Phoenix tribune., 1920-09-04
(By Major John R. Lynch, U. S. A.
Retired)

AeCLAAO0J
Major Lynch was formerly a mem
Der of congress from Mississippi. and
under one of the republican admin
istrations was auditor of the treasury.
Later he was appointed as paymas-
ter in the army, and after several
years Of distinguished and efficient
service, was retired with the rank of
major. He was temporary chairman
Of the republican national conven-
ton that nominated James G.. Blaine,
and has written a number of books
of fine interest to the history of the
Negro race.
Under our system or government
the exercise of civil and political
rights by all classes and groups of
American citizens should be guar
anteed at all times and in all Sec
tions Of the country, and this should
not be contingent upon the result of
the national election. In other words,
conditions should be such that no
one class, race or group of American
citizens should find it necessary to
act as a solid body with one political
party. This was the contemplation
of the trainers of the constitution,
but those just and honorable fore
fathers could not foresee the con-
tingency where a political party
would be dependent for it's very exist
ence upon racial and sectional hatred.
The inherent disposition of the
democratic party to either practice
or condone peonage, dlsfranchise-
ment, segregation and other discrim-
nations and reprisals against the
constitutional liberties and lives of
| colored people, has left these people
no other alternative but to ally them
selves with the republican party, that
has ever stood for liberty, freedom
of thought and equal opportunity to
all American citizens, without regard
to race, creed or condition. The
democrats themselves, occupying rep
resentation in congress, electing presi-
dents, declaring and conducting wars,
shedding rivers of blood and noun
tains of treasure, while they are in
a minority as to the great body of
American people, are themselves re-
sponsible for the fact that the Negro
cannot be anything else than a re.
publican.
/ will not hark back to the well
known fact that our race found its
freedom in the hands of a republican
president. l will not remind the
younger generations of my race that
every right and privilege of citizen
ship that we now enjoy emanated
from the republican party, and every
right and privilege of citizenship
that has been taken away from us
has been taken by the democratic
party. These facts are known even
! to little child and are never denied
by the most jealous partisan. But
do charge that the extreme narrow
ness of the democratic party, depend
ing as it does upon racial hatred fol
it's national tenure, has made the
Negro himself narrow in self defense
All of the big questions at issue in
this campaign are made secondary in
the mind of the Negro. The questions
of the League of Nations, of recon
struction of currency, of industrial
relations, vital as they are to the life
and prosperity and progress of the
nation, the consideration of which
would broaden the colored Ameri
cans point of view and raise the
standard of his value 70 the body
polite, are forced to the background
because he has been bitterly taught
that the election of any democrat to
the presidency means the abridge
ment of his rights, the conscriptior
Va AAAO AoOOAg IAO h0hAAAAQtAOA VI LIE
hopes for advancement. "Self-preser
vation is the first law of nature" ant
the Negro, like all human beings, is q
child of nature. He enters the cam
paign handicapped for the considera
tion of the great issue, knowing full
well that he and all of his kim mus
hang together" against his Rlone
enemy, the democratic party, Or the
democratic party, unchallenged fol
half century of reprisals against &
struggling Negro race, will see to il
that he "hangs separately" While
Woodrow Wilson, Candidate Cox ant
their pharisaical partisans are sniff
ling and sobbing about making the
world safe for democracy, the Negro
sorely beset by these same hypocrites
must confine his interest," his vote
Ia l.