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THE RICHMOND PLANET, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

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[image: THE PLANET]

Published every Saturday by JOHN MITCHELL,
JR., at 811 N. Fourth Street, Richmond, Va.
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JOHN MITCHELL, JR., . . . EDITOR
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SATURDAY ............ MARCH 8, 1913
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THE PRESIDENT AN [THE OFFICE?]
SEEKERS

President Woodrow Wilson has
been elected and inaugurated. The
following statement issued from the
White House will be read with
interest and will no doubt cause "cold
shivers" down the spinal columns of
many of the faithful:

"The President regrets that he is
obliged to announce that he deems
it his duty to decline to see applicants
for office in person, except when he
himself invites the interview. It is
his purpose and desire to devote his
attention very earnestly and very
constantly to the business of gove-
ernment and the large questions of
policy affecting the whole nation and
he knows from his experience as
governor of New Jersey (where it
fell to him to make innumerable
appointments) that the greater part
both of his time and of his energy
will be spent in personal interviews
with candidates unless he an [?]
invariable rule in the matter. It is
his intention to deal with appoint-
ments through the heads of the sev-
eral executive departments."—White
House statement.

The office-seekers will now proceed
to swarm through the offices of the
several executive departments. The
evident conclusion is that if they find
the greatest part of both the time
and energies devoted to personal
interviews with the office-seekers it
will be all right.

This action would seem to [br?] the
distinguished Bishop Wal-
ters from the White House and to
suggest to Chief Wood that he will
best promote the peace of the Chief
Executive of the nation by remaining
in New York. There is a loop-hole
though for Bishop Walters. He can
go to the White House when Presi-
dent Wilson invites the interview.

In light of the recently pub-
lished correspondence of President
Wilson with the distinguished cler-
ical political chieftain, who can doubt
but what he will be invited?

It may be that the invitation to
Bishop Walters may not reach him
until next Fall, but this will give him
and his family time to become famil-
iar with Washington, although he
may have been "fagged out" by
the importunities of the office-seeker
long before that time.

He may find too that his religous
duties may call him to his circuit and
he may keep going his rounds until
he recuperates sufficiently to stand
another bombardment at the hands
of his political supporters and seekers
after office. Bishop Walters now has
our sympathy and six months hence
he will be entitled to the commisera-
tion of the public.

He is not a seeker after office for
himself but for others. In [?]
ble that he must devoted his [?]
voice and hypnotic smile upon the
heads of the several executive depart-
ments? It would seem so.

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New York Democracy is unalterably
opposed to political dictatorship on
the part of any other man. It takes
the position that autonomy is of the
very essence of Democracy, and open-
ly announces that it will make a
most determined fight not only to
maintain inviolate its own autonomy
but to establish the principle that
the Colored Democratic organization
in the several States shall be the sole
authoritative agencies for the inter-
mediation with the part on behalf
of individuals.

The New York leaders assert that
Bishop Walters and his friends are
proposing that the Democratic Party
shall treat with the Negro precisely
as the Republican Party treated with
him, namely: through the agency of
designated colored leaders, and not
selected by the Negro himself. The
fatal defects of such a system were
plainly manifest during the last
campaign. The Republican party
was unable to effectively to reach the
great bulk of Negro voters, simply
becuase it had to rely on men, who
were, in the last analysis, merely
agents of the party, and not regular-
ly chosen and accredited leaders of
the race.

This is strong language, but it is
made stronger. Here it is:

The New York organization, then,
as it maintains, is fighting for the
vital principle that colored men in
the Democratic party shall have the
right to select their own leaders, and
not be compelled to accept leaders
designated for them. Although Bish-
op Walters enjoys the title of Pres-
ident of the National Colored Demo-
cratic League, the New York Demo-
crats contend that he has never re-
ceived the authoritative indorsement
of colored Democrats for leadership,
in the sense of Dictatorship.

The New York Democracy further
contends that there is no satisfactory
evidence that the Bishop was ever
elected to the League; or, if he ever was
nominally elected, the body of which
elected him was not representative,
and lacked authority, being impro-
perly and inadequately called, and
composed for the most part of the
Bishop's personal friends and depen-
dents in Washington, D. C.: many
of whom do not possess the elective
franchise, or, if they possess it, either
do not exercise it, or have no influ-
ence in the communities where they
legally reside.

It is true that there was no general
election held at the Baltimore con-
vention of the League; and it is said
that the Bishop refused to submit to
one.

This then is the beginning of a
long and bitter fight among the col-
ored contingent of the Democratic
Party. It will not be many weeks
before this unpalatable dish of dis-
sention will be served to President
Woodrow Wilson. Will he recognize
as absolute the dictatorship of Bishop
Alexander Walters or will he adopt
the democratic policy as outlined by
the New York Colored Democracy?

There is middle ground though.
Will he call in council that elusive,
diplomatic, "right side up with care"
Dr. Booker T. Washington as the
least of three evils, or will he exclaim
in disgust, "The plague upon both
houses"?

BISHOP WALTER'S BLUNDER

It is reported from Washington
that the Democrats, composed of cit-

[column 4]

January 17, 1913.
"My dear Bishop Walters:
"I have made it an absolute rule
not to indicate what I am going to
do about appointments because I
am not now making promises of any
kind, but I am sure you will not
yourself feel uneasy after the general
assurance I have taken pleasure in
giving you from time to time.
"Sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON."

The second, dated December 21,
1912, reads:
"My dear Bishop Walters:
"I read your letter of December
17, and the suggestions you quote
Congressman Burleson as making
with great interest. You may
be sure that these matters will have
my most earnest and friendly con-
sideration.
"Cordially and sincerely,
"WOODROW WILSON."

The first is as follows:
"My dear Bishop Walters:
"It is a matter of general disap-
pointment to me that I shall not
be able to be present at your meet-
ing on Saturday night, but insasmuch
as I have cancelled every possible
engagement in view of the distressing
assault on Mr. Roosevelt, I do not
feel that I can properly add others.
I am fulfilling only those to which I
have been bound by many weeks.

"It would afford me pleasure to be
present, because there are certain
things I want to say. I hope that it
seems superfluous to those who know
me, but to those who do not know
me perhaps it is unnecessary for me
to assure my colored fellow-citizens
of my earnest wish to see justice done
them in every matter and not mere
grudging justice, but justice executed
with liberality and cordial good feel-
ing. Every guarantee of our law,
every principle of our Constitution
commands this, and our sympathies
should make it easy.

"The colored people of the United
States have made extraordinary pro-
gress toward self-support and use-
fulness, and ought to be encouraged
in every possible and proper way.
My sympathy with them is of long
standing, and I want to assure them
through you that should I become
President of the United States they
may count on me for absolutely fair
dealing and for everything I can
assist in advancing their race in the
United States.
"Cordially and sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON."

Bishop Alexander Walters may
"know his business," but to our
mind, this is the first tactical mistake
and political blunder. He has done
three things: Attracted the atten-
tion of every Negro-hater in Wash-
ington and in the country and thereby
enlisted their bitter opposition to the
political preferment of the colored
leaders; drawn to himself a horde of
political office-seekers, who desire the
ear of the President, and embarrassed
the Chief Executive of the nation in
his desire to accord fair treatment
to the representatives of one of the
kindliest race of people on the face
of the globe.

Bishop Walters was evidently in
good humor, for he is quoted as saying:

"Mr. Wilson is just filled with
good will for everybody," said Bishop
Walters to The Times-Dispatch re-
presentative. "We are confident that
he will treat us fairly. If he should
make any changes, I feel there is
more than a chance of securing the
appointment of some good colored
men to government service. Dr.
Peter J. Smith I hope to have ap-
pointed deputy registrar of the treas-
ury, if any change should be made
in that office. It is now filled by a
colored man. In fact, the registrar

[column 5]
in favor of the things which tend
toward uplift, improvement and
advancement of my people," by re-
questing him to give advice in the
premises.

That advice will either "spell" the
elevation of friends of Dr. Washing-
ton to political office or the enun-
ciation of the well known Washington
doctrine that colored men should
leave politics alone and not aspire
to political office.

We are of the opinion that Bishop
Walters has hindered his case rather
than helped it by his publication of
the Wilson letters at this time.

With reference to Dr. Washington,
we are of the opinion that he has
helped his case rather than hindered
it by his timely deliverances at Nash-
ville, Tenn. We did not need to be
told that President Woodrow Wilson
was a friend of Negro education. His
whole life shows that. He might
make the statement with reference
to hundreds and thousands of white
Democratic educators in the Southern
States.

As the matter now stands, Bishop
Walters declares that President Wil-
son is the friend of the Negro Demo-
cratic politician and Dr. Washington
declares that President Wilson is the
friend of Negro education. We ex-
pect to see both of these great lead-
ers in a grapple for recognition and
influence at the White House.

We shall be able to hear and see
Bishop Walters as the struggle goes
on, but as for Dr. Washington, he
will work behind a masked battery
and only the manner and method of
his fighting will disclose the identity
of the leader behind the breastworks.
________________________________________
NOTICE.

It hs been found necessary to buy
and properly equip the home for
homeless and dependent Colored chil-
dren located at 1513 Taylor street,
known as the Working Woman's In-
dustrial Home and Day Nursery,
that moved from 516 Third street
in July 1910. In order to make the
Home perpetual and purchase it, we
must appeal to the generaous public
for help.

All interested in this work can help
by contributing freely through the
Mite Boxes and envelopes already
distributed which will be called for
by a committee wearing a badge con-
taining the words "Children's Home."
Contributions can be sent directly to
Mrs. J. Calvin Stewart, 1031 West
Grace streets, who is the Treasurer
of the Building Fund.

No fund can be too small to help.
Please do not give money to anyone
except those soliciting and wearing
the "Children's Home" badge. This
work is approved by Gov. Mann,
Mayor Ainslie, Dr. J. T. Mastin, Rev.
James Buchanan, Judge Richardson
and a Committee of Ladies. The
work is also endorsed by the Colored
Ministers' Conference of the City.

The following compose the [?]
Committee for soliciting Funds:

Mrs. Rebeker Violet Crawford,
Manager of the Home; Mrs. Adelaide
G. Thompson, Mrs. Mattie Hewin,
Mrs. Harriet Page, Mrs. H. R. John
son, Mrs. Anna Hunter.

Will you be one of the two thous-
and to contribute $1 or more? If
so, please forward it to Mrs. J. C.
Stewart, 1031 West Grace street.

We thank the Public School Chil-
dren for $65 as an offering. We
have heading our colored invividual
contribution list. Dr. R. E. Jones,
$5.00 and Mr. Nelson Williams, $2.
WHO WILL BE NEXT.