Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-13
NEGRO LEADER
I IS |Ns0LENT TO
THE PRESIDENT
Delegation Is Informed That
Another Spokesman. Must
Be Appointed if Other In
teWiews Are Granted,
Lsr nannne lousr.l srseI.. .s.ase wln.l

. | Boston, 1feNuent wilson today ende
. an Interview with delegation Of ne
grocs who called at the White Hous
60 protest against race segregation 4
I government departments. with
wurnng that If the negroes wante,
60 see him again they would have Il
get another spokesman. The presi
dent said he had not been addresse,
IL such fashion since he entered tn
White House.
fifteen-minute interview hat
been arranged for the callers and tn,
president received them IN his offic,
with only his stenographer present
The delegation formally compliance
that Postmaster General Burleson
Secretary McAdoo and Comptroller
Williams, OF the treasury, were en-.
forcing segregation Of white and ne.
gro employees in their offices. Mr.
Wilson listened to the statement and
then replied at length, explaining that
he had investigated this matter HIM
self and had been assured that no dis
crimination had boen practiced
against the negroes and that segrega-
ton had been inaugurated to avoid
friction between the races, not to in
lure the negro. He added that he
WAS deeply Interested in the negro
race and admired II for the progress II
had made.
at this point Trotter ana other
members Of the delegation took issue
with the president They declared the
negro people did not seek charity or
assistance, but took the position they
had equal rights with the whites and
, that these rights should be respected.
( 81 81. -.
I sisted. before The segregation was
started
Mr.. Wilson waited for the protest 10
end. Then he told the delegation that
he could not discuss the matter fur
ther. He closed with The quiet but
emphatic statement that Trotter had
lost control Of his temper and that he
tthe presdenD could not be talked to
IN such q manner.
When the negroes left they said
their talk had been "thoroughly dis
appointing and that they would hold
mass meeting in Washington next
sunday TO protest against further seq
regation.
Trotter said in his address that his
committee did not come as wards
looking for charity, but as full-fledg-
ed American citizens, vouchsafed
equality Of citizenship by the federal
constitution.
Two years ago" said Trotter, you
were thought to be n second Abraham
Lincoln The president tried to in
terrupt, asking that personalities be
LETT out of the discussion. Trotter
continued to speak and the president
finally told him that If the organiza-
he 4sfsfs a
proach him again, IL must choose an
other spokesman. adding that he had !
enjoyed listening to the other men, I
bers Of the committee, but that Trot- /
ters tone was offensive. The president |
told Trotter that he WAS an American 4
citizen as fully as anybody else, but /
that he (frotter), was the only
American citizen who had ever come \
into the White House and addressed
the president In such tone and such
4 BACKGROUND of passion.
Here Trotter denied that he had
any passion, but the president told i
him he had spoiled the cause for
which he had come and said he ex-
pected those who professed to be
Christians To come to him in d Chris
ian spirit. The negro spokesman con-
tinued to argue that he was merely
.rying TO show how the colOred peo-
pie felt. and asserted that he and
others were now being branded as
raitors TO their race because they
advised the colored people to sup
tort the ticket"
This mention of votes caused Mr.
Wilson to say that politics must be
eft out because IL was a form of
)laelxmail. lie said he would resent Ii
II ar. F I
,ther. and that his auditors could
iote as they pleased, il mattered lit
lie to him so long as he was sure he
vas doing the right thing at the right
ime.
The president spoke frankly, saying
hat if the colored people had made
mistake IN voting for him, they I
ught TO correct it, but that he would
asist that politics should not be
rought into the question because ii /
ias not political problem.
With some emotion he declared he {
las not seeking office and that man 4
fho sought the office Of the presi- 5
oncy was a fool for his pains.
He spoke OF the intolerable bur- {
en- of the office, said things which |
G had to do with we're more than Z
ne human spirit could carry. En-
,ast for the political consideration 9
ivolved. Mr.. Wilson urged that he [
'anted his auditors to understand !
hat Il was a human problem and Il
OF political problem. While thej 4
merican people wanted to support
le advancement OF the negro, the 4
resident WAS sure that MS practical y
len everybody knew there was
oint at which friction is apt TO oc-
IN The Quesiion must he stripped Of
,ntiment and viewed in it's facts. he-
iuse the facts got the better of the
whether one desired II or =
1t.
The president said he thought his I
llleagues in the government de- =
lrtments were not trying to put the !,
egro ut a disadvantage. but simply =
make arrangements which would 4
recent friction, He added that the =
iestion involved was not question e.
intrinsic qualities because all hui q
an souls were equal in that respect, -
At that for the present, it was "
lestion of economic policy whether =,
Re negro race could do the same u
ings that the white race could do y
it'll equal efficiency He said he W
ought the negroes We're proving =
at they could. and that every one Is
lshed to help them so that they 81
ould not be so dependent. and that y
cir conditions of labor would be
tered. The entire matter. however. OK
ould be treated with a recognition "a
its difficulties, Mr.. Wilson said he III
As anxious to dor what was just and
ked for more memoranda from the
mnhttee as 10 Instances of scgrega-
n about which they complained. m,
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onty One 'BfoNo QtlNiNE. To-