The Washington bee., 1907-03-09
OPEN LETTER
To Hon. George B. Cortelyou, Secretary
of the Treasury:

cir.Your ability as a diplomat hav-
mo- been recognized by three different
Presidents. your honesty and integrity
t7ying been established beyond question,
T desire to congratulate you on your ad-
,.srrement to the secretaryship of the
greatest business department in the en-
~. world. There IS no man in the
goyemment service, Mr.. Cortelyou, who
Can say less and do more effective work
than YOUR distinguished self. EXPIRES
;dsnt Cleveland found great elements OF
force in you; the late President Nc
KinIey found it necessary to perpetuate
your greatness, and President Roose-
Welt deemed it advisable to permit you
10 put your greatness and worth into
execution by first making you Secretary
of Commerce and Labor, in which posi-
ti5n YOU acquitted yourself with honor
and dignity. The President concluded
that that office was too small for the
man. hence you were promoted to the
Postmaster Generalship. So well have
Won performed the duties of that Office
BY the prosecution of grafters you have
been transferred and promoted to a stll
greater Office, namely, the secretaryship
Of the Treasury Department of the Unit
ed States. No man, Mr.. Cortelyou, in
50 short period of time has made such
record. and no man so young has so
distinguished himself. 1t is a record
that will be handed down to poSterlty
as a monument of which any nation
cannot help from admiring But, MIR.
Cortelyou. have you ever thought of
the millions of colored Americans who
are now being Disseminated against!
VIII YOU never turn your attention to
the gross discrimination in the several
departments under your new admins
tration? VIII you correct existing evils
and abuses against the colOred Ameri-
cans in the several Offices of your new
department., especially in the Bureau OF
Engraving and Printing? Your late
predecessor, Mr.. Shaw, partly corrected
one gross evil and wrong against the
colored employees in the washroom OF
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing,
bv placing in that branch windows that
would enable faithful employees to more
freely breathe. No white laborer, no
matter how ignorant he may be, is sell
dom or ever placed IN this branch OF
the government service. Colored men
who has passed the Civil Service exam
before he left for the West. He re-
nation are generally sent to the wash
room, where they remain until they con-
tract heavy colds and die of consump-
ton
/ also desire to call your attention to
the discrimination against colored men
who a~e classed as laborers and are
doing the same work, but don't receive
the same pay. Will you correct these
evils, Mr.. Cortelyou The colored Am
orleans are human; they cannot and dare
not speak of these wrongs, but must
tamely submit to them or be discharged.
1t is asserted by some that this is a
commercial administration, in which hu-
man rights cut no figure. Don't be
deceived. Human rights should be par
amount issues in every government.
Without human rights, there can be no
good government. 1t will be the down.
fall of Russi and indeed no government
is safe that fails to protect the rights
Of the people.
You declared to Mr. Cleveland, at
the time you were asked by him to be-
come his private secretary, that you were
Republican, you were told that it made
no difference. The late President rec
. osntzsd in you merit,
Tie COl0red Americans have been al
ways taught to believe that all Repub-
Eeaas are their friends, in whom they
may look for protection and recogni-
ton. But is this true in every instance?
They believe that many a man calling
himself a Republican is more inlmlcal
.o him than those who believe in the
principles Of the Democratic party, There
are good Democrats in the South, and
there are many, I am informed that are
controlled and Influenced by the good
white women in the South who viii not
permit or allow outrages to be perpe-
.--d upon the colored people. 1 do
-.. believe that the good white women
Of The South indorse these OutrageS that
are frequently committed upon colored
citizens. There are many who believe
IN human rights. There are many who
have no sympathy for the rights of the
oppressed.
Coming, as you do. from the great
State Of New York, the metropolis of
the world. all men should look alike
to YOU. All men should be treated as
american citizens. I hope that you will