The Washington herald., 1914-07-19

does. dis Chicken Club was right to take
dis step and fIng TO de breeze de banner
Of Ge Possum party. All honsh to it.
an may cherry black man remember 1t
wild gratitude, CThunders OF applauseD
''Pze gwine back home tomorrer kase
Tze got my truck-patch TO see to. and
de ole woman hain't feelin' well. an as
walk along de road de white man will
say TO me: 'WaaL Uncle Jerry. how
bout de Posums? What yo' trifilin
darkies gwine to do in politics? Why
doan yo' stick TO cake-walks? (Hisses
and groansD And Pze gwine to draw
myself up an answer him dat in de last
ten years de black men of America hev
bin ingaged in de maxim of history fur
de world to read durin' de next thousand
vars (Cheers) From ocean to ocean
and from sea TO sea de drums hev bin
beatin' de bugles blowin' TO call 'em
together. De campaign has opened so hot
an dar has bin so much noise dat de
white man has overlooked sartin things.
Among these sartin things am de fact
dat a millyun or mo- black men hev got
votes dat weigh sixteen ounces to de
pound" (Many yells and cheers)
But, my chilren. it amt gwine to be
no coon-hunt. Yo's gwine to buck ag'in
de white man at cherry turn, an he's
gwine to try to play roots on yo' cherry
day in de week. CGroans) He's bin
runnin' dis kentry eber since II was dis
kivered He's bin bossin' around till II
will come mighty hard fur him to let go.
Doan' yo make de mistake OF tryin' to
grab a hull smokehouse to once. Naugh-
teri. Yo' Jest lay low like de possum.
Yo' doan' want TO put out no candydate
fur President Yo' doan' want to try
no game OF blum. Yo' jest want to
count noses an find out yo'r strength.
an den yo' kin send a man down TO
Washington or elsewhere to say De
black men OF America lubs his kentry
an reverences de constitushun. but how
many offices yo' gwine to glib him fur
milIvun yotes"' CVociferous applause).
''Yo' can't wash de black on yo'r faces
nor straighten de kinks out of yo'r hair,
but YOU can learn de white mans ways
Long ago he diskivered dat he could lub
his kentry an hold a fat Office at de
same time. Oells). He am ready to die
fur de Star-Spangled Banner. but am
also ready to draw from 5000 to $4,000
n var salary UaughteT). 1o' kin be
patriots an officeholders at de same time.
And yo' want to watch de white mans
actions and by guided by 'em. He amt
walkin' seben miles to see a circus. an
he amt lookIn for no rabbit tracks in
de back yard G.aughter). He's Jest got
his eye on de White House all de time,
a
Cwine of to baseball or a hoss-race.
Doan yo' git giddy an let him frow yo'
off de track. Dis won't be no var fur
cakewalks nor picnics. Dis won't be no
summer fur settin' on de fence an wait
in fur de bandwagon to come along
CSighs).
I tell yo', my chiII'en. dar's work to be
done-heaps an heaps of work, an IL yo'
doan' pitch in yo' am gwine to be lot of
disapp inted niggers. CCheers and laugh
teri.
OATS bout all rze got to say. No
body dun 'spected to h'ar me make much
Of a speech. NV best holt, as most OF 20
know, am putin up a powder dali cure
ChiIblains an keep de ghosts away, but
l dun felt to let yo' know how felt
bout dis possum party. CCheers for
Uncle jerry. Tze got to go hack home
an fuss wild my onions an cabbage an
stkng beans, an mebbe yo' won't see
me ag'in in speerlt, but yo' kin count on
me to de last"
The widest applause greeted the old
man as he picked up his hat and UNI
brella and retreated and the band struck
un De Old Coon's a Smart Coon" and
played with vigor. When the enthusiasm
had been checked it was found that
Claude De Haven was lying on his back
on the floor and Percy Knickerbocker
was mixed up with three chairs behind
the stove. Claude had a peanut in his
windpipe and Percy had let go of his
breath in one wild whoop and couldn't
catch 1t again. The patients were drag
Eed out to be recovered, and President
Springfoot came forward and dispersed
the remainder of the patriots.