The Washington bee., 1911-01-21
ODen Letter

To the President Of the United States:
Sir. I want to call your attention
to the growing discrimination III the
several executive departments OF the
Government. 1t seems, MI President,
that the subordinate chiefs have had
an understanding which gives them
nermission TO do as they please to-
ward the colored employees. COndl-
tions are worse today than they have
been for a number OF years. You have
been badly advised, Mr.. President.
Vo,1r Postmaster General, Frank
Hitchcock. has made you more enc
mics among all classes of Americans
than anv other member of your Cabl-
net 60 far as colored Americans are
concerned, they don't like him at all.
Thev have never seen anything IN him,
You would imagine that he was PreSi-
dent instead of yourself. Mr.. Presl-
dent. I understand that he IS not to
have charge of your next campaign
If he does, the few COlOTed men who
have remained in the party VIII bid
farewell to you. You have to be care
ful. Mr.. President, and select men
who are not afraid to talk and express
their own opinions. | have been IN
formed that you have been mlsunder-
stood. [ am glad to know that you
will have a change OF heart, and the
cOlOred Americans have misunder'
stood YOU. | can tell better, Mr.. Pres
ident. when you take a hand IN our 10
cal government and make few
changes. We have three COmmlsson.
doubtful
the other verv doubtful None OF them
have decided to appoint representa-
tive colored man to a place as yet. l
was informed by one of your Com
missiOners, Mr.. President, who IS the
only simon pure Republican on the
board. that a ColOred man held rep
resentative place. have not Deen
able TO find MIN. If he does he was
appointed by a former Commissioner
Mr.. MaCFarland. Do you know, MI
President. that not a cOlOred man has
been appointed on the police force
since the retirement OF Mir. west!
NV friend, Mr.. West, would read the
riot act to his chief of police and give
him to understand that COlOred men
had to be appointed on the force
Since his retirement our chief appoints
if he pleases, and if he doesn't want
to appoint he doesn't appoint, although
the police department is under Cen
eral Johnston. However, don't be-
lieve that one has been appointed since
a change in the COmmlSslOnerShlp
Nv friend Pratt, Mr.. President, pri-
vate secretary to Commissioner John-
son, would make a good Ch1et OF po-
lice. He is a practical young man
and a wide awake individual. Why
not, Mr.. Johnson, transfer him to the
police department? There are times
when men grow too old in place.
Perhaps, if few more changes were
made in our local government, Mr..
President, a few cOlOred citizens
would be appointed. There must be a
change in YOUR policies, Mr.. President.
The understrapper in your admlnlstra-
ton must be given to understand that
all citizens must be treated alike. l
understand that in the Census Othce,
Treasury Department, Interior De-
partment and one other department
under the general government, coiored
men have been gwen TO understand
that they cannot be promoted, on ac-
count of their color. All OF this color
business. Mr.. President, sprung up
under your administration, and very
soon after you delivered your inaugu-
raj address. If a colored man IS en-
ployed at all in the departments, he
is given a menial place. II he is GER
tilted from the Civil Service to some
department, after having passed the
examination, a subterfuge IS given
him. Why can't you call the attention
of the Civil Service Commission to
this discrimination, Mr.. President, and
recommend to Congress the passage
of a law making it a felony for any
department to object to the appoint
ment of a person after he has been
certified by the Civil Service Commis-
sion? Believe me. Mr.. President,
when l tell you that there Is political
danger ahead, and unless there IS an
immediate remedy, something will be
doing in 1912. Yours truly,
The Editor.