Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-27
.Illv whltei.m" Revived.

The barring Of the Negro voters from
the Republican meeting announced to
be held at Dover, thus evening, is but a
revival of the lilly Whiteisn' in Della
ware, which everybody had th ought was
banished for all time and the blacks placed
ON an equality with their white partisan
friends for few days during the closing
period of the campaigns. To separate the
Negroes, Just at this time, shows a daring,
OF an ignorance, that must be reflected IN
the vote pollcd for the G. o. P. on election
day.
This ban on the blacks is the rankest
type of politlcal ingratitude, for werc IT
not for the Negro voters the Republican
party would not have enough Of chance
to carry an election in Delaware or to war
rant keeping the organization intact. The
G. o. z. has been enabled to get into power
through the Negro vote, which it has kept
intact largely through purchase at fixed
market price on spot cash terms, and the
white voters have tolerated the presence
of the blacks at Republican clubs, the
headquarters of the party, where the votes
were bargaincd and finally paid, but 1T
would not be surprising that the next
step would be to keep these sable-hued
Republicans apart from the sheep en-
tirely.
Even the Southern States, where per-
sonal contact with the blacks ia taboo,
Republicans have dropped their Lily
White" attitude and have considerably
eased the restrictions that kept the Ne
groes apart from the whites, so just at this
time Delaware Republican seems to be the
most bitter of all people against the blacks.
The latter have always, hitherto, been
made welcome at Republican meeting,
Just before election time, but now they
are barred from the gatherings wherein
the plans and purposes OF the Republican
party are discussed What Ia there to
conceal from the Negroes? Is IT possible
that now the number of black voters has
been doubled by suffrage, the q. o. I.
leaders have decided they are not afraid
to withdraw this last remaining bit OF
liberation. and TO keep the undesirable,
members Of the party out of all contact
with them?
1t is possible that such conclusion has
been reached. At any rate, the Negro
has been gwen to understand Just how
much his election-t time friends care for
him. and when he goes to q meeting OF
his own political party he should keep
sharp eve out for the placard: Meeting
for White Republicans Only-Blacks Not
Tolerated"
This unmasking simply and correctly
reveals the attitude of the white he
publicans toward the Negroes as used to
be voiced confdentially 10 his friends by
leading member Of the bar, who once was
to high political office through
the Negro votes. He declared the niger
is a-d-- nuisance" and a big drawback;
you always have to buy their votes, and |
their presence in the Republican party |
keeps good men ont of it.
The Lily White" action Of the party is
but putting into force those sentiments
uttered by one of the top sergeants of
the G. o. P. more than thirty years ago.
Can it be that with the addition OF the
Negro voters the party leaders can think |
that il will be able TO break bonds with the |
blacks and thus be relieved Of the reproach |
Of holding in political bondage the entire
adult black population of Delaware?