The St. Paul echo. [volume] (St. Paul ;) 1925-1927, 1926-07-10
ROOSEVELT ASKS
Equal RIGHTS IN
PLEA FOR NEGRO
Civic Opportunity, Constitution
al Rights, Educational Ad-
cantages Stressed.
Race eLeadership Needed
Responsibility of Utilizing Gains
Made by Fighting Neglect
ed Task of Negro.
IN. A. A. C. P. Press Servicel

IN. A. A. C. P. Press Servicel
Chicago, July 9.-Demanding for
colored Americans full civic rights
and equal opportunities with all 9th
er citizens, Colonel Theodore Roose-
welt addressed crowded and enthu-
siastic mass meeting of the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, now in 18th Annual
Conference here, Monday, June %.
81 believe that the work the Ma
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People is doing is
thoroughly patriotic and construc-
tive" said Col. Roosevelt. at is
American in the proper sense of the
word.
Government Rights
1.-THE United States is a country
wherein all citizens are supposed to
have an equal share in the govern
ment. We are, according to the prin-
ciples on which this nation was
founded, equal partners in it's gov
ernmental affairs. Any man or group
of men who attempt to deny full
civic rights to any citizen on account
of race, creed or color is committing
thoroughly un-American act, one
that is subversive of the ideals of the
country.
"Your organization as I see it is
striving to obtain full constitutional
rights for colored Americans and by
opening opportunities to them to help
them build themselves into better
and finer citizens. All colored Amer
leans must have full governmental
rights. There must be no distinc-
tions made by law either covertly or
openly against any of our citizens.
In certain States by subterfuges as
to registration or simply by force,
colored citizens are denied the vote.
Any State which prevents its colored
citizens from exercising their priv
ilege of the franchise simply because
they are colored, is subverting the
Constitution of the United States.
Every real American should demand
that this evil be set right and do his
level best to see that his demands re-
ceive proper attention.
Civic Opportunity.
Equally important with govern
mental rights are civic opportunities.
Colored Americans must be given the
opportunity to get the proper educa-
tion. 1t is rank injustice for any
community to do otherwise. Not
only is it rank injustice to the col
ored Americans but it is rank injus-
tice to the United States, for the
children of today are the country of
tomorrow. Any one who denies the
children the chance to get good
education is striking directly at the
interests of the entire country. In
the interest of my children, des
mand that all children be given a
fair chance.
81 have heard time and again
short-sighted Southerners maintain
that the Southern Negroes are not
educated enough to exercise the fran
chise intelligently and in the same
breath state that they did not believe
in spending money on schools for col
ored people. They did not seem to
realize that their injustice in refus-
ing to provide schools was response
BILE for the conditions of which they
complained. They were perfectly
willing to see the Negroes called
upon to pay taxes and defend the
country in time of war, but they de-
MED them the vote and schools. They
were willing to see them bear the
burden of citizenship but would deny
them the privileges.
Fight for Rights.
1--WE demand for all American citi-
zens full governmental rights and
full opportunities for development.
I will fight with every ounce of
strength that / have for the rights of
my colored American fellow citizens,
but it is their responsibility when
they get those rights to employ them.
"They have done excellently as any
one who scans the record of the last
seventy years must admit. Their ad-
vance in commerce and industry is
evident in any Of our great cities.
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