The evening times., 1900-01-03
THE PROTEST OF AN ALUMNUs.
Injustice to COIOred Applicants for
Positions in Howard University.

Injustice to COIOred Applicants for
Positions i'm Howard University.
To the Editor Of The Times:
/ have read with much interest the arti-
Gle in your issue of December 2S, on the
conduct of affairs at Howard University,
and / write to state that in so far as the
article essays to represent the feeling of
discomfort among the eolored people in
general and the Howard alumni in par
ticular, it. is essentially correct.
Howard University stands as the practi-
cal representative of the nations interest
in the higher education of the negro. 1t is
supported mainly by Government aid,
through Congressional appropriation. and
is the one opportunity which the nation
offers exclusively to eolored youth to fit
themselves for the higher intellectual pur-
suits. Its privileges and emouments were
intended mainly for the coIored race. This
is not only the spirit and purpose of it's
origin, but it is equally the reason for it's
maintenance, and the president of such an
institution should be in thorough sympathy
with its aims and purposes. In accepting
its presidency. he should be willing to sub
DItIHdiG HIS ptISDIldl pIGJuulCtS, anu even
his personal preferences, to the one pur-
pose of maintaining the spirit of the in
stitution in its attitude of helpfulness to
the colored race. III its doors are open
for the training of negro educators, they
should be equally open to the employment
OF negro educators. This in the nature OF
present conditions, cannot be expected
of the hundreds OF white institutions of
learning where colored students are ad-
mitted. but Howard University is essen
TALLY negro university, and was pri
mariiy intended TO furnish a sphere of ac-
tiOn wherein the negro could be free TO
work out his highest intellectual capabili-
ties, alike as student and instructor.
The present president of tnat institution
has certainly not brought this spirit 10 me
discharge of his duties there. On the con-
trary, he has in numerous ways exhibited
a degree of personal prejudice which r,n
deTs his service in that position a positive
hindrance TO the real progress OF the in
stitution. To carry out the full purpose OF
the founders Of the institution il should lie
the aim of the president to give pO5tio
as instructors in the university 10 capable
colored men and women preferably when
they are found TO possess the required
qualifications. and this should be done there
all the more willingly since il is well
known that capable colored applicants are
so uniformly Disseminated against on ac-
count of their color in nearly all the in
teIleCtual industries controlled by the other
race But on this point the present pres
ident is certainly open TO the charge Of
most fragrant abuse of his power. Within
the last three years, out Of nine impo: ant
appointments at the university, only TWO Cf
the appointees are coIored persons, and one
of these was given a minor position. Tfe
CiV,rn r1T 1ai p
ker. Miss Rugg. Miss Moore Miss Johnson,
Miss Rankin. Mr.. Stafford, and Mr.. Hay. are
all white and none of them holds posi-
tion that could not have been filed over
and over again by colored applicants with
equal intellectual equipment and nigher
claim for consideration.
The placing of Miss Flora Johnson
young white girl in the position OF Aoraf-
ian. after she had entered competitive
examination with two young coiored women
for the position and had utterly failed 10
make oven respectable rating IN the con-
test was a species Of unmiugated tyranny
without reason or excuse. Mrs. Baker, the
Young colored woman who made the high-
est mark in the examination. was OIL
cially informed that, while her rating Vas
the highest in the competition, she. VITA
the others. lacked library experience,
whereupon Mrs. Baker Immediately went 10
Amherst, Mass. entered the department OF
Library Economy in the summer school OF
Amherst College. completed the course, and
returned to Washington only to find that
Miss Johnson who had failed in the eX-
animation. had been given the position, at
first temporarily, as preteXt, ana then
permanently.
When the former secretary and treasurer.
j. B. Johnson. died there were several
CAPABLE colCred men candidates for the
position-such men as DR.. F. J. Shadd. A.
+ HiIyer. and J. H. Meriwe-her. all col
lege graduates all alumni Of Howard Uni
yersitv all men OF business experience
and fine character. But these were all
ignored. being colored, and the president
Of the university went down to one Of the
Government departments, fshed out a
white man holding a subordinate cferkshlp
a about 81 GEO a year, and put him ID the
position 81 1880 a year. merely because
he was the S0n-in-law Of General Balloon,
the same one who complained in The
Times article about the coloTed people
wanting positions Again. the clerk TO
the former secretary was young c0Iored
man named Mitchell. He studied law.
graduated. resigned, and began the prac-
tice Of his profession in Philadelphia. His
successor is a young white woman named
Miss Rugg while a dozen CO!OrCd girls are
denied opportunities for employment in
as many Offices throughout the city mere
" on account Of their color.
The crowniug injustice of this whole
business was reached when the president
of the university. whose salary is Si0n
month. with a handsome residence free.
and nearly 81 600 year additional for al
lowauces appoints his own daughter az
salary of 81 0G0 = year. TO succeed cOlored
woman. when a dozen young cOlorcd w0-
men in Washington could be selected for
less money to fill the position with better