his
Town footing.
! "Thc Democratic and Rcpub-
lican parties arc in false position
respecting the Negro. They did not
dare Go what the Progressive party
did and what every man who loves
dcccncy in political life knows we
are striving to attain.
" IN the stand have taken !
have followed cut my theory Of
what d leader should do. Mr.. Taft
is not a leader; Mr.. WILSON is not
a leader. ] felt that, as the leader
Of the third party, ! must take the
initiative IN the Negro problem.
and / did it. If ! had Shrank from
lit | would consider mysclflacking
the courage that a leader must
fshCW.
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