The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1948-05-15

markaltle not only for his recog-
nized attainmentS in scholarship,
but for their foreshadowing his
subsequent career taS a reformer,
He belonged to clubs concerned
with civic rather than conviyial
detectives, as is evident from
their very names: The Prohibi-
ton Club and Total Abstinence
League Gall his life he was
teetotaler). His sentimental at
tachment for Harvard remained
strong, and he was familiar
figure at the annual reunions Of
the alumni on Commencement
Day.
After his graduation from col
lege Trottter became a real es-
tate broker Boston, often nego-
tiating the sale of valuable prop
critics. He took part fitfully and
listlessly in local politics in the
interest of the Republican Party
candidates, and he was appoint
ed assistant registrar of voters
for the City of Boston. When, on
June 27, 1899, he MARI ed Ger
aldine Louise Pindeu (died 1919,
who was, like him, to devote her
life to the struggle for demo-
cratic rights for their people; he
was a young man whose pros
poets looked bright in the cur
rent meaning of the word. Mrs.
Trotter was the kind of wife of
whom every man dreams, but
whom few ever get: the UNDER
standing helpmeet and closest
o-worker, pursuing common
aims
The year 1901 marked the crit
ical point of Trotter'S life, for it
witnessed establishment of the
GUARDIAN. Plans for this pro.
ject were carefully formulated
down to the minutest details. Not
overlooked was the symbolism
of publishing the newspaper on
the same floor of the same build
ing where William Lloyd Garris-
on had published The Liberator
and where the first edition of
Harriet Becker Stoves "Uncle
Toms Cabin" had likewise been
issued, whence comes my in
spiration to battle against the
undoing of their efforts as
Trotter later declared. The motto
of the GUARDIAN was: For ev-
cry right, with all thy might"
and the newspapers main object
was "a propaganda against dis
elimination based on color and
denial of citizenship rights be-
cause of color"
What prompted Trotter to give
up his comfortable success as a
real estate broker for the haz-
ardouS insecurity Of an agita-
tors existence has often excited
the puzzled curiousity of inquir-
erS. Once he himself explained
his motives to his Harvard class
mates: The conviction grew up
on me that pursuit Of business,
money, civic, or literary position
was like building a house upon
the sands, if race prejudice and
persecution and public driscrim-
ination for mere color was to
spread up from the South and
result in a fixed caste of color.
I realized that the Democracy
which I had enjoyed at dear old
Harvard was not secure for AM
orleans of color, just because of
their fermentation. 1t would
mean that, however native and
to the manner born, every color
ed American would be really a
civil outcast, forever an alien, in
the public life.
$50 l plunged in to contend for
full equality in all things gov
ernmental, political, civil, and
judicial, as far as race, creed, or
color was concerned. I opposed
all compromise, whether adyo-
Gated by Professor Booker T.
Washington of President william
Howard Taft, to say nothing Of
race oppression as advocated by
Senator Benjamin Tillman.
e.. My vocation has been to
wage a crusade against lynching,
public segregation, injustice, de-
NAL Of service in public places
for color, i nwatre inma in
for color, in war time and in
peace"