754

NOTARY PUBLIC

W. Calvin Chase
Attorney and Counsellor at Law
1109 EYE STREET. N.W.
TELEPHONE. MAIN 4078

EDITOR "THE BEE"

[STAMP = ACK'D
MAR 31 1913
J.W.H.]

Washington, D.C. March 29th,1913. 19

[STAMP = THE WHITE HOUSE,
MAR 30 1913
RECEIVED]

Hon. Woodrow Wilson,
The White House,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President:

We wrote you some weeks before your inauguration
asking if members of the race in whose interest this newepaper
is published might be benefited by your reputed policy to re¬
cognisedmerit and efficiency. Mr. Tumulty replied that our
letter would be brought to your attention. Further than this we
have heard nothing. Is it true Mr. President, that color is to
be the primary cause for the displacement of Negroes from office
no matter how efficient, and that color will be the effectual
bar to appointment to office of men whom God created with a
darker skin than yours? There appears to be a generally accepted
belief, prompted by statements from those closest to you, that
Negro office-holders will be quickly displaced, and that the
door of hope is to be closed to the race by your administration.
This newspaper asks nothing at your hands for its editor and
proprietor, but we do ask something for our race--simply fair
consideration at your hands. We ask this because we are Amer-
ican citizens taxed the same rate as white citizens, and amen-
dable to the same laws which govern the whites. We were lead to
believe that your high christian character would assure us
equity. We hope, Mr. President, you will give the race substantial
encouragement rather than discouragement. There are ten millions

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