The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-11-03
Northern Man
Views Not Ours
Wrong Yardstick
Used by Harding
Sentiment of Presidents Birmingham
Speech Affects North More
Than the South.

|
Washington Nov. 2.-When tia
President said in his speech at Bir
naingham, "Whether, YOU like; it O.
! not, it our democracy is not lie
you must stand for the political ane
economic equality of the race" he wa:
utterlng sentiment which will soon
er or later have deeper effect in tht
north than in the south, and he was
Undertaking the old and impossible
task of measuring unlike things with
the same yardstick.
Of course, the real purpose of the
speech was political; he expressed his
desire that the white people of the
south would divide up on economic
/ lines and forget the race question
which is nothing but the old, old eff
fcrt to break the solid South. Even
Lincoln dreamed of it, and every Re
publican President since has tried his
/ hand at it-all in vain. The Presi-
dent also urged the negroes to divide
their ranks on political questions
knowing all the time they would not
do it. He knew that those who take
sufficient interest or pride in their new
| found rights to vote still vote more
than 90 per cent for the candidates
bearing the Republican label. T.
Conditions in the Southern States
demonstrate two things; first that the
Southern white people are not going
, to have equality Of any kind between
the races; they couldn't have if they
wished, and they will never wish it.
The differences, socially, economically
| and ethnically, are fundamental and
eradicable; they go back to Great 'onss
dawn and to the Creator; they have
Away existed and always will. The
ipse digit Of a President is uttered,
talked Of for awhile and is forgotten,
i while the age-old fundamental cbsta-
cles remain.
If the President words mean any
thing, they mean that the negro must
be allowed to work on an absolute
equality with the white mechanic or
artisan. To be allowed to so work, he
Would of necessity have to be adj
mitted to membership in the labor
unicns-the brickayers' union, the car
i penters' union, the steamftters, the
boilermakers, the stonecutters, the
timers, Che cigafT1a41ef.s,~ the n4achs''-
lists, the electricians, the typographi-
cal union. The President says, "You
must stand for the political and eco
nonlic equality of the races" It will
be intereting to note if the question
will appeal to the great labor LEADERS,
of the country with the same force
with which it seems to have gotten
hod of the President. It is interesting
to ask how such equality is possible
in the northern cities to which the ne
gro has flocked in recent years. where
practically all labor is performed by
the members of labor unions, operat-
ing under their rules, which require
that each member demonstrate before
a selected committee his ability to per
form skillfully the work porperly fall
ing to members Of that union. ! be-
lieve it is true at the present time
that all negroes are barred from mem
bership in these unions, and | am IN
formed by union men that theer are
a few negroes in those cities who
could pass the required examinations
provided they were admitted to them.
Now the question naturally arises
will the great unions yield to the
plainly expressed determination OF
the President? Those who have test
ed the temper Of these men in other
matters do not think so.
If the President is sincere in his
startling utterance, he should sho>F his
faith by his works. The worlu - still
Judging the tree by its fruit. Some
thing like twenty>per cent of the Re
publican are negroes; on that basis
20 per cent of all the Presidents ap-
pointments should go to negroes. They
should have two members of the Cab
! met, while part of the assistant secre-
taries in the departments should be
negroes, End part of the Presidents
office force, few members Of the
diplomatic corps, two associate JUS
tees of the Supreme court, ct cetera.
But will the appointments be made :?
No, not one of then-in fact, the ne
groes Will not get at President Hard
ing's hands three appointments that
are desired by white Republican, poll
.ticians. 1t is reported that the Presi-
dent hasn't even selected negro
chauffeur, and the country will wait
breathlessly to see if any of his va
cancies in the cadet corps at West
Point and Annapolis will be filled with
negro boys Political sincerity, like
charity, should begin at home; and
Marion, Ohio, yearns for negro post
master.
Before the Armaments Conference
begins the President will have time to
go to California and repeat the Bir-
n1ingham speech, merely substituting
the word Japanese" for the word
"negroes." Why not?