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political foe of our people, for a colored man to advocate the prinipals of
that party, he was looked upon by the members of his race as an [apostate?]
to his race and was ostracized for doing so, very many were willing
to accept this stigma if in so doing a better relation would be brought
between the two races especially in the South.

You replied to these statements by stating you were very glad to learn
that such was the finding of the colored voters of this State toward your
self and toward the Democratic Party to which you were a member, that
if this step had been taken years ago by my people this condition of the
colored race in this country particularly in the South would have been
vastly different from what it is now, that if I should become the nominee of
the Democratic Party and I am elected to the office of President, while I
may be unable to correct many of the conditions of the of your people in this
country especially in the South that you complain if, I willl use my best
efforts to ameliorate such conditions and endeavor to secure a change that
would be for the benefit of your people. You further stated to me that all the
rights granted to my race under the Constitution and its Amendements would
be rigidly enforced by yourself, that you desired the colored man of this coun-
try to know and to feel that you was and would be their friend. As to the
public offices to be filled should you be elected it might be impossible you
stated, for you to appoint colored men to some now held by them, that when
this could not be done that there would be others that you would appoint
them to which would be equally as honorable and as lucrative
as those held by them. You further stated you could not place
your finest expressions in writing as it might be used by your politi-
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opponents to your detiriment before the convention then soon to meet but
I could rest assured that if elected such would be your course and that
I was at perfect liberty to make known your attitude as to your feeling
towards the colored voters of this State and country.

The statement made to me was also made to Dr. Walters and other
colored men who waited upon you after you had been named as the can-
didate of the Democratic Party for the Presidency. In a letter to Dr. Walters
dated October 16th 1912, the closing paragraph which I herein copy you used
these words.

" The colored people of the United States have made remarkable progress to
towards self-support and usefulness and ought to be encouraged in
every possible and proper way. My sympathy with them is of long stand-
ing and I want to ensure them through you that should I become the
President of the United States they may count upon me for absolute fair deal-
ing and for everything by which I could assist in advancing the interests of their
race in the United States.

Cordially and Sincerely yours,
(Signed) Woodrow Wilson

Acting upon these statements made by you, organizations of colored men
were established in every Northern and Western State. This fact may not
be known to you, but it is well known to those who had charge of your
campaign. Many of those who entered this field advocating your election
refused to accept any compensation for their services, paying their traveling
expenses and in some cases contributing toward your campaign fund.
83548
In that election you secured slightly alove 30 per cent of this vote from Roosevelt
the