Oxford eagle., 1918-01-17
National Capital News and Views.
Ny Eagles Special Correspondent.

advance their own financial interests,
is demanded by Senator McKeller of
Tennessee, member Of the Senate
Military Affairs Committee, now en-
gagsd in investigating the War De-
partment, The Army, and branches
o. the National Defense Council.
Senator Mcclellan has let it be known
that he would urge the committe to
lay before the Department of Jusice
Immediately the record of the investi-
cation to date, which he declares
shows not only direct violation of the
law in awarding contracts for army
materials and supplies, but also
fragrant profteering on the part of
officials who have volunteered their
services TO the government; COM
monty known as "dollar-a-year-men"
Not all of them, of course, but some
of them. How many and to what
extent. remains not only for Mr.. Nc
keller's committee, but other investi-
eating committees to show. All of
which shows the importance of hav-
ing these Investigations, and the very
great service their members have rem
dered their people back home and
the country at large by staying on
the job during the recent holidays,
rather than to go back home to mind
their own private political fences.
The saddest thing in Washington,
from a white mans point of view, is
the niger question; which up here
they spell it negro" If this is "a
white mans country" white men and
women should be permitted to enjoy
life in the Capitol City of their
country without being subject to in
suit by too intimate contact with an
inferior race. But they are not
Here the negro is in evidence every
where. He has free use to any seat
in the street cars, and he avails him
self of that privilege. He does not
mind in the least, he seems to enjoy,
taking his seat by handsome, we'll
dressed lady. And as for getting
up, when the cars are crowded, as
they nearly always are, and giving or
offering his seat to a lady, it never
occurs to him. Such thought does
not percolate through his burr head.
And he is door-keeper in many of the
government apartments. And he or
she is first assistant to the manager
OF many of the apartment houses,
and the manager is uniformly absent.
Hence if you enter swell apartment
house to inquire for a room, q negro
talks to you and asks for "your refer
ences-" Now what do you think of
that? And he works by the side of
white girls in the government employ;
and he uses the same lavatory and
the same commode with the white.
And he rubs up against you in the
stores and makes no pretense to
make himself small. He, and
especially she, pushes in and seems
, to delight in holding her own at bar
gain counters. And they parade the
parks and occupy the seats like
swarms of black-birds. And they
serve on the police force. And Of
ficial Washington, from the President
down, see it and know it and stand
for it."
The South ought to make a fight
against it. And organized, political
fight. In every congressional dis
trict in the south where white men
control the situation, the issue should
be raised, what are you going to do
about the negro question in Washing
toni" "Will you pledge yourself to
try to do something?" "Wil you
promise not to sit still and submit to
the intolerable condition that now
exist ?"
! And another way to fight it. The
young people of the South, especially
the young women of the South, ought
to refuse to come here and work for
the Government by the side of
negroes. If the Government will not
protect them, they should protect
themselves by refusing Government
employ. The Government needs
them worse than they need the gov
eminent employ, and if they cannot
be protected from such intimate busi-
ness association with negroes. the
boys of the South. and more especial
ly the girls of the South. ought tn
stay away from Washington. hey
ought not to corae here and submit
to things that Town south they would
not endure for IA minute OF a mint
of gold.
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