Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-09-29
COLORED PRESS FLAYs
SLEMP AS AID To
COOLIDGE
THE NEW SECRETARY"


petersburg, Va, Weekly Review.)
In appointing Bascom Slemp OF Vir-
GINA to be his secretary, President
Coolidge threw a bomb into the camp
of Colored political circles Now Slemp
Is avowedly a lily Write Republican or
the most immaculate bleach. His I'M
yelled efforts to keep the Southern Ne
gro out of politics and to kill the influ
ence of Northern Negroes in politics is
the thing that has made him imfam-
Gus in the estimation of Black AmerI-
cans. His name because Of this. is hat
ed more than that of any other act
i've politician today. President Cool
idge may have had good reasons for
making this appointment, but he is go
ing to have mighty hard, time max.
ing the thing clear to Negro voters
both North and South after they get
over the first shock of their chhrgin
and disappointment because of the
move.
In the last gubernatorial campaign
In Virginia, Mr.. Slemp, the man now
closest to the President, made himself
so obnoxious to the rank and file of
the colored voters of the state that
they, rather than vote the Republican
ticket with him debating its policies.
put an entire Negro ticket in the fiela
to oppose him. AS a result, Anderson,
Slemp's picked man for the head of
his state was showed under in a defeat
the like OF which has not been seen in
Virginia for years, despite the hercu,
lean efforts made by the Slemp crowd
to gain adherents. r a'
NOW the secretaryship does not only
mean that Mr.. Slemp will serve the
President in an advisory capacity. but
tn2t in many matters of more or less
Importance, ne will also act for him.
with inherent tendencies that he has
displayed in all matters involving the
interests Of Negroees-from his treat
ment of them in Virginia politics to
his opposition to the Dyer Anti-Lynch
Ing Bill-this makes him extremely
dangerous to the welfare of the black
people throughout the country. On ths,
authority of a white politician high lid
in the councils of the party, we have
1t that President Coolidge's reasons
Tor this appointment, are purely polit
zeal. NOW, the Negro people, botn
North and South, have the very same
reasons for not wanting a man g.,
piShp type ana characteristics even
remotely connected with the shaping
OF the policies of the administration
and of the party which they were very
largely instrumental in placing i'm
power. For years Slemp's efforts to dis
credit the Negro politically have been
SO studied and intense that it has be
come a habit with him that President
Coolidge himself, will find it hard to
break-that is IL he so desires.
AS 60 the charge that the new secrp
taTy to the President is member of
tife Ku K1ur Khan we leave this entire
iy out of the consideration, inview oil
the fact that known acts and adyoca.
cles OF the man are OF sufficient gray.
ity to warrant the opposition of every
race respecting black man in the Unit
ed States. And Judging from the howl
that the Northern Negro Press is send
ing up, he Is the fly in the ointment
or no particular section. but his pres
ence is nauseating to R1ack America
generally. In an interview, Secretar,
Slemp informed representative Of
the Associated Negro Press that he is