The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1917-03-03
The Wilson Preparation Method.
(FrOm the New York News.)

| Shocking and disgraceful as is the
bill now offered into Congress by that
Rabid Tennesseean Austin to establish
Jim-Crow West Point, the pronounce
ment Of the Administrations expert
! on whose recommendation Postmaster
Morgan of New York City was dis
missed-that twelve hundred dollars a
year is too much for colored clerk,
is far worse and more dangerous. That
the Woodrow Wilson War Department
should seek to build up armies when
the war clouds began to lower with
the color lines drawn absolutely was
to be expected. That Jim-Crow West
Points and Annapolises should be pro-
posed was but consistent with the jim
Grow record of the Wilson regime.
That was but the logical conclusion of
its cowardly thwarting of colored citi-
zens efforts to be equal Americans.
We were not prepared, however, for
the National Association for the Ad-
vancement of COlored People to pro-
pose the same thing. We have never
yet been persuaded that it's treasurer,
Oswald Garrison Willard, was advanc-
ing the interests of cOlored people
when he permitted under any circum-
stances his great and influential daily
to aid and abet Woodrow Wilson's re-
election. But what shall we say when
that most stalwart of race equality ad-
vocates, it's chairman of directors, Joel
Il. Splngarn, comes out in a circular
now before us urging Educated Col
ored Men of the United States" into
military training damp for colored
men" Words fail us. Being CHART
able let us say: Verify the Advance
ment Association has been the first
to lose it's head in the national excite
ment and has gone blindly. bag and
baggage, into the camp of the enemy.
With what precipitate haste and con-
fusion does Prof Spingarn calmly con-
found the educated colored men?"
He first adjures them ito assume your
right places as leaders of American,
life. The next paragraph of his mani
festo contradictory per sc of the first,
urges them to become leaders at the
>Jim-Crow training camp The Consti-
tuition of the United States neither
provides for nor permits a Jim-Crow
West Point. Yet Prof. Spingarn PUSHES
pell-mell into the support of this very
abominable thing. The third para
graph, however, of the Spingarn mani
festo is the piece de resistance of
American equality and race leadership
The races devout champion rushes
hastily on thusly:
Il do not believe that colored men
should be separated from other Ameri-
cans in any field of life; but the crisis
is too near at hand to discuss prin-
clples and opinions, and it seems to
me that there is only one thing for you
to do at this juneture, and that is to
get the training that will fit you to be
otlcers, however and wherever and
whenever this training may be OBJ
tanned. If two hundred of you do not
send applications Immediately, the op-
portunity may be lost forever.""
Better the opportunity lost forever
than that colored men should them
selves set up national military Jim
Grow training camp. The idea is mon
strous. Educated colored men, Profess
sor, are not the typeaof men you want.
II the country is in the crisis where
1t is in dire need of colored men to.
o1fer up their lives for it. perhaps the
united States will eventually yield to
the Dolnt of having them-these "edu-
Gated colored men"-contaminate other
Americans at West Point and Platts-
burgh: In the name of all that is just
and sacred, gentlemen of the National
advancement Association for Colored
People. you really do not want edu-.
Gated cOlored men to set up national
Jlm-CroW institutions in this century
IN America and then go out to lay
down their lives to perpetuate these
Jlm-CroW institutions in the land of
the free and the home of the brave.
minimizing and unjust as is this
proposition that educated colored men
must accept different training camps
70 prepare for war, it differs not at
all IN practice from this declaration
OF the post Office official that colored
clerks should get different wages from
Wh'te clerks. In this crucial hour
tnese are mad measures, which will
d.Vlde and dissipate the patriotism and
energy OF the nation black and white.
and cooperation, har-
mony and union of the forces of all
the people beneath the Stars and
Strlpes, should be the watchwords of
.ne natlon's preparation. In bitter
hours OF dlrest need the nation will
come TO this conclusion. This is not
the wilson way. The American gov
eminent will eventually come to it.
Why not now? Let the black man
nght when he fights for a square deal
and Tor one service, both postal and
military.