The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-11-13
SPOKESMAN FOR DELEGATION or
NEGROES OFFENDS PRESIDENT
CONTINUED From First Page3

tween the two races before segrega-
ton was begun.
President Wilson listened to what
they had to say and then told the dele
CATION that Trotter was losing con-
troll of his temper and that he (the
9residenD would not discuss the mat
ter further with him.
After leaving the presidents pri-
va|a Office TrOtter, Maurice V. Spen-
Ger ana others OF the delegation de-
clared their talk had been thorough
iy disappointing" They declared they
would hold mass meeting in Wash
ington Sunday to discuss the aues-
tion.
Mr.. Wilson is understood to have
told the committee the question was
not political one and fnat he would
not take II up on political grounds.
Trotter said in his addreBI that his
committee did not come las wards
looking for charity, but as full
fiedged American citizens, vouchsafed
equality of citizenship by the federal
constitution
Two years ago." said Trotter, "you
were thought to be a second Abraham
Lincoln. the president tried to in
terrupt, asking that personalities be
left out OF the discussion. Trotter
continued to speak and the president
finally told him that If the organiZa-
tfon he represented wished to an
proach him again it must choose an
other sI->.esman adding that he had
enjoyed listening to the other mem
bers of the committee, but that Trot-
tar'c 0{f Il,
dent told Trotter that he was an
American citizen as fully as anybody
else. but that he (Trotter) was the
only American citizen who ever had
come into the White House and ad-
dressed the president in such a tone
and with such a background of pas
sion. Here Trotter denied that he had
any passion, but the president told
him he had spoiled the cause for
which he had come and said
he expected those who professed to
be Christians TO, come to him in a
Christian spirit.
The president spoke frankly, say
ing that If the negro people had made
mistake In voting for him, they
ought to correct it. but that he would
insist that politics should not be
bhOu6ht ihtO tuC QucStiOn DeC6uS@ IL
was not political problem. with
some emotion 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 intolerable burden
OF the office and Of things which he
had to do which were more than the
human spirit could carry.
I'm, nh a nj ~ hos ha a.,
the least for the, political considera-
| tions involved, Mr,, Wilson urged that
he wanted his auditors to understand
| that 1t was q human problem and not
q political problem While the Amer
ican people wanted to support the
| advancement Of the negro, the presi-
dslt was sure that. az practical men:
| everybody knew that there was q
Toint at which friction is apt TO oc-
cur. The question must be stripped
OF sentiment and viewed in its facts.
because the facts got the better OF
the individual whether one desired 1t
or not. req
The president said he thought his
colleagues in the government depart
ments were not trying to put the ne-
gro at disadvantage, hut simply to
vent friction. He added that the ques-
tion involved was not question Of
intrinsic qualities, because all had hui
man souls and were equal in that re-
spect. but that for..the present It was
a question of economic policy wheth-
er the negro race could do the SAM
things that the white race could d.
with equal efficiency. He said he
thought the negroes were proving that
they could. and theS everyone wished
to help them so that they would not
be so dependent, and that their condi-
| tions OF labor would he bettered. The
entire matter, however, should be
treated with recognition OF Its diff
ficulties. Mr.. Wilson said he was
anxious to do what was Just, and
asked for more memoranda from the
committee az to instances of segrega-
tion about which they complained.
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