Evening journal., 1915-02-25

Wilmington, Del, Feb. "a. 1915.
NEGRO WOMEN AND THE RALL0r


To the Editor of THE EVENING
JOURNAL:
Sir-Allow me through the col
umns of your paper 10 point out the
insult and injustice that was offered
TO the cOlOred women of this state
in an editorial that appeared in the
Every Evening of Thursday last. The
author of the article attempted to
show why the proposed amendment
to the State constitution may not be
voted on favorably by the Democratic
part Of the House. He stated and
perhaps truly, that the amendment
will add 10000 votes to the voting
strength of the State. through the
colored women OF voting age, but he
adds, "all the negro women with rare
exceptions would solidly support the
/ Republican party and It's candidates. -
In this statement the editorial seems
TO present the reasoning Of an ostrich
that sticks its head in the desert sand
and concludes that because IL can
not see the gunman. therefore the
gunman cannot see H. The state
mcnt either shows the ignorance of
| the writer or 10 proves a deliberate
| attempt TO offer an insult 10 the in
! telligenco of The cOlOred women. In
/ the first place IL is not true thGt the
negro man has "unthinkably and sol
/ idly supported the Republican party
and its candidates. and even IL that
! be true, Il does not necessarily follow
! that 10000 colored women with a
high percentage of intelligence and
/ good judgment will do the same.
II is not true that mo matter what
the issues or the character of some
candidates on the Republican ticket
may be, the solid negro vote may be
depended upon every election" Il
is scarcely possible to imagine what
the negro man will do with his vote
these days and no man can say what
q woman will do with her vote. Per-
haps the writer of the editorial knows
more about the uncertainty of women
~ general than I do, and ! am safe
in saying q think that the colored
women do not differ so very widely
| from other women. Where has he
/ obtained the great knowledge Of negro
] women to know what they will 10
with their votes on all occasions and
on all issues. Does he conclude that
I the cOlored women will vote the Re
I publican ticket because the cOlored
men vote il largely? Well. he has
J erred, because the colored man has
/ seen tit as late as the last Presidon-
/ tial election TO vote for him whom
they thought represented manhood
4 Justice and right. They the negroes
knew that the candidate was identi-
fed with a party other than the Re
{. publican party nevertheless they will
ingly gave him their vote. and they
the negroes, will cast their vote
against a man who comes forward "a
/ represent these ideals regardless OF
I party. And what is true of the col.
I ored man is no less true of the col
ored woman She Is a thinking anc
a reasonable being, and her intclli.
gcnce is as high as that of any other
face of women. and her vote will bS
d. cast in accordance with her intellect
her reason and her experience. Tt
1 presume that she will do less is Il
offer her an insult with must be re-
i sented She. the cOlored woman. has
kept up with the affairs with whics
- she is surrounded She is ambition.
S that the nation and government o
which she Is part shall obtain tho
] services of the finest and best mar
- for the offices that are available ant
I She will do her best to bring this
- about To say therefore. that sh,
p will vote for the Republican party re
o gardless of the character and Qualif
cations of the men is TO presume
O that her Intelligence. her interest ant
IS her desire for Justice and righteous
d ness will not i'm any way move an
ai control her.
di But then, suppose the cOlored ma
.ei has voted for party and suppose IN
N 10000 women give their vote TO IN
ID party. Why do they give the vote
iel X is because as party the colore
man has received at least a parti,
recognition from il. All men seem {
: make an attempt TO secure somethin
:, that is Of benefit TO them II the n,
| gro vote has benefited the Repuhl
can party and if 10000 women's vote
viii further strengthen that part,
and if the Democratic party need
| these votes-and q does-why doe
| The party not strive 10 recognize m
/ negro as what he knows him 10 be
man. Why should they. With ma
= ice. prejudice and evil intention. striv