The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1915-03-05
SEGREGATION.
(By Prof. Kelly Miller.)

(By Prof. Kelly Miller.)
The eternal Negro question has
been a disturbing element in public
and national discussion from the
foundation of the government down
to the present hour. The public mind
may seek temporary relief by focus
ing attention on economic material
issues; the perplexed statesman may
put it aside for some more con-
venient season; yet ever anon 1t re-
ours with undated aggrevation.
Even the carnage of the war of
nations entailing the most awful toll
of death that the world has ever ex-
perienced, and which has for the past
few months shunted from public con-
sderation and discussion every other
issue of national or international in
terest, has not been able to relegate
the Negro question to the back
ground.
Mr.. Trotter's Interview.
The recent interview of Mr.. VIM.
Trotter, the intrepid agitator for the
rights of his race, with the President
of the United States, has served as
occasion to bring this issue into keen
public consideration and discussion
For twenty years Mr.. Trotter has
been the most outspoken agitator Of
his race, standing out in CONSPICUOUS
and acrid opposition to the more
passive and pacific spirit and doctrine
of Booker T. Washington. In the in
tensity of his ardor he has been so
violently denunciatory and so bitter
| ly intolerant as to ALLEVIATE the SYM
pathy and cooperation even Of the
radical spirits of his own race.
Courtesy of Utterance.
It is to be deeply deplored if Mr..
Trotter, carried away by zeal for his
cause, indicated any unbecoming
temper or feeling in the presence Of
the President o. the United States.
The Negro will wisely preserve be-
coming constraint Of manner, and
carefulness and caution of utterance,
even though he labors under burdens
which would cause any other element
of our population to violate accepted
ceremonies of procedure in urging
demands. The just claim of the race
will hardly be advanced by spectacu-
lar methods like those Of the suffra-
gettes in England.
Courtesy Does Not Indicate Con-
cession.
On the other hand, the American
people should not be led to suppose
that the race has settled into COM
placent satisfaction with unjust dis
elimination because it fails to pre-
sent its cause in terms Of spectacular
and dramatic appeal. Albeit, the Ne
gro is long suffering; nevertheless
he suffers long. The temper OF the
spokesman bears but incidently upon
the cause which he represents. Mr.
Trotter headed the delegation to pro-
test to the President against the
growing practice Of segregation of
the Negro in the civil service OF the
United States.
Federal Statutes Free from Dis
elimination.
The Federal statute books, so far
are free from race or class legisla-
ton. At the time of the founding
of the Constitution one-fifth of the
population was of African blood and
servile status. But the far-seeing
wisdom of the founder omitted racial
designation or discrimination in the
organic law. A government Boosting
of equality as its basic principle
which should deliberately debase the
weak and helpless among its own
citizens would be an anomaly in the
eyes of the nations of the earth.
Amid all of the passions and tumult
of the anti-slavery conflict the
Federal statutes were kept free from
the odium Of race distinction The
obiter dictum of Chief Justice OF
the Supreme Court which injected race
distinction into the decision OF that
tribunal was swiftly repudiated by
the moral indignation of the aroused
conscience of the American people.
For this government. today. to de-
clare that the Negro shall not enjoy
identical rights and privileges with
the rest Of his fellow-citizens would
be equivalent to the re-establishment
of the discredited dogma OF Judge
fancy. Indeed the principle involved
is Just as vital to the ideal OF the
nation today as It was sixty years