The Chicago whip. (Chicago, Ill.) 1919-19??, 1919-10-04
Colored Men Seek
Political Equality
More Representatives Wanted;
Will Try to Gust Madden.

witness an organized movement by
the colored people of Chicago for rep
resentation of their own choosing on
national, state, county, and local gov
erning bodies. This does not mean
that colored politicians plan to GUST
white leaders who have stood faith
fully as their friends. One of the
main cogs in the city halls colored
machine on the South Side, Edward
Fl. Wright, who holds $1,000 a year
position in the corporation counsel's
office, declared today that there is no
united effort on the part of the lead
ers of his race to try to depose Con-.
gresham Martin B. Madden at next
years primaries, and send colored
man to congress from the first pre-
cinct of Chicago in his place.
But the colored voters intend to as
sert their right to a colored man on
the Republican county committee from
the Second ward. They expect, too, to
send three colored men to the consti-
tutional convention from the First and
Third districts.
What Negroes Want.
"What do the colored people want
politically in the First Congressional
district, where the bulk of those in
Chicago live, and Why" Assistant
Corporation Counsel Wright was ask
ed today.
"The Negro in the First Congress
sional district" replied Attorney
Wright, CONSTITUTES the backbone of
the Republican party and he desires
politically what any other element of
the American people desire under like
conditions. The Negro is a native
born American; he is 100 per cent
patriotic; he is intelligent and pro
gressive and his ambition is to reach
the status of absolute equality as an
American citizen.
I'VE feel that if we bear all the
burdens and responsibilities of citizen
ship we should be accorded all the
privileges that go with it. We want
no special privileges-and we want no
special handicaps.
In all matters in which the law
governs we demand the same rights
that other American citizens enjoy.
But there is often friction and bad
feeling between the Negro on the one
side and all other races on the other
because there is not a better under
standing between the antagonistic ele-
ments.
THAT a better understanding may
be brought about the Negro should be
represented in all bodies that have to
do with the shaping of policies under
which the people must live.
Should BE in All Bodies.
"He should be represented in con-
gress, in the legislature, in the coun-
Gil, in the governing committees Of the
political parties with which he affil-
iates.
at is unfortunate that the white
mans unreasoning prejudice (no mat
ter to what party he belongs) makes
it almost a necessity that the Negro
should have a preponderance of the
vote in certain territory or have at
least the balance of power between the
parties before he is given any politi-
cal recognition. This has a tendency
to compel the Negroes to draw racial
lines as a matter of self-protection.
This is all wrong on both sides.
1.-THE white man holds the solution
of this question in his hands. Not
having reached this desirable point,
the Negro naturally seeks to combine
his energies to achieve those things !
hat ought to be freely accorded to
MIN if he produces a man competent
and deserving Of preferment.
"The Negro Republicans of the Sec
ond ward believe that their people
should be represented in the Cook
county Republican committee. They |
believe that in the Second ward where
the Negro constitutes 30 per cent of
the Republican strength, they should
select a colored man, not because he
is colored, but because he is deserving
and capable as the head of the Re
publican organization, with a voice in
the management of the affairs of the
party.
"While many of the colored voters
believe that in the First Congressional
district an effort should be made to
send a Negro to congress, there are
many others who feel that Congress
man Martin B. Madden has been the |
one conspicuous member of congress |
who has stood up for the rights of
the Negro and they feel that common
justice requires that they make no