The Omaha guide., 1937-02-06
KELLY MILLER
SAYS
THE BLACK CABINET
THEN AND NOW

to consist Of high colored office
holders at the national capitol who
have the ear Of the administration
in matter touching the welfare of
race. These celebrities were suppos-
ed to exert great influence and were
held In high esteem in the good
old days Of the years gone by.
Frederick Douglass, John NJ. Lang
sion, B. X. Bruce, Governor Pinch
back and John r. Lynch stood our
pre-eminently Ike great Colussi in
the golden age Of the Grand Old
Party. The term Black, however,
was not applied until these old re-
construction war horses had passed
from the scene and Booker T.
Washington had risen to political
a~scendency. The Black Cabinet is
essentially a Republican institution
and does not flourish under a
Democratic regime. The two non
consecutive administration Of Gro
yer Cleveland almost wiped the in
stitution out Of existence. The few
eolored men who were appointed
70 high stations under this liberal
minded Democrat, such as William
1rotter and {. H. J. Taylor, exert
ed only Individual and personal in
huence upon their great sponsor
and did not attain much favor OF
following among their own race
The Black Cabinet reached its eli
max in the administrations of
Roosevelt and Taft. Such outstand-
Ing figures as A. p. Cheatham,
Judson Lyons, Lincoln Johnson,
William II. Lewis, John C. Dancey,'
w. T, Vernon and Ralph Tyler oc-
cupied the front seats in Booker
Washington's band wagon. What
ever influence they exerted on the
administration was through the
master hand of the great Tuskgee-
an who after all is said and done,
was the only commanding political
leader of the race as a whole, who,
has yet appeared. His political fol-
lowing locked to Washington from
east and west north and south to
sit down in the kingdom of their
great leader and eat sugar out of
his hand. Booker I. Washington
was recognized by Roosevelt and
Taft as the unchallenged spokes-.
man for his race, whatever patron
age they accorded to the ace was
dispensed by Him. The Black Cabin
ct knew its leader as the ass know
eth his masters crib. There used
to be held at the national capitol a
banquet for the Register of some
thing, the Recorder of something
else, or the minister to somewhere.
Two inaugural ball were held for
the administration Of President Taft
who visited the capitol with a hope
of swelling the ranks of the Black
Cabinet. Although many of them
fell by the wayside still hope
sprang eternal in the politicians
breast.
But alas, times have changed. In
the administration of President Tafi
the influence and fame of the Black
Cabinet began to dwindle. With the
coming Of Woodrow Wilson and tbs
passing of Booker T. Washington
1t faded completely out of sight. Thu
eight consecutive Democratic years
of Woodrow Wilson put the institu-
ton entirely out Of commission anC
only the Judge of the Municipal
Court was left to ten the tale Of
departed glory. Under The admin
istrations of Harding Coolige. and
Hoover, the Recorder of Deeds
Derry w. Howard and a Municipal
Judge were about the only ones
left. There was some faint attempt
at reviving the Black Cabinet but
the lily white Republican spirit
which invaded these Administrations
hardly encouraged its revival. There
were not left enough office holders
to keep alive the spirit of the Black
Cabinet which, under the leadership
of Booker T. Washington, iourishec
like a green bay tree.
/ had intended to include in this
release the substitute for the Blael
Cabinet under the New Deal, bu'
perhaps l had better reserve thii
for another story.
Kelly Miller
Hasn't Seen Husband