Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-09-07
/ Riot OPPRESSION IN
DEPARTMENTS 1T
WASHINGTON

Thc discrimination against ana
ScgroEa ion Of colorrd men ami women
in the Government offices here at
Washing,on which shortly ait"r
March i. 1913 became an isidi"uS
nightmare to dampcu the ardor Nt a.
piratiuu and kindlr fires OF resent
mcnt within the heads ana hearts ol
colorrd people hats now become
riot oppression.
THE Department of Labor whose
function in these times Wlrn bloody
Mars stands upon the hridG" OF i'or
ror and hrrkunA his battalion OF
death on. had been unable to rival
in the public press the tire" oth"f
,drpar,mrnlS which have most to q"
with the war is ,hc latcS offender.
When the Department ot Labor gave
appointment To Professor Haynes
rolOrcd man and hrStoWrd upon MN
the hich sounding and at thc same
time mystic title uf "nir"ctor of Ne
gro Economics" Il faint hope ailam
cd in the hearts Of our race so FAR
as that Department WAS concerned
that Tn" race WAS nc;uing the graz
ing fields Of JuS'irc.
When Professor Haynes was start
cd on Il iour to hold labor coniCronc
cs in various States for The purpose
os uradcmiral,y declared 10 "moh.
li2c colorrd labor To help win the
war ana secure for il n place in tn"
sun when industrial reconstruction
should follow n '"vicIuriuuS peace"
ENCOURAGEMENT was given The race.
.lust ms our hopes had begun TO
soar alort towards the clySinn fields
Of l.Gunl Oppcrtuuity. like hol, OF
FIightnin@ issuing from n clrar say
comes Il withcrinr decree from the
Department Of Labor that that dc
partmrnt will employ comfy white
men" ms wu'chmrn.
The Wa>hin.c on Evruing Star. is
sue OF August 18th usually reliable
and accurate white daily which pur
sues no omen policy Of repression
against the RATE. even though il
may not emphasize robust policy of
defense, carried the Following" news
item. under attractive headlines:
"rwn hundred and fifty watchmcn
or guards who arr phy&iraIly ucIi
in'clliEcnl and tNriupI from the draft
and whose ages range from :! to %
years are wanted NJ once by the de
partmcnr Of Labor. Th" salaries will
be between $50 and So Il month and
ONLY WHITE MEN WILL BE EM
pLOlED. Applicants must apply at
the office "t the l'nuvd States En-
ploymon, Service
II the department Of iahor'S 'mohi
liZa1ion OF colorcd Labor" AZ explain
cd at varions conferences 10y ProfrS
sor Haynes is 70 be tainted with such
a marked drawing OF the color line
as above Indicated what will be Prof
fcssor Haynes function. What will
his Influence With his race amount
to?
II In" Department Of Iahor'S "mohi
scribrd and circum&cribcd by such hate
1ul ana huriml restriction Professor
Haynes Influence and efforts must
necessarily he nil. and he might rs
we'll rcnouncc his high sounding title
resign his position ana "mulating the
the traditional Arab; "fold his tent
and quietly steal aW&y"~-back to thr
Schoolroom To teach the untutorca
OF his rae" tn" real meaning OF "de
mocrary'
when the Department Of Labor ap
pointed Prof. Haynes t" repre-
Scni the rae" around it's council table
as an ADVISER. as has been announc
cd. was ii camoullngin& The race?
When 1t sent him forth from State
to Stat" to hold conferences to "mohi
lizc colorcd labor" was II merely
handing the race a stone when il was
crying FOR bread?
Whcn IT conferred upon him the