The Washington bee., 1911-01-21

when you waged me a new hat that
Mr.. Harrison would be elected, and
| the results of that election speaks
for itself Little did l think. at that
time, that / would ever have the pleas
ure of meeting you in the city OF
Washington, but IS years today.
on my arrival in Washington,
having been appointed to pO-
sition in the War Department, and
looking over my letter book, | came
across a card with the following in
scription: "W Calvin Chase. Editor OF
Washington Bee, and Attorney-at-
Law, 100 | Street Northwest, and
looking on the back of this card |
found the bet that we had Wagered in
indianapolis, and the size of the hat
that you wore after going to the
place where I had secured board and
lodging, | started out to find 100
street northwest, and | shall never
forget when l rang the bell at your
office on that Sunday afternoon, and
when YOU came to the door and ]
handed you my card, stating that pos
sibly you had forgotten me, and when
you made the following reply: "Oh,
no, | know you. You are Mr.. Chas.
C. Curtis, Of Iowa Where is that
hat?" And from that day until the
present time | have always found you
a true and personal friend There
have been times that we have differed
politically, but at no time have we
ever been enemies. / want to con-
gratulate you and your paper as be-
ing one of the greatest Negro journals
iTCh nr71v in
ton, but Of the entire country. | have
been reader of The Washington Bee
for over twenty years, and | have
always admired the courageous efforts
you have made III the defense of the
American Negro.
l have seen a great many Negro pa
pers inaugurated in Washington, but
they. like mushrooms, have come up
and faded away. I want to say that
l believe that | voice the sentiment
of the thinking class of colored citi-
zens of Washington, that if the Ne
groes would give their moral and
financial support to The Washington
Bee that it would be instrumental in
protecting the Negro in all of his po-
litical and civil rights, not only in
Washington, but the entire country.
want to congratulate you on your
editorial on the Passing Show, where
you say that it means a passing out of
the Negro Republicans from various
departments. | heartily concur with
you when you say that the Negro
Democrats ought to be given places
held by so-called Negro Republicans,
some of whom have never voted a
Republican or Democratic ticket in
their life Then there are men on the
pay rolls who have a vote, but who
never go home to exercise the elective
campaign shows in several States and
Congressional districts that their vote
would have been instrumental in saw
ing many a Republican Congressman
from defeat I believe that every man
in the Government employ, whether
protected by Civil Service or not,
should exercise the elective franchise,
and should aid the party to which they
owe their appointment, either by 60
ing home to vote OF giving their moral
and financial support. There has been
great many organizations formed
during and since the campaign 1t IS
we'll known fact that | represent the
National Co1Ored Personal Liberty
League, which is supposed TO be a
non-partisan organization, and the
record will show that we have sup
ported both Democrats and Republi-
cans when personal liberty was an
issue. | want to pay a tribute to that
old veteran and uncOmpromising Ne
gro Democrat. c. MOOre-who has
made one of the greatest sacrifices of
any Negro in the United States for
the cause of Democracy. Mr. Moore
is a Democrat three hundred and
sixty-five days in a year, and his 10y
atty and fidelity to the party speaks
for itself He is not Negro Demo
crat for revenue only, but he has the
courage of his convictions, and he
and others who are associated with
him will be important factors in
1912.
Thanking you for consuming so
much of your valuable paper.
Respectfully yours,
CHARLES c. CURTIS.
National Organizer, National Colored
Personal Liberty League.