The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1917-03-31
sPINcARN.
(From the Boston Guardian J

one OF the painful surprises of the
last two months as events seemed to
promise a chance for the relief of
cOlOred Americans from the ban of
segregation is the course pursued by
Prof. Joel E. Spingarn. Though hav-
ing spoken out as an opponent of
legal or governmental color segrega-
ton, by which course he secured the
confidence of the race to large de-
gree, Prof. Spingarn, Chairman Of the
Board Of Directors of the National
Association for the Advancement of
COlored people, has come out in ia
vor of new form of color segrega-
ton by the federal government. Not
only so, but DR.. Spingarn after max
ing himself auspicious as an oppon-
ent of residence segregation and fed
eral segregation, has been very ac-
lively using his influence as a friend
of the race to induce colored men to
accept and presumably endorse and
assist a new proposed segregation by
the War Department.
For several weeks DR.. Spingarn has
had in the colored newspapers all
over the country a circular letter urg-
ing colored men to apply for admis-
sion to U. S. Military Training Camp
OF army officers exclusively for colored
men. He has literally gone up and
down the country electioneering, in
fact trying virtually to stampede col
ored men into this strictly Jim Grow
educational measure, doing so at the
very time a Bourbon Southern Con-
gresham has introduced a bill for a
regular Jim-Crow West Point.
Fortunately most, if not all, of the
leading colored newspapers, have op.
posed this extension of federal segre-
cation. The Chicago Defender, Cleve-
land Gazette, THE APPEAL, st. Paul,
New York Age, New York News, The
Freeman, The Afro-American, and
many others oppose the Spingarn ap-
peal to compromise our rights.
This is not merely a matter of
accepting or not accepting segrega-
tion for here is a white leader of col.
ored folks who has been a protestator
of color segregation, especially the
new Departmental segregation under
this Wilson administration now advo.
eating another new color segregation
Of the Wilson regime. It becomes
first a question of inconsistency, for
colored Americans, though fighting in
four colored regiments, have members
of the race living and acting trained
to be officers in West Point with the
white cadets. To accept this separate
military training establishment relin.
quishes or appears to, our rights to GO
to West Point. .-...
In the second place the endorse
ment of an erstwhile opponent of seq
regation lends added help to the fed
eral segregators and works to break
down the colored opposition to segre-
cation with added strength. It either
looks like a change of front on the
issue by it's opponents or takes from
the segregation move some of it's fla
GRANGE.
In the third place the great activity
of DR.. Spingarn as white man, one
outside the race, on such vital mat
ter in promoting any segregation
measure by this administration, is un.
fortunate. 1t seems officious and com
ing at a time when this unworthy
administration is getting into a very
tight place, for a professed white
friend to try to rush aid to the Will
son forces in corraling colored assist
ance, savors too much of exploitation
AS THE APPEAL of St. Paul says
after referring to the fact that DR.
Spingarn or his ancestors have es
capped from the Jewish Ghetto in Rus
STA: What is the difference between
the segregation in the departments at
Washington and segregation in the
training of c0lored Americans, who
are to fight for their country"
Dr. ,Spingarn's reason for this ad-
mitted segregation, namely, that it
will provide, colored officers is met
by THE APPEALS protests against
compromising the rights of the race;
his claim that such Jim-Crow trained
officers would be means of fighting
for a wide open army by the single
sentence:-"You cannot defeat preju
dice by compromising with it,