963

WILSON TO NAME NEGRO

Southern Democrats' Criticism
Wiill Not Deter President

Washington, June 20—President Wilson
has asked for the resignation of Henry
L. Johnson, a Republican negro, of At-
lanta, as recorder of deeds of the Dis-
trict of Columbia, to take effect on July 1.
The office has been filled by a negro for
a number of years.

Southern Democrats are disturbed at
the reported intention of the President to
appoint a negro to succeed Johnson. It
was said to-day that the President will
not be halted by criticism, but will ap-
point another negro.

83460

[stamp: THE WHITE HOUSE
JUN 22 1914
RECEIVED]

June 21st 1914

[stamp: ACKG'D
JUNE 22 1914
C.T.H.]

152

Honorable Woodrow Wilson
Washington, D. C.

Mr. President:

The enclosed clipping from todays Tribune has so strength-
ened my faith in your ultimate intention to do the right thing by an
element of my race that gave to the democrats such ungrudging susport
in the last Presidential campaign, that I feel that my prayers for your
success have been answered, and that the strenuous fight which I have
waged in this community to stay what I considered to be unjust and un-
timely criticism of your attitude upon the political interests of my
race have been justified.

I have not been an applicant for favor at your hands nor do I
expect to be; but I have given twenty six years of unswerving support
to the Democratic Party in this city and throughout the Western part of
our country, and my interest in the success of the National Administra-
tion after so many years of support, and also a sentimental interest
which I have had in you as a Virginian, - my birth place having been the
University of Virginia, have always kept alive in my breast a hope for
your success, and an abiding faith in the belief that a man who has
shown the calibre that you have in large matters, surely would not go
wrong when handling the affairs of a "Child Race", a large number of
whom have placed so much faith in you, and the well-founding of whose
faith means so much to them.

It is no secret in this community among colored politicians,
that I have stood almost alone in your defense for a number of months
among the colored people, and have begged impatient members of an organ-
ization that have conferred much honor upon me, to stay their criticism
until other weightier matters which were engrossing your attention were
disposed of.

I am praying and hoping for your success, and am sending an
enclosure which I respectfully ask you to read if for no other purpose
than to show that my prayers are reinforced by an effort to help you
made at a time when both you and the country needed the help. This lit-
tle pamphlet was distributed over a larger territory than any other
piece of campaign literature during your campaign.

Most respectfully yours,
C. A. Hughes

83639