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THE ATHENAEUM 51 policies that have been adopted by the American people. He was a strong advocate of eight hour day, Prohibition, and a firm child Labor Law. Progressiveism is opposed to all forms of war, and you will find a tendency toward this in the Armament Conference, and the League of Nations. All of these movements are the outgrowth of Progressive thought. The Progressive trend, like the trend out of which has grown the Christian Church, has its roots deep in the hearts of the common peo ple. Like all great religious reformations it has been caused by op pression and by conscienceless control of the many by the few. The common people have shown their disapproval of monopolistic control of things by the repudiation that they gave Wilson. In the states of Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Indiana you will find the sale of oil and coal to the retailers being controlled by the states so that large profit might be prevented. , , These are but indications, of the great.TrShd bT <tjie American people towards Progressiveism, pof because^ they want to be radical, but because they are looking out for thieij^gwif interbsts and follow ing the principle that seems to satisfy. thip^iclealW * The accomplishments of the Negroes.'in n theTast election were due to the stampede toward progressiveisitL. ^[ad^ijnot been for that the successes that we have obtained would havq,.pj@en lost. Let thinking people everywhere cut loose fi$m the staid con servatism that produces stagnation and bofdy joifi that galaxy of the proponents of the cause of the common people w^ich is marching in the Progressive Trend that isi aimed at the lofty>jJieight where they shall rule and not be ruled. —W. D. Morman, ’25. A BRIEF SURVEY OF THE AMERICAN NEGRO IN POLITICS By J. Henry Gadson, Jr, ’27. T here is a saying that runs thus, “Fast rising, fast falling.” This saying probably is not true in all cases, but with reference to the early attempts of the Negro) in politics it has proved to be quite a fact. During the days of reconstruction and for a period thereafter the Negro made remarkable strides in politics. He went from the slave- master’s plantation to important offices of his municipality and State and even to responsible positions in his National Government. Let us review a bit of this achievement. During the period 1868-71 there were twenty-nine senators in state legislatures. From 1868-1870 there were one hundred seventy-fiv^ representatives in state legisla tures. It is interesting to note that the state of Alabama alone dur ing the period 1868-1876 had one hundred forty-six representatives in state legislatures. During this same period there were two United