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and the unprejudiced and common sense negro is not afraid
of the Democratic Party and neither should the Party be
afraid of him. Negroes have made many mistakes in their
blind zeal in following the leadership of bad men, but "the
great secret of success in life is, not in never falling
but in rising everytime we fall". Environments effect all
things and races alike. Can a man live above his environ-
ments? And whatever our shortcomings may be, they should
be charged to conditions to which we were subjected and not
to any wilful and deliberate choice of our own. I can see
no reason why the country should be alarmed about the negro.
It is idle to talk about social equality and miscegenation;
the best elements in both races will have to handle these
questions and I think I voice the sentiment of my race when
I state we don’t want either. Races, like plants, thrive and
survive best in their own native soil and atmosphere. We only
ask economic, civic and political justice without caste or
discrimination on account of color. You have been confronted
with all kinds of propositions in regard to the so called
"Negro Problem", and as Chief Magistrate of all the People.
I know your high sense of justice and right will not allow
you to swerve from the path of duty.

May I call your attention to the fact that a
great many of my people worked for and voted the Democratic
ticket in the election of 1912 and in my opinion should re-
ceive some encouragement and consideration. Since the elec-
tion, the Democrats seem to be handicapped by the cry of
Republicans everywhere of Spoils ! Spoils ! while under Re-
publican rule, the Civil Service was nothing more than a
slippery service and their last acts consisted in putting
the fences up so high, stopping all the cracks and so se-
curely locking all the gates that it would take the Dem-
ocrats all of the next four years to open them.

Now, Mr. President, your enemies (Republicans)

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