Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-11-22

The election Of Oscar Depriest. Chicago negro re-
publican. to a seat IN the national house Of representa-
tivcs will prove rather embarrassing 70 some Of the
Southern congressman. Not since the days Of the re.
construction has a Negro been elected to the high posi-
tion the Chicago politician has attained, and while the
Southern congressman viii resent the appearance Of a
negro in that very digniiicd body. there is nothing they
can DO. Tie was nominated and elected BY the republi-
cans. and Notwithstanding the fact he Is now under in
dictment charged with conducting negro gambling
houses and ~profiting from the vice IN the "black belt
the Honorable CO Oscar Depricst ranks high in re-
publican councils in the city OF Chicago and the state
Of Illinois.
During the campaign when Southern democrats
pointed TO the fact that Dcpriest had gained the re-
publican nomination in the First Illinois district.
republicans rctaliated BY calling attention TO the dem
ocratic nomination Of a negro candidate for congress
III ST. Louis. They overlooked the fact tina 1.-THE ST.
Louis negro was awarded the nomination by default,
that his election was never considered seriously. His
white opponent won by an overwhelming majority with
the combined vote of the white democrats and re-
publicans.
Dcpricst IS tho product q a condition which is
causing serious apprehension in many Northern cities.
He halls from the Chicago BLACK belt" where the por-
ulation rs almost entirely negro. For many years the
republican politicians of the city have taken advantage
Of the negro preference for the G. o. p. and they have
exploited the negro vote. The influx Of negroes grad
~Ntf A"R NAN NN WHAh' NHNAANN' "HA "hNA -
sured Of their supremacy al the polls. the negroes of
the district promptly nominated and elected a negro
congressman. IN fact. the same condition prevails in
the Chicago "black belt today as prevailed IN the
Southern states during the days OF reconstruction when
the white voters were DISTINGUISHED and the power
placed in the hands Of the negro.
Northern people, who since the Civil war have been
under the impression that the Southern treatment Of
negroes was the result Of racial antipathies and proju-
dices, are beginning TO realize that the Southern
method Of handling the negro problem il not without
its merits. In fact. there arc many sections Of the
North where the negro problem today Is more acute
than 1t ever was in the South, md the negroes,
mingling with the whites upon terms Of equality, with
= full sense Of their power as a voting unit. are domi-
mating the political situation in many sections in which
n decade ago the negro vote was almost negligible.
The South, however, will not waste much sympathy
upon those who BY their lack OF foresight are respon-
sible for the situation. The people Of the South. over
sixty years ago demonstrated to the entire country the
manner in which the problem could be solved. This
solution brought upon the South the severe criticism
Of countless thousands of Northern fanatics and senti-
mentslists, and the latter were encouraged by political
leaders who sought TO capitalize the negro vote. How
ever. the North is beginning the realize that the South
adopted the only logical solution FOR 4 serious problem.
and the trend Of political events indicates that in the
not far distant future the North will be compelled 10
adopt the same method if white supremacy Is to be
maintained in many Of the large eenters OF population.