The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-10-28
Negro Votes Gives
Ohio New Problem
Thousands Imported for War Work
May Gut Big Figure in the Election.
Especial to the New York Time

0QOuBAnCS s1mp0reo0' Tor War Work
May Gut Big Figure in the Election.
Especial to the New York Time
Democrate.)
Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 21.-Ohio has q
race problem, and out of it has grown
an issue which is beginning to cut con.
siderable figure in the Gubernatorial
campaign in this state. Political OBJ
servers express a belief that it will
weigh even more heavily in the state
campaign in two years from now.
The situation is dpe directly to the
great influx Of Negroes from the south
during the war, when they were Sim
ported to take the place Of white un-
skilled labor which, under war condi-
tons. had taken advantage Of opportu-
mites that opened for employment at
h4sner wages IN the HKar industries and
graduated from the pick and shovel or
Railroads and large industrial plants
brought the black workers from the
south by the carload and many thous-
ands Of them landed IN Ohio and are
apparently going to stay. 81
These black immigrants from the
South Of the Masonand Dixon line.do
not begin to comptife in intelligence
with the Northern Negroes. Many are
illiterate, but they Gre being coddled
by the Republicans, who qualify for
the right to vote, because without ex-
cept they can be depended upon to vote
the "straight'' Republican ticket.
There were approximately $4,000 Ne.
gro votes in the state before the women
of the Nineteenth amendment, this
vote il not doubled ia he very Largely
in excess OF whass III has been. Thse
Democratic State Committee has tax.
en- such grave view Of the situation
that in circular letter recently sent
out it warns the. white voters against
the menace of "Negro domination =
The most bitter attack in the circu-
lar issued by the Democratic State Com
mittee, which has for its heading "a
timely warning to the white men and
white women Of Ohio,' is directed
against Harry l.. Davis, the Republi-
can candidate for Governor, who was
praised in the Cleveland Advocate for
appointing twenty-seven Negroes mem
bers Of the Cleveland police force and
for placing many other Negroes in luc
rative positions, the annual salaries of
the Negroes who got the jobs from him
aggregating $3.50, 900.
The circular letter closes with this
call:
An ominous cloud has risen on the
political horizon which should have the
attention and consideration Of all the
men and women before casting their
ballots. That cloud is the threat Of
Negro domination in Ohio. .s.u
"We see Negro newspapers in the
state boasting loudly Of the increased
balance of power held by their race
through the enfranchisement Of their
women. We find them openly predict
ing that full social equality will be in
sured them by the election Of the Re-
publican candidate. g.
r "Men and women Of Ohio rally to
the ballot box and give such verdict as
will forever rid Ohio Of this menace to
yourselves and your children ~.
Feeling on this subject has been in
tcnsiied by the fact that Negro was
candidate for the nomination Of Secre-
tary of State in the Republican pri-
maries and while not successful, got
moro votes than some Of the white can
didates. Six Negroes were successful
in the Republican primaries, where they
won nominations for the Ohio assem-.
bly,. s=