Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-17
negro In. POLITICS
Republican National Committee Con.
S!derS Reform.
WANTS TO BUILD PARTY In SOUTH

At the coming meeting Of the Re-
publican national committee, in prep
aration for which conferences are now
under way, there will be just two i'm
portant items Of business. One will be
the selection Of a new chairman to
succeed Will Hays. The new chairman
undoubtedly will be former Represen-
tative John Adams, of Iowa. That part
Of the business will be quickly put out
of the way. i%a:',
But thereafter will come detail Of
reorganization,a which is right now the
cause Of tense controversy. The pro-
posal, in short, is to change the entire
basis of the Republican party in the
south. Those who want to do away
with the ancient scandal Of the South
ern delegate" propose that hereafter
the Republican party shall rest upon
the same basis in the south as the
Democratic party does.
May Follow State Laws.
In the southern states large numbers
Of negroes are prevented from voting
by state laws, which laws have been
held to be constitutional by the su-
preme court Of the United States. AT
present the bullst Of the Republican
party in the south is, made up Of these
disfranchised negroes. The new pro-
posal is that the Republican party
shall recognize state laws in the south
and everywhere else, the same as the
Democrats do. .
The suggested rule Is that hereafter
no person can be a delegate to a Re-
publican national convention unless he
is a qualified voter of the state In
which he lives and has voted in that
state.
Two Groups Oppose. ~
The practical working out of this
rule would make the Republican party
in the south white mans party Ito
practically the same extent that the
Democratic party is. The suggested
rule is opposed by two groups In the
Republican party, which compose, :. a
curious combination of principle and
-poIiAcs. One large~section Of THE Re-
publican party in the north thinks the
party should continue to stand as 1t al
ways has stood since the Civil war, the
friend and protector Of the negro. TO
these are joined group OF old-time
Republican leaders Of the "hard-boll-
ed" type who have been doing business
with typical southern delegates in eV-
cry Republican national convention for
a generation or more They do not
want to abandon the system. 1t is not
merely, that they are anxious to main
tain an institution which, in the past,
has frequently been an occasion Of
corruption. 1t Is rather out Of a feel
ing Of personal loyalty that they do not
want to throw overheard old friends
whose whole political, capital and
standing in life rests upon the fungus
Republican party Of the south.
The more forward looking Republi-
can leaders who want to adopt the new
rule say the negro in the south has not
been helped but has been harmed by
being used as political capital by white
leaders of dubious standing, who trade
with them as pawns in national con-
ventions. They say the experiment of
trying to force local southern commu-
mites to permit negroes to vote against
the will Of the white communities has
gone on for nearly sixty years and has
never been successful but has always
made mischief.
Nesro's Position improves.
Z The only sound way for the southern
negro to become voter Is to so i'm
press his character on his white neigh
bors that they are willing to give him
the franchise. That process is going
on all the time and theT number Of ne
groes who have the franchise con-
stantly increases. The position. Of the
negro in the south, as elsewhere, be-
comes better every year, and his worst
handicap is the so-called white friend
who uses him as a political pawn.
The innovation of doing away with
the southern delegate" scandal and
making the Republican party in the
south a white mans party, the same
as the Democratic party. will probably
succeed. There is little doubt that
President Harding favors it. 1t IS to
be observed that his is the first Repub-
lican administration since the civil war
which has not thrust negro postmast-
ers and other colored Office holders on
white communities who resent them.
In addition to President Harding, so
many other forces are behind the pro-
posed innovation that it will proba-,
bly, succeed
Word comes from various sections
of Calhoun county that during the past