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

The election Of Oscar Depriest. Chicago negro re-
publican, to a seat IN the national house of representa-
tvcs viii prove rather embarrassing TO some Of the
Southern congressman. Not since tho days Of the re
construction has a negro been elected to the high posi-
ton the Chicago politician has attained, and while the
Southern couEressmcE viii resent the appearance Of a
negro in that very dignificd body, there is nothing they
ran DO. He 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 ~rrofitinE from the vice in the "black bclt,"
the Honorable % Oscar Depriest 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 Dcprest had gained the re-
publican nomination III the First Illinois district,
republicans rctaliated By calling attention to the DEM
ocratic nomination az n negro candidate for congress
in 81. Louis. They overlooked the fact tina 1.-THE st.
Louis negro was awarded the nomination by default,
that hs election was never considered seriously. His
white opponent won by an overwhelming majority with
tho combined vote or the white democrats and re-
publicans.
Depricst is the product Of a condition which IS
causing serious apprehension in many Northern cities.
He halls from the Chicago BLACK belt" where the por-
ulation is almost entirely negro. For many years the
republican politicians Of the city have taken advantage
Of the negro preference for the G. 0. r., and they hare
exploited the negro vote. The influx Of negroes grad.
AAtg w AAt WAAAt FhHuidAANIs anu MbtN As
sured q their supremacy a the polls, the negroes "
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 we're disfranchised 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 If
negroes was the result Of racial antipathies and proju-
dices, arc beginning To realize that the Southern
method Of handling the negro problem is not without.
its merits. In fact. there arc many sections Of the
North where The negro problem today is more acute
than II ever was in the South, md the negroes,
mingling with the whites upon terms Of equality, with
n 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 arc 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-
meutalists, and the latter were encouraged BY political
leaders who sought 70 capitalize the negro vote. How
ever. the North is beginning the realize that the South
adopted the only logical solution for q 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 II white supremacy is to be
maintained in many Of the large centers Of population.