Evening star., 1924-05-05

political jobs as reward for their
valuable support on election day.
They purpose committing every can
didate for high office, from the presi-
dency down to the humblest mem
Der of Congress, on the three or four
basic planks in the colored platform.
These are: % Suppression of mob
law" Qynching) and Jim Crow laws,
(2) less rigid residential restric-
tions. (3) better educational oppor-
tunities and (D more respect for the
suffrage rights of negro citizens.
These constitute the American
negro's irreducible minimum, accord
ing to Du Bois. The race appar-
emily contemplates nothing in the
nature of "colored bloc" Rather
they seem to plan to follow the
political example of the American
Federation of Labor-of '.rewarding
friends" and furnishing enemies"
Gompers' organization systematically
at election time let's organized labor
people know all about the record
of candidate. If the candidate has
been unfriendly to labor, union men
are supposed to know how to mark
their ballots. The negro vote was
mobilized with deadly effect against
Senator Medill Mccormick in Illinois
last month.
one of his observations during the
Chicago race riots several years ago
has never been forgotten by colored
leaders, Du Bois says, and they
awaited their chance to punish him.
The colored vote in Cook County and
elsewhere in Illinois has become a
gigantic one during the past ten
years. His political enemies accuse
Big Bilr' Thompson of importing it
into the state systematically.
Negro Vote ForeshadOwed.
Du Bois foreshadows that the negro
vote, pretty generally, will be given
to Calvin Coolidge in 1924. The Pres
ident's record" toward the race is
the President of Liberia on January
l DIR. Du Bois used the following
significant language:
I'm America live 100000 persons
of African descent. They are citi-
zens. invested legally with every
right that inheres in American citi-
zenship. l am sure that in this spe-
cial mark of President Coolidge's fa-
vor, in sending me to Liberia, he has
had in mind the wishes and hopes of
proud they are of the hundred years
of independence which you have
maintained by force of arms and by
Drawn and brain upon the edge of
this mighty continent. He knows
that in the great battle against color
caste in America the ability of ne
g,roeS to rule in Africa has been and
ever Will be a great and encouraging
reinforcement. He knows that the
unswerving loyalty of negro Amer
leans to their country is fifty accom-
panied by a pride in their race and
lineage, a belief in the potency and
promise of negro blood which makes
them eager listeners to every whis-
per of success of Liberia"
Delegates from the National Asso-
citation for the Advancement of Col
ored People will attend both the Re
publican and Democratic national
conventions in June. They expect to
command unwonted attention from
party leaders for the reasons herein
set forth.
SIemp Appointment Not Liked.
When President Coolidge appointed
c. Bascom Slemp his chief secretary
the coiored vote looked upon it as
something of a direct affront. Negro
politicians consider Mr.. Slemp one of
the high priests of the lilly white"
movement in the south. But they
have apparently forgiven the Presi-
dent for the Slemp appointment and
are ready to vote the Coolidge ticket
in November.
Republican leaders acknowledge
that the colored community is adopt
ing firmer tone than has been