Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-16
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

ARIOUS groups In this country
" are looking today to the opening
Of the Harding administration
next March with hope and ex-
pectation Of recognition None more SO
than the 12.000.o 600 colored people. Prac-
ucally all OF the colored voters cast
their ballots for Harding and Coolidge
last November. In debatahle states
1t least they were considered debata-
BILE before the election-where the col
ored population was largo there is no
doubt but what the colored voters not
only helped to swell the republican ma
tority. but In some Instances made that
majority possible.
The demands Of these people will take
at least two forms They will ASK 1or
the appointment Of colored men to poltti-
cal office and they will ask for legts-
political rights. In fact. they are asking
now for these things in their newspapers
and magazines
Cite Roosevelt Policy.
A considerable number of intelligent,
well educated colored men-many OF
them now in Washington-wiu urge
President Harding to follow In the foot
steps of Theodore Roosevelt In making
his appointments Of black men to ONCE.
Col Roosevelt's attitude in regard to
the appointment Of oolored men to office
was clearly and tersely set down In the
preface which he wrote to Booker I.
washington, Builder of a Civilization,
the work Of Emmett J. Scott and Lyman
Raecher Stowe. Col Roosevelt said:
situations with him Booker T. Wash
ington) it is. I believe. not an exag-
geration to say that one-half the time
we were discussing methods for keep
ing out of Office and out of all po-
Ntical power the ignorant. semi-crim-
inal, shiftless black. man. who. when
manipulated by the able and un.
u 30 dreadful a menace to our polit1-
cal institutions. But he felt very
strongly, and I felt no less strongly.
that one of the most efficient ways OF
warning against this evil type was to
show the negro that, II he turned his
to be self-respecting citizen. doing
his part in sustaining the common
burdens Of good citizenship. he would
be freely accorded by his white neigh
bors the privileges and rights OF good
citizenship. Surely there can be no
objection thus to keep open the door
Of hope for the thoroughly decent, up
right, self-respecting man. NO matter
what his color.
North Should Set Example.
I'm the same way, while Booker T.
Washington firmly believed that the
attention Of the colored race should
be riveted, not on political life, but
on success sought In the fields Of hon.
est business endeavor, he also felt.
and agreed with him, that it was to
the interests Of both races that there
ahA ho m office nf
black men whose characters and abili-
ties were such that if they were white
men their appointments would be
hailed as being well above the aver
age, and creditab1e from every stand
point He also felt, and I agreed with
appointments should be made reia-
lively most numerous in the north
for it is worse than useless to preach
virtue to others unless the preach
ers themselves practice 1t; which
means that the northern communities
which pride themselves on possessing
tho proner attitude toward the ne
gro, should show this attitude by
their own acts within their own Dor
derA"
soon MI, Harding VIM be face to
face with this matter Of appointing
black men to ONCE, and his course
viii be eagerly watched by the mil
The thousands of appointments to
federal ONCE which q President must
make is not the least Of his tasks
rs Chief Executive. 1t Is inevitable
that he must rely in the vast ma
Jority Of cases upon the advice Of
others when it come to making his
selections. There Is no doubt that in
the past political expediency rather
than fitness Of the individual has gov
erned in far too many appointments
-
or maybe it's are" This Is true Of
white appointeeS rs wen aS colored.