Phoenix tribune., 1920-08-14
STINGING REBUKE TO
REPUBLICAN PARTY
BY COLORED editor
(By Associated Negro Pressl

(By Associated Negro Press)
Kansas City, Mo-, Aug. 12.-That
there will be real activity among the
Democrats to treason with the Negro
vote" is indicated by several confer
ences that have been held in this city,
Chicago and Ohio recently. James A.
Ross of Buffalo, N. Y, one of the most
conspicuous of the Democrats, has
been gum-shoeing" recently, and
stated that there will be a chance
for Cox to get some Negro votes if he
can overcome the double-cross that
President Wilson hung on the sacred
shoulders of the late Bishop Walters"
The Tulsa (Okla) Star is one of
the most substantial Of the race news
papers advocating Democratic doc
trine, and in commenting on Senator
Hardings address of acceptance, the
Star has the following to say, editorf
ally:
1T is well for our Republican
friends to remember that it is unwise
to holler before getting out of the
woods. They are just now in high
state of ectasy because Senator Hard
ing in his speech of acceptance at
Marion expressed his personal belief
that the rights and privileges of our
group should be guaranteed by the
constitution In this he differed from
the national Republican platform
adopted as the voice of the Republic
can hosts at Chicago. which made no
mention from start to finish of our
rights and privileges, and this despite
colored Republican leaders almost got
down on their knees and pleaded for
Gods sake, please mention usl' AS
Miss Brown, president of the Women's
Federation, aptly expresses it: They
gave us a splinter, not a plank In
this instance Senator Harding is an
'artful dodger,' for he expresses belief
in the constitution guaranteeing
rights and privileges already guaran-
teed us by the fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments. These amendments
were adopted years before the senator
made his speech at Marion, and al
though we have had Republican presi-
dents backed up by Republican senate
and house of representatives with
strong Republican majorities, they
have failed to pass the necessary leg
islation to ENFORCE these amend
ments. To guarantee is one thing; to
ENFORCE is another. During the
Grant administration there were fed
eral troops in the South who saw to
it that our people were protected in
the enjoyment of rights and privileges
as citizens. When Hayes, just such
another Ohio Republican as Senator
Harding, became president, he re-
moved the troops, and what followed
is never to be forgotten history to all
Of us. If the prohibition amendment
had been permitted to lapse into the
same innocuous desuetude-simply
guaranteed and not enforced-like the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments,
moonshining would he seen on every
hand. But prohibition is enforced at
a cost of many millions to the federal
government. So vigorously has it
been enforced that the advocates of
prohibition fear the opposition
aroused may be sufficient to repeal
it. Had not the Republican party
been too cowardlv to provide enforc-
ing legislation at time of adopting the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments,
there may have been no reason for
the great exodus from the South to-
day. Let's be honest and truthful,
friends it is the lack of enforcement
that keeps us all awake of nights.
Now, isn't it?"