Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-05-18
Washington
Letter
CONGRESS PREPARING
FOR NEGRO'S ENTRANCE.
FIRST IN MANY YEARS
By Charles T.. Stewart

10y AndAiFs t. 1NtNdAA
WASHINGTON, May lS.-The pros
pect-indecd, the practical certainty
that a negro. Oscar de Priest. will
succeed the late Martin p. Madden
rs one Of Chicago's representatives in
the next congrets Is giving the south
ern contingent on Capitol Hill quite a
bit to think about.
IN fact, some northern members are
wondering whether dc Priests advent
in Washington won't lead to difficult
political complications.
Southern negroes In the house or
representatives are no new thing.
There have been 20 OF them, first and
last. not 20 mention "a couple Of SEN
ators. De Priest. however. IL he
comes, will he the first onc-but
probably by nc means the last-from
the north.
The new situation will he distinctly
different from the old one.
Negro voting. it's pretty well rec
ognized, is discouraged south of the
Mason-Dizon line. Even when. due
10 post-civil wal conditions, a few
colored men were being elected n
congress, il was tacitly understood
that VI would ~ stopped rs soon a.
possible-as il was before this cen
fury opened-and hasn't been repeat
ed.
In the northern states, wherever
African ballots are available IN con
siderable numbers. they're wanted.
Hitherto they haven't been very
literally paid for In nominations. be-
cause it's only recently that there
have been sufficient a~ccumulations Of
them to 9e valuable, but they'll have
to be, once it's started. and IL APP
pears to have started now in Chi
cago.
The Windy City certainly has a
sure-fire black congressional district.
50 has New York. which presum-
ably will be heard from next.
Cleveland has one. or pretty nearly.
According 10 estimates. n dozen or
fifteen northern districts have colored
/ hlocs sufficiently formidable 20 COM
mand at least respectful attention.
It's an unprecedented state az ar
fairs-about 10 years old-since the
shift in negro population began, from
southern plantations 70 northern i'm
dustrial centers.
Politicians hadn't realized il.
They're quite positive the negroes
hadn't.
The difficulty Congressman Madden
ran into when he sought renomina-
ton in his First Illinois district this
spring was an eye-opener. Then fol-
lowed his death and the districts
definite surrender 70 a Colored candi-
date.
Teh ice having been broken, the
congressional prophets look 10 see
the negroes demanding all that's com.
ing to them everywhere they think
they can get it.
As they visualize the future. the
black congressman from the north
won't find himself IN the position oi
hanging precariously onto office unit.
times change. a. his southern prede-
cessor did: he'll be rather surer Of
= permanently than the average white
representative. and may become .
real power in Washington.
If so, TO just what extent he'll in
terest himself in the political welfare
Of his brethren in Dixie is the prob.
lem.
The idea Of "A negro member. 81
real ability and influence. telling con.
gress all he has on his mind concern
ing the southern status Of the Four
teenth and Fifteenth amendments
can't but give rise 10 forebodings 81
a great plenty Of i'll feeling in the
house Of representatives.