871

[Aug 25,1913]
POWELL 152

[stamp]
ACK'D
AUG 27 1913
[?] K

[stamp]
THE WHITE HOUSE
AUG 27 1913
RECEIVED

Mr. President.

I greatly regret that the statements made by you at an inter-
view granted me prior to the Baltimore Convention at which time
you became the candidate of the Democratic Party as its candidate for
President. I request you to recall that interview.

I stated to you at the time that when you were candidate for Governor
of this State, a number of colored citizens had cast their votes for you.
We desired to know if you became the candidate for President if
elected to that office, what would your attitude toward the colored citi-
zens of the country. I further stated to you during the course of the interview
that very many of this class of voters felt the time was propitious to divide their
votes between the two great political parties of the country — the Progressive
Party not being in existence at the time — so that awe might find that what-
ever political party might secure the direction of the national Govern-
ment the civil and political rights of our people would not be endangered
[thereby?], that as far as the embodiments of office was concerned it was a minor
consideration insuring to the benefit only of the few. What we desired to
secure was to insure the civil and political rights of our people in
traveling in being accommodated in public places of entertainment
which was inseperably connected with travelling, and to prevent the
lynching of our people, all of which was so prevalent up to this time in
the Southern tier of States. You were also informed at that time that it
83547
had been held up to us that the Democratic Party was the nature of
political