The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-06-16

The Republican national commit,
tee, which feels that it is charged
with responsibility for keeping the
party in power, has designs upon the
South, which it believes can be cap
tured, and which also will supply de-
Elections from the party in other sec.
tions Of the country in future cleo
tions.
The first indication Of the purpose
to make the party a factor in the
South was rumored at the Chicago
convention last June, when the lead
ers practically agreed that the first
step in the movement was to make
the Republican party in the South
respectable and representative of the
wishes Of considerable element that
always heretofore supported the
Democratic party on racial issues,
A committee was appointed by the
convention to investigate political
conditions in the South with the view
to eliminating the negro as an OBJ
stacle in the way Of securing a foot
hold During the summer and
throughout The campaign the COM
mittee put on the soft pedal. Now
that The election Is over and the party
is intrenched in federal power, the
national committee, looking forward
four years, has made an experiment
which. if satisfactory, forecasts a
revolution in conduct Of the party
affairs in the South.
AT meeting Of the national com
mittee last week it proceeded to re-
duce the convention votes of 10
Southern states SO that the conven-
ton Of 1924 viii have IA delegates
instead of 167 from those states. Ere
quent use Of the expression bought
aolored delegations" was made at
the meeting. The committee realizes
that in many Of the Southern states
the negro delegates are corTalled BY
representatives Of different candi-
dates and sent to the convention,
where their influence is out Of all
proportion to the power exerted in
elections.
In contrast with the reduction Of
% votes in the South. the total NUM-
Der of convention delegates was
raised from 984 to 1887 Thus it
will be seen that while Mississippi
viii have four delegates instead Of
IL, and South Carolina will have four
instead of IL, the Republican states
will have their delegations materially
increased.
The action Of the national commit
tee is an indication that the Republic
can party. after long years Of fruit
less effort, at last has abandoned the
negro as a prospect for political pow
er and influence.
There was no secrecy surrounding
the action of the committee. 1t pro-
ceeded deliberately. The matter UNI
der consideration received due pub
LEFTY. A large delegation Of negroes
was on hand to voice a protest.
Henry Lincoln Johnson, of Georgia.
famous for Instability to sell dele
cation to more candidates than any
other auctioneer from the South, was
present and saw three delegates lop-
ped off from his state. Aaron Trio
leau, South Carolina negro, was
present in all his righteousness to
witness the influence Of his delega-
tion dwindle from III to A. Bob
Church was there and saw his po-
litical ambitions go glimmering as
the committee proceeded toward its
objective of making the Republican
party independent Of negro ififlu-
ehce in future conventions. It is
recalled that the convention in Chi
cago kicked Church out and he left
threatening all sorts of things
against the party in Tennessee.
Now that the party has gotten its
eyes open one must wonder how
long it will be before the negroes
themselves see. a light. The negro
in the South has a sort of supersti-
tious attachment for the Republican
party. Regardless Of local questions,
affecting him quite the same ais they
do his white neighbor, he has insisted
upon voting for the party of Massa-
chusetts. He looks TO his neighbor
in the South for every assistance, ex-
cent political, and expects and re-
ceives timely and sympathetic help.
In politics he places his trust in his
white brother in the North.
Now that the Republican party has