Microfilm Reel 229, File 152, "African Americans"

[152]

Page 1.

849 Morris Avenue, New York City, July 25, 191

T0 THE EDITOR OF THE WORLD:- Dear Sir:-

Since your paper has made itself the fearless champion of the oppressed without respect to race, creed or color, I ask to be permitted, through your great medium, to seriously call the attention of the American people to the oppressive conditions this Country has long continued with complacency upon my race, and to point out that it is absolutely necessary to the peace, honor and hishest developement of America that these conditions be righted.

After serving this country for nearly two hundred and fifty years as a chattle slave, and now after nearly sixty years of the abolition of chattle slavery and the adoption of the fifteenth amendment, giving him all the rights of citizenship, and it being acknowledged that he has measured up to the highest test of citizenship, the colored man finds himself beset at the North with industrial slavery and at the South with political slavery. A subject without elective representation in any legislative branch or without a position of honor or emolument in the government, a subject for lynch law and every indignity that can be afforded a human being. Notwithstanding these conditions, there never was a time when his patriotism and loyalty to America was in question.

Now, these are plain questions of humanity, justice and honor which ought to be paramount for consideration. For like the colored man, America cannot reach her highest developement and usefulness as a nation while these conditions exist.

83825

Page 2.

A man cannot keep down a man without staying down himself. So it is with a nation, it cannot keep a man down without staying down with him.

The colored man never has and does not ask for favor, charity or social equality; but for the free and equal opportunity in the pursuit of life and happiness, and this no man or nation can permenantly withold fron any race.

No doubt, the root of these present conditions is in the obstructions placed in the colored man's path to the ballot box. It is true that the Supreme Court of the United States has held, that the various qualifications to vote, enacted by the Southern States, excepting the grandfather's clause, do not discriminate, and are legal and are within the power of the Sovereign State. With this decision or those laws, the colored man has no complaint to make. But his complaint is that by chicanery and evenly openly, the officials charged with the enforcement of these laws, violate them in favor of the white man, while the colored man is held to the letter and the spirit. Therefore, it is utterly impossible for any colored man to satisfactorily qualify as a voter, save those whom this oligarchic form of government which this system has produced would have qualify. Now, who can say this sort of thing does not degrade America more than it degrades the Colored man?

1t is the Colored man deserving of these grievous, unequal burdens placed upon him; Is he not a loyal citizen? Has he not bravely from time to time, laid down his life for America? And even now, America can have no sorrow that is not the Colored man's sorrow.

Then is it not time and high time that America should resolutely set herself to treat her Colored sons and daughters with justice and humanity?

83826

Page 8.

I believe that these simple questions exceed in magnitude and importance any other question or policy which is before this Country for solution. For they are a curse to the country and a wrong in the concrete. They may seem insignificant to some, but when we see now that it is possible and even probable for a President of the United States to be defeated for re-election by the unity of citizens of foreign birth, who because of their allegiance and sympathy for their native lands, have united and banded themselves together to defeat him because he refused to make this country an adjunct and subservient to the interest of the land of their Nativity, it does not take a Statesman to foretell what the future holds for America if she continues to withhold the ballot and an equal opportunity from the sons who know no allegiance or love except to America. She must shake off political slavery at the South and industrial slavery at the North. Not only because humanity, justice and Christianity demand it, but for the salvation of America. "The hand is writing upon the wall."

Well, how shall we proceed now at this late date, to shake off these evil monsters, which since the overthrow of chattle slavery, we have permitted to grow until now they are a very part of us. However, "never too late to do good, " Shall we proceed to shake off these evils and save our country, by the Northern people abusing the Southern people or the Southern people abusing the Northern people as of oldr

This is certainly not the way, and can have no good affect.

For the South is not alone responsible for the conditions obtain there, and the Colored man has not better friends than are found in the South.

83827

Page 4.

I think we should proceed with the good people of the South uniting with the good people of the North as one voice, with the President of the United States leading and demand impartial enforcement of the laws and an equal industrial opportunity for the Colored man.

Does Mr. Wilson appreciate these conditions and the Justice of the Colored man's complaint? If so, is he ready to lead an attack upon them? Does Mr. Hughes appreciate these conditions and the Justice of the Colored man's complaint? If so, is he ready, if elected President of the United States, to lead in an attack upon them?

These questions the Colored man would be glad to hear Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hughes answer now. They are not questions which can be settled in a partisian spirit. They are questions of plain humanity, justice and honor, affecting the foundation, peace and safety of America, which every man with a spark of fair play in his heart can take an important part in the solution.

So far as the politicians of either of the parties are concerned, they do not care whether the Colored man votes at the South or sets a Job at the North. So there is no use for the Colored man to continue to deceive himself in believing that all are Angels in the Republican party and that all are Devils in the Democratic party.

Nor does he make his conditions better by casting an almost undivided vote for either party. The Colored man must learn that it is highly essential in a democracy to have at least two great political parties and then when he is able to examine the claims of the two present great political parties with his eyes and not with his prejudice, he will see that it is to his interest and to the best interest of the

83828

Page 5.

country to at least make a more equal division of his vote.

When he does this, he will find a better reception in both parties. So in the regeneration of things, and a new birth of freedom for America, the Colored man has his part to play. Let no man in the future be able to tell ones political party by his color.

Right now, the Colored man in the coming election, might do more to emancipate himself from the conditions besetting him, by an intelligent use of the half-ballot that he now has, than any other force can do for him in a decade.

It is a nauseating spectacle to every whole hearted American, and this certainly includes the Colored man, to see the possible defeat of a President of the United States for re-election, whatever his shortcomings may be, by an organized unity of citizens of foreign birth because he has refused to make this Country's interest subservient to the interests of their native lands.

Now, here is an opportunity for the Colored man to touch the heart of America by arising with but the half-vote that he holds, saying that I will make this thing impossible by casting this half vote solidly, not for Woodrow Wilson, but for undivided allegiance to my Country which principle Woodrow Wilson has upheld.

I do not believe that Mr. Wilson’s Americanism is any purier than Mr. Hughes's Americanism, but we simply resent the thought of Mr. Wilson's possible defeat by an organized unity of citizens of divided allegiance because he as President refuses to make this country's interest subservient to the interest of their native lands.

83823