The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1914-11-14
|LSON 'LECTURED
BY NEGRO, OBJECTS
TO ANGRY TONES
Washington, November 13.

Z
Boston, President Wilson yesterday
ended an interview with delegation
of negroes who called at the White
House to protest against race Sc
gregation in government depart
ments, with a warning that if the
negroes wanted to see him again they
would have to get another spokes-
man. The president said he had not
! been addressed in such fashion since
he entered the White House.
A fifteen minute interview had
been arranged for the callers and
the president received them in his
office with only his stenographer
present. The delegation complained
formally that Postmaster General
Burleson, Secretary McAdoo and
Comptroller Williams, of the treas
ury, were enforcing segregation of
white and negro employees in their
offices.
Mr.. Wilson listened to the state
ment and then replied at length, ex-
planning that he had investigated this
matter himself and had been assured
that no discrimination had been prac-
ticed against negroes and that segre-
cation had been inaugurated to avoid
friction between the races, not to
injure the negro. He added he was
deeply interested in the negro race
and admired it for the progress it
had made.
THEY WANT TO ARGUE.
At this point Trotter and others of
the delegation took issue with the
president. They declared that the ne
gro people did not seek charity or as
sistance, but held that they had equal
rights with the whites and that these
rights should be respected. There
had been no friction, they insisted,
before the segregation was started.
| Mr.. Wilson waited for the protest
to end. Then he told the delegation
that he could not discuss the matter
further He closed with the quiet but
emphatic statement that Trotter had
lost control of his temper and that he
| (the president) could not be talked to
| in such a manner.
/ When the negroes left they said
their talk had been thoroughly dis
appointing" and that they would hold
a mass meeting in Washington next
Sunday to protest further against
segregation.
| Trotter came to the White House
with a prepared speech, to which the
president listened 1t was after deliv-
ering this address, however that Trot-
| ter made remarks in tone which dis
/ pleased President Wilson.
ANOTHER VISIT.
| In the address Trotter reminded
the president that the delegation call
ed on Mr.. Wilson year ago, at which
time he had promised to investigate
the question.
| we obdISu, Soiu I1OlISI, Ltidt
there could be no freedom, no respect
from others, and no equality of eiti-
zenshin under the segregation fer
races. For such placement of employees
means charge by the government
of physical indecency or infection, or
of being lower order of beings, or
of subsection to the prejudice of
other citizens, which constitutes in
feriority of status.
A DEGRADATI0N.
'We stated that such segregation
was publis humiliation and degra-
dation entirely unmerited and far
reaching in its injurious effects. Now
after the lapse of year we have
come back, having found that all the
reforms ef segregation of govern
ment employees of African extraction
are still being practiced in the, treas
ury and postoffice department build
ings, and to certain extent have
| spread into other government build
ings."
/ Trotter said his committee did not
come "as wards looking for charity,
but as fuli-fedged American citizens.
vouehsafed equality of citizenship by
the. federal constitution"
Two years ago." said Trottey, s'seu
were thought ta be second Abraham
Lincoln the president tried to in
tarrupt, asking that personalities be
left out of the discussion. Trotter
continued to speak and the president
finally told him that IL the organiza-
tion he represented wished to an
proach him again it must choose an
other spokesman, adding that he had
enjoyed listening to the other mem
bers of the committee, but that Trot
ter's tone was offensive. The presi-
dent told Trotter that he was aa
American citizen as fully as anybody
else, but that he iTrotter) was the
only American citizen who ever had
come to the White House and adj
dressed the president in such tone
aed With such background of pas
sion. Here Trotter denied that he
had any passion, but the president
told him he had spoiled his cause for
which ne had come and said he ex-
lpected those who professed to be