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2.

Negro and deep seated prejudice, and further said it made no difference to him,however he recieves his salary check every month, but
we need hope for nothing good at the hands of this Administration.

You can imagine Mr. Secretary how we must have felt under such
excoriating conditions, and the common talk is that if we get anything

it will be only the most servile and menial places. We are constantly
being called traitors and being threatened with bodily harm, to say
nothing of the vile epithets that are hurled at on every hand.
I am telling you all this Mr. Secretary that you may be able to

appreciate, in a measure what we who have given the party service are
having to face. I am having this heart to heart talk with you that
you may know the exact situation, and help us to change the conditions.
You can appreciate it as a very happy political stroke were the
Bishop on his trip, which begins June 28th able to cite to the appoint-
ment of colored men to either of the vacancies mentioned if no other.

I am writing you because 1 feel that you will bring the matter to the
attention of the President that he too may know of the humiliating
position in which we are placed.

I need not tell you that unless some public recognition in the way
of patronage is given us that it will be utterly impossible to for

us to keep the sympathy and interest of our friends and followers to

say nothing of being able to enlist men having no sympathy or inter-
est in our cause. We are publically and frequently charged with having
sold the Race into slavery and told that we ought to be beaten to death
with clubs and forever despised by the colored people. When we try to
show them wherein the President has been occupied with very important
matters of State they come back with the argument: that the President
has not been too busy to order the removal from office of colored men
and replace them with white men etc.

Now I am sure if you will arrange for the Bishop to see the President
before he leaves for the coast and take up this whole matter, or will
make some appointment some where that he may cite to it will mean a
great deal to our cause. The Democratic Party neds the colored vote in
in the doubtful states Mr . Secretary.

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