The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-09-10
Emancipation Day

recalled, but it happens to be the
truth. For example, who ever heard Of
the Democratic party celebrating
Emancipation Day." Traditionally,
it is the Republican party's place to
do that. What could be more absurd
than for the Democratic party, so
large a section of which still believes
that emancipation of the Negro was
a great mistake, to regard that day
as one upon which to hurrah?
***
Yet, according to official Democratic
announcements in New York, that is
exactly what it is planned to do.
The real basis of the Democratic
strength in the nation is in the South.
Without the electoral votes of eleven
States, solidly Democratic under all
circumstances, there actually would
be no Democratic party worthy of the
name. In those States the racial issue
is at the base of all politics. 1t is the
racial issue that makes them unshak-
ably Democratic. In them the convic-
ton is strongly held that the white
race should be the dominant race and
that it was terrible thing to confer
political equality and the suffrage
upon the Negro.
So far as they can, in these eleven
States, they have by local laws NULL
fled the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and
Fifteenth amendments and discourage
ed the Negro from voting. Their sue
cess is attested by the fact that while
in these States the Negro population
is greater than in others, the Negro
vote is negligible. If in these States the
Negro did vote, the Negro would
dominate politically. They could, in
some of them, elect Negro Governors,
Senators and many Negro Congress
men. That the Negro should not be
allowed to dominate politically, or
even achieve political equality, has
been considered vital in the far South.
1t is the fear that Republican success
would bring the Negro closer to politi-
cal equality which has kept that sec
ton solidly Democratic. That is the
basic reason the South is solidly DEM
ocratic. These facts are not open to
dispute.
What then must be the feeling of
Democrats in the South, who, despite
their convictions, are sticking to Mr..
Roosevelt because they believe the
race situation in their sections makes
Democratic ascendency desirable and
party loyalty essential, to find their
national party management so eager
for Negro support that it is planning
to celebrate Emancipation Day" upon
a significantly large scale? 1t is not
surprising the average Democrat
should feel baffled and bewildered. On
top of the speech by Mr.. Harold 1ckes,
the most truculent member of the
Roosevelt Cabinet, which could only
be construed as favoring mixed schools
for white and colored children, the re-
peal of the segregation ordinances and
rigid enforcement of the enfranchis-
ing amendments, there came the open
declaration of the national committee
drive for the Negroes and the orga-
nization by Mr.. Farley of Negro divis-
ions at the national headquarters on an
unprecedented scale. New Deal
strategists are entirely frank about
their policy of amalgamating in the
doubtful States the labor vote, the
farmer vote and the relief vote with
the Negro vote, the latter being con-
cededly essential to turn the trick"
On top of that, just a few days ago
came the announcement from Mr.. Far
ley of the appointment of dob" Vann,
militant Negro editor of Pittsburgh, as
Especial adviser" to the national conf
mittee. "Bob" Vann," enthusiastically
said Mr.. Farley, "has had experience
in seven campaigns,-you can't beat
experience" But on top of that-and
this, if it really permeates the South,
will certainly shake that section up
came the announcement that on Sep
TENDER 21-"the eve of Emancipation
Day." the Good Neighbor League"
in the interest of Mr.. Roosevelt, would
simultaneously hold Negro meetings
in many States, the chief of which
would be at Madison Square Garden,
New York, the idea being "to solidify
the Negroes for Mr.. Roosevelt"
The Good Neighbor League" is the
paper organization run by the Rev.
Stanley High, once a dry leader and
now very close personally to Mr..
Roosevelt. His league" is admittedly
financed by the Democratic National
Committee and it was originally
formed with the idea of bringing back
to Mr.. Roosevelt the clergymen alien
ated by the "come-on" letter sent out
from the White House, signed by the
President, but copied from one year
old of Gov. Philip LaFollette. 1t is,
perhaps, needless to say that none of