The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-11-03
A CALL TO DUTY,
A STRONG APPEAL FROM OUR
OLD WARRIOR, DIR. PHILLIPS
OF KEOKUK.

Vt hEOAUh
To. the Editor of the Bystander:
We have tried to be fair in this po-
litical campaign. We did not want to
worry ourselves about state or nation
al ticket, for we really thought that
every loyal Negro Of the U. S. really
had enough of Wilson, the weather
cock president, the father and promot-
er Of segregation, the man who has
Idone only the one thing that the
American people can point to, and
tha tbs to segregate the Negro in all
departments of the government. He
and his party with their rebel yell,
"Segregate the Negro"
Now don't understand me to say
that all democrats were rebels, but I
do say that all rebels were democrats,
and southern confederacy is in full
control of the government. Every
important committee of the house
and senate is headed by southerner,
and their motto is, "No Negro need
apply" He must be jim crowed at all
cost, and think of it, the president Of
a country like this to allow himself to
stoop so low to smother helpless
people who are loyal to their country,
and are always ready to answer the
nations call. Well just stop here and
say that he is too little to do big
thing. Let us take up state politics.
Now, Mr.. Editor, see by some Of the
papers that Mr.. Harding has got to be
a scapegoat for introducing some bill.
Strange that the poor unfortunate
. Negro had no one to champion his
cause before this. Harding was not
my man for governor. I worked at
the primary to defeat him, but the
voice of the republican party said
Harding. am republican and don't
tbelieve in stabbing in the back or hit
ting below the belt, and pity the men
or men that 60 into convention, and
because they are defeated sling mud
at the successful candidate. Every
loyal republican ought to support
Harding, most especially the Negro,
for the party behind Harding is more
to be trusted than all the other par
ties combined, so far as the Negro is
concerned. Where did the prohibition
party get it's prestige in the state of
Iowa; from the republican party.
There is nothing wro~~ in prohibition
when it's really fougus5 upon the line
of justice to all men, yut, my brother,
have they ever taken up case in de-
tense of the Negro unless there was
an ak to grind. Who is the father of
segregation, and discrimination, jim
Growing and the grandfather's clause?
The democratic party, of course, and
yet they expect us to play the dog,
to lick the hand that beat us. No, u
thousand times no. Hughes, Harding
and every republican candidate for
congress ought to receive the Negroes
support I have been Informed by a
reliable attorney of this state that this
Harding bill was all buncomb, but the
honorable attorneys, Brown, Thomp-
son and Woodson, the watch dogs of
the Negroes of Iowa, happened to be
on the ground and defeated it and that
bill has never been heard of since, un-
til Harding came out for governor,
for political prestige only. Put your
ear to the ground and listen, and don't
be mistaken. Hughes and Harding
will be elected and two more startling
events will follow-women will vote
and whisky will 60.
T. H. Phillips.