The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1914-11-21
WILSON and THE NEGROES

President Wilson would have spared himself the
noyance of loss of equnmty if he had refused to hear
the delegation which wished to protest against the ssgre
CATION Negro employees of the government in Washing
ton He easily could have replied to the request for
audience that the matter of department and bu
reau administration in which he did not interfere Then
the department heads would have to do the suffering and
it would have been less important.
By giving his opinions officially even if not publica
y Mr. Wilson put the head of the government in the po
stion of denying the principles of the government and his
situation awkward and ~ pleasant.
The Negro question in the north of the United States
generally is answered by compromise between prejudice
and deaistic conception of pure right In the south
it is answered any practical fashion that may be adopt
ed by the whites In both sections the situation happ
est when it is unvexed
Abstractly considered it is an impossible situation
but it has knack of finding adjustments Whites and
blacks manage get along together in spite of every
why they should not get along Sometimes it almost
that deferng definite plan of adjustment only
deferrng and magnfyng the ultimate evil but experience
reveals that the question: unagtated has way of work
ing itself out.
President Wilson very nearly establishing a
tiona program of be given the Negro when
he defended segregation If that step is be taken it
certainly is serious and Mr. Wilson would be in bet
position he representing national rather than
sectional sentiments.
1t may be admitted that segregation satisfies the pre-
JUDGE and the practical ideas of great majority of
whites north and south The difficulty is that does not
the approval of at least the northern conscience.
The ideal of equality and citizenship persists of the
cherished ideals of American citizens and when citizen
least nrherner finds that has become nconvenient
to defend accept that ideal he becomes restless
In fashion the question is aggravated in the
north than in the south In the south the rule of white
dominance is established and maintained without question
The north accepts the souhs judgment to its
cesstie In the north there is least theoretical
cesson that the Negro is fully established in all POLITICAL
and social rights In the latter respect this fiction al
though law maintain it is and the sup
posed to enforce the law.
We do not have much trouble in compromising and,
in the hope that the question has inherent in its
luton, best satisfied when the situation is rri
ated. Mr.. Wilson did lrrate it and to purpose. He
ought have known that the nation does know what
y to declare any principles any programs
We are not ready concede that any body of citizen
ship has less standing under the law than any other. 1t
is true but to admit it officially offensive Mr. Wilson
cond have avoided the interview and that the only
sensible thing he could have done If the south wishes
risk any such issue this will find that the north where
prejudice is violent nevertheless restless when part of
the nation st is asked declare that the main principle of
the nation is piece of hypocrisy and does not apply
where it is inconvenent
Chicago Tribune.