The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-11-13
WILSON REFUSES TO
HEAR An |RATE BLACK
Boston Negro Warns Up Over
Segregation Question.
STEPS OVER ALL BOUNDS.
President Tells Negroes They Must
Get Another Spokesman Before
He Will Hear Them Again.

washington, NOV. ..-iTeSluenJ
Wilson while receiving delegation
of negroes today who came to the
White House to protest against
segregating the race in government
departments, objected TO the tone
adopted thy their spokesman. w. NJ.
Trotter of Boston, and told the COM
mittee that if 1T called on him again
it would have to get new chair
man. The President added he had
not been addressed in such manner
since he entered the White House.
The delegation charged that Sec
retary McAdoo and Comptroller
Williams, in the treasury, and Post
master General Burleson had en-
forced segregation rules in their Of
fees. President Wilson replied that
he had investigated the question
and had been assured that there had
been no discrimination in the COM
forts and surroundings given to the
negroes. He added he had been in
formed by officials that the segre-
cation had been started to avoid
friction between the races and not
with the object of injuring the neg
roes. The President said that he was
deeply interested in the negro race
and greatly admired it's progress He
declared the thing to be sought by
the negro people was complete in
dependence of white people and that
he felt the white race was willing
to do everything possible for them.
Trotter and other members took
issue with the President declaring
the negro people did not seek charity
or assistance, but that they took
the position that the negroes had
equal rights with the whites and
that those rights should be respect
ed. They denied that there had been
any friction between the two races
before segregation was begun.
President Wilson listened to what
they had say and then told the dele
CATION that Trotter was losing con
troll of his temper and that 1.-The
President would not discuss the mat
ter further with him.
After leaving the Presidents pri-
vate Office Trotter, Maurice V. Spen
Ger and others of the delegation de-
clared their talk had been thor
oughly disappointing. They declar-
ed they would hold a mass meeting
in Washington Sunday to discuss the
question.
Mr.. Wilson Is understood to have
told the committee the question: was
not political one and that he would
not take 1t up on political grounds.
Trotter came to the White House
with a prepared speech to which the
President listened. 1t was after de-
livering this address. however, that
Trotter made remarks in n tone
which displeased President Wilson.
In delivering the address Trotter
reminded the President that dele
cation called on Mr.. Wilson year
ago and at which time he had prom
ised to investigate the question.
1--WE stated" said Trotter, that
there would be no freedom, no re-
spect from others and no equality of
citizenship under segregation for
race. For such placement of en-
ployes means charge by the gov
ernment of physical indecency or in
fection or of being lower order OF
beings or a subiectlon to the pre-
judice of other citizens which con-
stitutes inferiority of status
I'VE stated that such segregation
was public humiliation and degra-
dation entirely unmerited and far
reaching in its injurious effects, Now
after the lapse of a year we have
come back. having found that all the
reforms OF segregation of Govern
nent employees of African extraction
are still being practiced in the
Treasury and Postoffice Department
buildings, and to q certain extent
have spread into other Government
buildinss."
The delegation presented a resolu-
don OF the Massachusetts, Legisla
ture and letters from several Mas
sachuetts Democratic members of
Congress protesting against race
segregation in Federal Government
departments.