Phoenix tribune., 1921-06-18
LEADING BLACK MEN
BEGINNING TO DOUBT
PRESIDENT HARDING

! " -. 0.s uDC 1O w III
President Harding fail us?" Th7t i
a very serious question that is being
asked by everyone interested in p1
litical progress. 1t is being asked by
no less persons than Col. Henry Lin
coin Johnson, Republican National
Committeeman from Georgia, and
Robert R. Church. well known bust
ness man and political wizard of
Tennessee. 1t is also being asked by
their political associates and newspa-
pers of the races, from one end of
the country to the other.
There is no desire to see the Presi-
dent fail his 100000 colored Amer
ican constituency, that backed him
unanimously in his election. In fact,
numbers of letters are coming to lead
ers in Washington stating that religi-
Gus denominations are holding prayer
meetings, in the cities and back in
the villages and the hills and noun
tains, praying that President Hard
ing may be given courage to stand up
I TO the high sentiments of Justice ex-
pressed in his many political address
es The people wish nothing less.
and, even in the words of Henry Lin
coin Johnson, 1--WE certainly can en-
dure nothing less
South Source of Trouble
The whole trouble is bound up ir
the policy of recognition. Colored
Americans are insisting that all citi
zens be recognized absolutely on -mer-
it. Very active elements in the south
are urging the President to "classi
fy'' the Negro, and that means to
eliminate and segregate.
The President, it is said, refuses tc
eliminate, but that he is lending a
listening, if not sympathetic ear, tc
the plan of segregation. This in
formation may strike the Colored
Americans throughout the country
with amazement. but The Associated
Negro Press learns this from high
authority.
The situation at present may be
stated:
FIRST: There will be- no appoint
ment of cclored Americans to office
in southern states.
SECOND: There will be no ap
appointment CT colored Americans. to
presidential offices. that is. offices
that require the confirmation of the
! United States senate.
THIRD: There will be no appoint
ment of a colored Registrar of the
United States Treasury, Recorder of
Deeds or any other similar offices
formerly held by colored Republi-
cans.
FOURGH: There will be appoint
ments of number of prominent col
ored Americans to prominent places
in various departments as many as2O
or more places that do not require
senate confirmation Such appoint.
ments will. have salaries attached
amounting to $4,000 or more, and will
have the approval of President Hard
! ing.
colored Leaders Oppose
This program of policy does not
meet the approval of colored Ameri-
cans, and President Harding is being
respectfully informed of the facts
I'VE don't wants Jobs ye want 'po-
sitions,'" declared Col Johnson. "It
does not matter to us if the jobs
named have salaries with the wealth
of Shylock, it is matter of principle
and we must have justice
"On this matter of principle, "con-
tinued Col Johnson, I'VE want the po-
sition of Register of the Treasury. If
the protest of few women can keep
US from this place, similar protest
can keep us from any place that may
be given 1t cannot only keep us from
places of employment but from civic
justice everywhere. This we must un
alterably oppose, with the help OF
Almighty God"
A Step Backward
1t is stated that if President Hard
ing pursue this policy it will be a
step backward, even farther than Taft
and Woodrow Wilson. 1t is argued
they appointed a number of men tc
federal positions requiring senate con