Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-02-15
' EDITOR TAFT vs.. PRESIDENT
TAFT.

Now that William Howard Taft
1aS h"ronl" 4 writer of editorial arti.
clos for newspapers. We feel that.
within strictly professional limits. We
ar" at liberty to deal with him even
though Il former President. rs we
might with any other brother.
Editor Taft was rs &trrnuou&lv
opposed TO tho National Prohibition
Amendment as any Of Us But We
now find that our learned Journalistic
conir"r" accepts tire situation and
ho"1u&" the amrndmrl gives Con-
gross full power to deal with the
drink question, cXhorts his fellow.
"itjl"nS to fall in line with the OK.
tr"m" frohihitioniSts and do every
thin" IL thrr power to make the
crusade Il success.
"Althou%h hrEonrs should be by
cones. WE canot help recalling the
fact that from March 4. 1909. to
March 1. 1913. our esteemed contrm-
r"rary WAS President Of the United
StairS As such he was bound by an
oath TO the best of his ability to
preserve, protect and defend the
CONSTITUTION OF the United States
If he ever spoke Il word or performed
;Hn oiicial act during his term Of
oii'cc that was calculated in any way
10 enforce the Fourteenth and Eff
t""nth Amendments ms to the rights
OF Negroes, where are we to look for
the record?
"Prohihition in the Constitution is
no more $rli.cnforring than citizen
ship for black men. When Editor
Tart asks everybody to do for Pro.
hihition what President Taft failed
IN nc
I"n$. he will pardon us If we thus
refer to thn files"
Not only did Mr. Taft, and The
World might have said this. fail to
uphold the amendments referred TO
but he. also. when he WAS Secretary
OF War under Roosevelt and aspiring
for TIL" nomination for President,
went to Greensboro, n G. and made
II speech that was intended as a
message to the South. that hc would
not Interfere with disfranchiscmcnt
| was accepted as such.
There WAS no misunderstanding OF
it 10y the Southern POLITICAL autocracv
which, under Roosevelt. had Fastened
inns system OF minority domination
upon tn" white masses and had rel
":='t"d to a status Of political slavery
all the colorod people,
Despite these truths there WAS
well ollrd propaganda put in motion
In the East months ago, to bring
about the nomination OF Roosevelt
Tor President, and since the death
ol Roosevelt there are some who are
trying out" Mr.. Taft. The money
band or New York was set upon nom
mating Roosevelt Every sort OF
pnhlrltN promotion was in action
organization WAS perfected "Man
proposes, but God iisposcs."
New York city hardly has the qual
ity Of Republican leadership that isl
III I" lead Lincoln Rrpublicanism
TAcr" is, for example its record in
tn" Mayorality campaign last year
TIL" money band was sci upon the
reelection OF MITCHELL Mr. Mitchell
Il Democrat. was entered in the RE-
publican primar c&. Mr.. Bennett, u
Republican opposed him
Th" Republican machine was dom
mated by the money band and the
result WAS that Bennett Was counted
ont. An invest cation fol owed and
tn" frauds overturned and the Re
publican nomination given to Ben
nett \ half hundred election in
Sn"rtor@ sent to Jail. The courts.
however. only got and only Jailed the
tools Of tn" political crooks h rhur
rp THESE crooks ! refer 10 are tho
hrnUhjcln leaders OF New York. vino
in@',""l"d this rtsra'ity at the hrhrSt
OF tie molcy band.
Mitchell ran as an independent !
over &".nnn 600 was spent to cor
rupt the electorate. but il failed to
r4-"3"ct Mitchell The ror1hlican !
m1chin" supported Mitchell. II
holtrd the nominee OF the Rcuuhl can
primary. Roosevelt supported Mitch
ell. This WAS not surprising. He ;
had elected Wi son President by bolt !
ing the Republican Party in 1912. /
~" began 10 wreck the party in 1905 .
ny forcing the nomination Of Taft
with tn" St"""" roller tact 'cS. which
medicine was applied by the Taft
supporters to Roosevelt in 1912.
Roosevelt and Taft both stood by
and saw the Southern political oil .
garchy lynch the liberty principles |
Of the United States Constitution in :.
the Southern States They. each OF
them, failed to uphold democracy at