798

IF IT'S NEWS, IT'S THE BEE,
FOR THE BEE IS A NEWSPAPER

VOL. XXXIII,NO 47

[Column 1]
WOODROW WILSON

EDITOR CHASE MAKES A PLEA
FOR THE NEGRO. PRES-
IDENT NO COMMITTEE

Is There Any Hope for the Colored
American? Does the Action of the
Democratic Administration Hold
Out Any Hope for the Negro? Ne-
gro Democrats Despondent—The
Editor's Letters to President-Elect
and President Wilson.

Long before the election of Presi-
dent Woodrow Wilson, alleged Negro
Democrats and so-called independent
Negro Republicans had great hopes
of receiving recognition from the
Democratic party and the Democratic
administration in the event of the
success of the Democratic party at
the polls last November.

Long before the election colored
independents and alleged Negro
Democrats picked out the offices
they wanted. Every Negro Demo-
crat of any prominence had selected
places held by Negro Republicans
and many of these declared that they
would succeed Negro Republicans.
Candidates had their eyes planted
upon some of the choice plums that
were held by Negro Republicans, and
many of them declared Mr. Wil-
son would not only appoint Negro
Democrats to places held by Negro
Republicans, but the President in-
tended to give Negro Democrats two
or three more additional places.
Have their hopes and fond expecta-
tions been realized? Has Mr. Wilson
held out any hope to the 30 per cent
of the alleged Negro vote that Rev.
Waldren declared that he secured for
the Democratic President? Who
succeeded W. H. Lewis, the Assist-
ant Attorney General? A white Dem-
ocrat. Who succeeded General Rob-
ert Smalls, the hero of the Civil
War? A white Democrat. Who has
been nominated to succeed Auditor
Ralph W. Tyler, one of the greatest
Negro journalists of the age, and the
most efficient Auditor who has ever
held the office? A white Democrat.
Who will succeed [?] er presiden-
tial places held ?] extent.

[Column 2]
ceived except the one sent by Secretary
Tumulty, March 29th, sometime after
the inauguration of Mr. Wilson, the
following letter was sent to President
Wilson:

After Inauguration.

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

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

Dear Mr. President:

We wrote you some weeks before
your inauguration asking if mem-
bers of the race in whose in-
terest this newspaper is published
might be benefited by your re-
puted policy to recognize merit and
efficiency. Mr. Tumulty replied that our
letter would be brought to your atten-
tion. 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 ceated with a
darker skin than yours? There appears
to be a generally accepted belief
prompted by statements from those
closest to you that Negro officeholders
will be quickly displaced, and that the
door of hope is to be closed to the race
by your administration. This news-
paper asks notlng at your hands for its
editor and proprietor, but we do ask
something for our race—simply fair con-
sideration at your hands. We ask this
because we are American citizens taxed
the same rate as white citizens, and
amendable to the same laws which gov-
ern the whites. We were led to be-
lieve that your high Christian char-
acter would assure us equity. We
hope, Mr. President, you will give
the race substantial encouragement
rather than discouragement. There
are ten millions of us to help make
the country better. Can you give
my race reason to hope, and, hoping
fair representation under your ad-
ministration? We trust you will deal
equitably with the ten million Ne-
groes.

Respectfully,
THE WASHINGTON BEE,
W. Calvin Chase, Editor and Proprietor.

Mr. Tumulty thought enough of the
editor's title to acknowledge it, hence
he sent the following answer to
the foregoing:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington

March 31, 1913,

My Dear Sir: Permit me to [?]