Microfilm Reel 229, File 152, "African Americans"

COPY xxxx THE FUTURE OF THE NEGRO IN POLITICS. xxxx ------------------- o -------------------

"AN OPEN DOOR OF HOPE."

Just fifty years ago, January lst, 1913, Abraham Lincoln, emancipated four million slaves. None but those to whom the glad tidings came could know what visions this sublime act of the Great Emancipator opened to their inner souls.

Having been a slave, and then to know oneself afterward forever free; who shall imagine the soul's tumult of joy and expecation in that hour when it all stood forth a reality? Has my race fulfilled the promise of its friends? No man who has acquainted himself with the facts, will for a moment, deny that it has.

The progress made in half a century in education, in the growth of self-respect and self-confidence, in the production of distinguished leaders and in the accumulation of property, has astonished both our friends and enemies. Many promises and guarantees were held out to the race soon after the dawn of freedom, but those promises have been left unfulfilled and those guarantees have become mere idle words. It were better that they had not been made, and the negro left to fight out his own political salvation, and as he fitted himself, then, adjust himself to the body politic.

It takes a great race and a christian race to deal fair with a weaker race; but I am very sorry to say that a bitter and unchristian prejudice seems to have taken possession of the minds of those who ought to be our friends North and South, and they have shamefully neglected the promises and witheld the guarantees made fifty years ago. Is it the color of a man’s heart or skin that makes him black or white in the sight of heaven and of the noblest manhood?

The first half-century has past and with it many of our friends; the second half-century since the emancipation begins with ominous clouds still darkening the eastern skn where slowly the sun of hope has been rising for the negro. But these fity years will see forces at work that will right many a cruel wrong; inspire a larger faith and hasten the day that must come since God is just, when it shall be acknowledged that men are brothers; the world over.

The negro is not wholly responsible for solidifying his vote in the past; there were those who taught him to hate and humiliate his neighbor, by voting for the carpet-bagger during the period of reconstruction in the south, upon false promises and hopes until as a last resort these neighbors began to disfranchise my people, and they became as harmless, politically, as a finless-fish

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or a toothless serpent. SHAME! SHAME!! SHAME!!!

No man who knows the open-hearted honesty, trustworthiness, integrity and moral standing of the former slave, would for a moment be afraid to trust him with the ballot which made him feel that he was a man, and an American citizen. Where does he stand today? Would you march an army into battle without guns and amunition for self defense and expect to win a victory? The ballot has been and is today every man's strongest weapon of defense. Take that away and you unman him and leave him helpless and defenseless. No race is prouder of the government of the United States than the negro, and in proportion to numbers and material conditions, vies with any other race in a quick response to a call for its defense and support.

It seems to me that taxation and defense without representation, (the right to vote) is wrong. In many of the states we have the educational, the prepayment of taxes, and the property qualifications, as prerequisites to voting. If the negro had had the fruits of his labor and an equal chance in the race of life, since he has been in this country there would be no word of complaint against it. It is unreasonable to expect of the race in fifty years what it has taken other races all the ir lives to do. If the negro had been let alone, and had he divided his vote as other races, he never would have been disfranchised. I know this to be true, as I had the honor of attending and delivering an address before the Constitutional Convention which met at Richmond, Va., in theyears of 1901 and 1902, in the interest of the race.

For the last twenty-five or thirty years I have been a strong advocate of a division of the Negro Vote, because he has tried concentration and was made a political slave.

Following the same motives that promted me in the past, I spent a month in the campaign of 1912 in support of Messrs. WILSON and MARSHALL. The results of that campaign were so flattering and astounding that I am proud that I was in the fight, and my fondest hopes have been realized.

From the training, high character and christian sentiment expressed by President-elect WILSON, before and since his election, 1 see an OPEN DOOR OF HOPE for the Negro. I have often thought why it is, that so many hard, humiliating and discouraging things are said to keep the negro in the back-ground. We did not come to this country of our own choice; but since we have been here, we have served as BONDSMEN and FREEMEN. How well we have done both, will yet be written by the impartial historian, and acknowledged by all who love JUSTICE and RIGHT.

If the negro is to be repudiated and made the bone-of-contention, in the future, God will continue to open other doors of hope until we shall be recognized as American Citizens; and through the aid of those who may be in power, be given an equal chance

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in the race of life, and count for something in the community in which we may live.

The eyes of the world are now turned upon the incoming administration, and we hope that the confidence which the people so largely expressed at the recent election will not be misplaced, and that those who will soon take charge of the "Old Ship" of State will stick to the principles of the Fathers of this country, that this shall be a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.

William P. Morton. Washington, D. C. February 13th, 1913.

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# 406 "H" Street, N. W.,

WASHINGTON, D. C., Nov. 9,1812

His Excellency, Gov. WOODROW WILSON, Sea Girt, N. J.

Dear Sir:

Please accept my heartiest congratulations upon the magnificent and overwhelming victory you have achieved in being elected PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES.

It was simply an uprising of the American People to bring the government back to themselves and make it a "government of the people, for the people, and by the people."

It is enough for me to know that you represent that type of "Virginia Gentleman" whose sense of honor and justice will not allow him to be swerved from the path of duty. For twenty years I have been hooked up in the Democratic harness and working like a "trojan" for democratic control of all branches of the government. My fondest hopes have been realized--, The mantle has fallen upon your shoulders.

Hoping that your administration may be peaceful, happy and prosperous, believe me to be

Most respectfully yours, (Signed) Wm. P. Morton.

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[stamp] ACK'D MAR 18 1913

[stamp] THE WHITE HOUSE MAR 18 1913 RECEIVED

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Hon. Joceph Tumulty, Secretary to the President, Washington, D. C.

My dear Mr. Tumulty:-

I hope I may secure your pardon for the intrusion of this letter, but I know of no other way of getting some facts before the President, and am, therefore, relying upon your good office to call them to his attention.

1 have seen a clipping from the Washington Evening Star in which my name is alleged to have been presented for the position of Assistant Register of the Treasury. I desire to state that I have authorized no one to present my name for any office nor am I a candidate for this position.

During the last campaign I organised and was elected president of the Wilson Colored Democratic Club of Greater New York. I was prompted to organize in this way because it was apparent that members of colored men in this city would vote for Mr. Wilson who would not join any organization affiliated with Tammany Hall--as is the United Colored Democracy. It was in no spirit of opposition

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