Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-13
A REGRETTABLE INCIDENT

VIE at yes
terday, involving hot words be-
- tween President Wilson and the
chairman of negro delegation
calling at the White House to protest
against the segregation of races in the
governmental departments, is re-
grettable for several reasons. First,
that the chairman of the delegation so
far forgot himself as to show dis
respect for the President of the United
States, and second, that there should
ever have been occasion for such an
appeal as the colored men found it
necessary to make.
That the chairman of the protesting
committee lost his temper and dis
played anything but good manners is
no more eXcusable than the discrimi-
nation shown at Washington against
the colored men since the Democratic
party assumed control. 1t will not do
for the President to say the segre-
cation that has been going on since
March 4, 1913. has no political sig
nificance. Everything in the United
States government that affects the
rights or privileges of any citizen,
black or white, is of importance po-
litically. And it is unquestionably true
that in the postal department and the
treasury department, especially, ne
groes have been ousted from positions
they have filled acceptably for years or
have been crowded off by themselves
into offices where the pay is less and
the work not so desirable.
Ever since the Civil War white and
| colored employees of these departments
have labored side by side without fric-
ton. 1t has been one of the bright
spots in the outlook of the negro race
in America that the government of the
United States did not recognize color
as a bar to any office and that in
Washington, at least. members of the
race might rise through merit to po-
sitions of honor and decent pay. Yet
no sooner did the administration
change from Republican to Democratic
than the Postmaster General and the
Secretary of the Treasury announced
that segregation was necessary tc
|
not with the object of injuring the
negroes"
! However we may feel on the race
question: one and all, if we are at hear
good Americans. we must acknowledge
! that this is not government for any
one race or color, but for all the people
of this country, and that a Jim Grow
| -s....
to the very principles of the Consti.
| tuition. Every citizen ought to have
full opportunity in fact as we'll a.
theory to serve the State as his natura
abilities, inclinations and opportunitie.
afford.
No matter what has been said ol
will be said, the segregation rule a.
Washington was put into effect as
deliberate discrimination against the
negroes. The Democratic administra.
ton is under the thumb of the South
The President himself is a Southerner
Washington reeks with the atmospher,
of the South, which is naturally an
tagonistic to the elevation of the negro
however much it may argue to the
contrary. The Democratic party is il
it's every attribute and characteristic
opposed to the best interests of tn,
negro race, as it has very we'll demon
strated in recent months. The welfar,
of the colored man in national affair
has lain with the Republican part,
ever since President Lincoln signed tn
emancipation proclamation, but larg
number forgot that fact in the election
of 1912. Now they are reaplng tn
harvest of their error.