Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-21
An Official Affair.

"AECn naAc' x1OURCI, dS VIE Oh Lf1e
President of the United States, enter
tanned the wives of the Illinois delega-
ton Of Congress at a tea on June Is
she was performing a purely official
function. Included in the list of guests
on that occasion was Mrs. Oscar
De Priest, wife Of the colored Repre-
sentative from Chicago district. She
was included because she was the wife
OF Congressman. In recent years the
teas given by the wife of the President
to the wives Of members of Congress
have become recognized part of official
entertainment at the White House, lust
as much SO as the congressional recep-
tons, given once a year, to which the
President and his wife invite all mem
bers Of Congress and their wives, to-
gether with number of other citizens.
some of them in official and some of
them in private life. When 1t comes
time for the congressional reception to
be given next Winter, Mr.. and Mrs.
De Priest, assuming that Mr.. De Priest
remains in Congress, will be included in
the list Of guests. Had Democrat
been President of the United States
instead of Mr.. Hoover exactly the same
course would necessarily have been fol-
lowed In regard to the official enter
tainment Of Mr.. and Mrs. De Priest.
It was a foregone conclusion that
Democratic newspapers and Democratic
politicians In the South would en-
deavor to make political capital of the
Official entertainment of Mr.. and Mrs.
De Priest at the White House. The
race issue has been used for years to
keep the South solidly Democratic. It
was terrible awakening for many of
the Southern Democratic leaders when
four Of the States Of the so-called DEM
ocratic solid South gave their electoral
votes to q Republican candidate for
President last year. Throughout the
South efforts were made during the
campaign to hold the voters in line with
the familiar argument that the Demo-
cratic party was the white mans party.
They failed.
Ever since the election Of Representa-
tive De Priest, Democratic politicians in
the South have been on the qui vive to
see what the White House would do in
the matter of entertainment of the
colored member of Congress and his
wife. They knew 1t was inevitable that
official recognition would be accorded
them as members of the congressional
circle. The Incorporate TRADES against
MIR. and Mrs. Hoover because they have
carried out their official duties are al
most beyond belief. They are all based
upon the incorrect hypothesis that the
entertainment Of Congressman and their
wives at the White House is social
affair. The assumption is entirely in
correct. These entertainments are pure
ly ofdcial. Representative De Priest.
himself, in public statement, has call
ed attention to this fact. He said:
TITS all lot of moonshine for any
one to suggest that question of social
equality was involved in my wife's 60
ing to White House tea. My wife was
invited, not because she was white or
black, Republican or Democrat-she
was invited because she happened to be
the wife Of man who is a member
Of Congress"
The same distinction between the en-
tertainment of a wife of member of
Congress at the White House on official
grounds and social entertainment, not
involving official relations, is made by
many Southern Democrats who sup
ported President Hoover in the last
campaign. The distinction between
purely official relations and social re-
lations between the white and black
races is clearly covered in the plat
form recently adopted by the anti
Smith Democrats at their convention
In Roanoke.
Sensible people throughout the coun-
try will take sensible view of the So
called De Priest incident. There will be
many, however, who seek to make a
race issue Of 1t. Many of them have
selfish ends Of their own to serve by
doing so. They can only intensity race
feeling and stir up hatred through such
a course.