The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1914-11-14
Christian to come to him in Christ

ian spirit.
| The negro spokesman continued to
argue that he was merely trying to
show how the negro people felt and
asserted that he and others were be-
ing branded as traitors to their race
because they advised the negro people
to support the ticket.
This mention of votes caused Mr.
Wilson to say politics must be left
out, because it was a form of black.
mail. He said he would resent it as
! quickly from one set of men as from
another and that his auditors could
vote as they pleased, as it mattered
little to him SO long as he was sure
he was doing the right thing at the
right time.
The president spoke frankly saying
that if the negro people had made a
mistake in voting for him they ought
to correct it, but that he would insist
that politics should not be brought
into the question because it was not
a political problem. With some emo
tion he declared he was not seeking
Office and that man who sought the
office of the presidency was fool for
his pains.
He spoke of the untolerable burden
of the Office and of things which he
had to do which were more than the
human spirit could carry.
Emphasizing that he did not care
in the least for the political consid-
erations involved, Mr.. Wilson urged
that, he wanted his auditors to under
stand that it was a human problem
and not a political problem. While
the American people wanted to sup
port the advancement of
the negro the president was sure
that as practical men everybody knew
that there was a point at which fric-
tion is apt to occur. The question
must be stripped of sentiment and
viewed in its facts, because the facts
SOt GllC UGItSI VI LllG IIluIVLQQ0t
| whether one desired it or not.
The president said he though his
colleagues in the government depart
ments were not trying to put the ne
gro at disadvantage but simply to
make arrangements which would pre-
vent friction.
He added that the question involv-
ed was not a question Of intrinsic
qualities, because all had human
souls and were equal in that respect,
but that for the present it was a
question of economic policy whether
the negro race couldait the same
| things that the white race could do
with equal efficiency. He said he
thought the negroes were proving
that they could, and that every one
wished to help them SO that they
would not be SO dependent, and that
their conditions of labor would be
better. The entire matter, however,
| should be treated with a recognition
of its difficulties. Mr.. Wilson said
he was anxious to do what was Just,
and asked for more memoranda from
the committee as to instances of seq
regation about which they complain
ed.
The delegation presented a resoiu-
ton of the Massachusetts, legislature
and letters from several Massachu-
setts Democratic members of con-
gress, protesting against race segre-
gatson in federal government depart.
ments.
BOSTON BOWS TO NEGROES.
Boston, November Is.
The old plantation songs, "My Old
Kentucky Home" "Oh, Susannah,"
"Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground -
are insults to the negro race. ac-
cording to speakers, negro and white,
who appeared today at hearing be-
fore the Basten school committee. AS
a Result of their protest the COM
mlttee voted Immediately to with
draw from the schools book of fortv
songs recently compiled by the mus
ical director,
The objections to the songs were
based partly on the use of the words
sDarkey,o "nigger," and "coon."