The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-16
NEGROES SL|PPI INC r RUM |. O.P RANK
Migration Fro mSouth Bring ing About Changed PoIi-
 tiCaI Conditions
By RAYMOND CHAPTER Lenxed Wire to The Age-HeraId)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.--The mi- grafton of the negro to the north Is causing fundamental changes In po- litical conditions which are showing on the surface of politics.
 When the republican national com- mittee decided not to reduce the con- vention strength of the southern states after all, 1t was explained in defense of the move that the negroes had become so strong in the north that they were threatening to re- taliate by deserting the republicans unless their brothers In the south were given their former representa- tion at the convention.
 It happens that there are circum- stances which suggest that perhaps this explanation may have been an after-thought rather than the real cause for the eleventh hour repudia- ton of the reduction plan. But, how ever that may be, it is a fact that politicians have become keenly aware of a new kind of political independ- ence among the large northern negro population which forces them to re- wise their tactics in some respects.
 o O O
 Conditions Changing.
 The time is fast passing when the negro voter in the north can auto matically be counted as republican, according to republican politicians themselves. Persons connected with the republican national committee tell the writer that negroes had an important part in swinging the Chl- cago mayoralty election some months ago to the democrats, and that last month they were influential in out ting down the republican strength in some Ohio municipal elections.
 Whether these assertions are cor rect, the writer cannot say, but re- publicans of responsibility in the party organization say they are, anu the main point is that the politicians, accustomed to deal with the negro vote as a hog-tied republican vote' has become convinced that it is on the way to becoming variable vote which must be won in each cam paign.
 This phenomenon Is due to the fact that the negroes who have come north have broken away from the traditions which dominated them in the south. Their first reaction on leaving the south may have been one of resentment at those who had re- stricted their right to vote. But this soon passed off, and the negro, find ing his hands worth as much as those of the white laborer in the hortn' soon discovered that he could make his vote worth just as much as the white mans vote. And when this be- gan to dawn upon the negro leaders the preachers school teachers, law yers, and other influential men in the race-the automatic obedience to the regular republican politicians weakened. That is why the members of the republican national committee sat here this week and listened to colored orators declare that the negro was on the point of deserting the party unless the southern dele gates were restored.
 Tradition Still Strong.
 Still, the republican tradition among the negroes is strong, and many are skeptieal of assertions that they would vote the democratic tick at in large numbers, even out of motives of revenge. It is true that one able democratic leader in Indiana has been able to effect the desired result by rounding up large groups of negroes on railroad excursions on election day, thus keeping them from the polls, and the same tactics are often resorted to by other democratic leaders.
 The whole situation Is further com plicated by the klan issue, which has become a powerful one, especially in local contests.
 Between the difficulties encoun- tered in trying to placate the negroes and the klan at the same time, the politicians of both parties are in for