Protesting Wilson’s Support for Segregation

Protesting Wilson’s Support for Segregation

Walker, Edward L.

Parker, WM

CS72

1914 November 19

Letter from the President and Secretary of the Saloonmen's Protective Union No. 1, protesting Wilson's support of segregation in the Federal government.

Library of Congress
Wilson Papers, Series 4, 152A Reel 231, Manuscript Division

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum

African-Americans--segregation

Althea Cupo

Maria Matlock

English

Digital copy acquired from federal archives by previous WWPL Archivist, Heidi Hackford.

Hon. Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United States,
White House, Washington, D. C.

Mr. President:-

We, the members of the Saloonmen's Protective Union #1, numbering over 500 members, many of whom cast their votes for you to be the President of this Nation, present to you this, our Protest against the statements made by you, as President of this Nation, to a Committee of our fellow-citizens, of which Mr. Wm. M. Trotter was Chairman, in reference to the segregation of the Colored clerks in certain departments of the government service of the Capitol of the Nation, to whom you recently granted an interview.

You will not doubt concede this fact, that these gentlemen had the right to present to you, as the President of our common country, their grievances on a matter that was not only a personal one to themselves but one also of vital importance affecting over 10,000,000 of our citizens as to the right of certain members of your cabinet to segregate a class of clerks in the government service, thus causing a distinction and a prejudice towards them, simply that the color of the one differs from that of the other in the same service.

You will recognize this fact, Mr. President, that when a grievance occurs towards any class of its citizens, it is the right of the aggrieved party to call the attention of the Executive of the Nation to such grievance and request of him or through his efforts that such grievance be removed or abated. This becomes more apparent when such grievances occur directly under those whom you have made members of your official family. It is unnecessary for us to call your attention that under the constitution, framed by those who made this people a sovereign nation, that those who are engaged to perform certain work assigned them should be designated into two classes on account of the color of such employees. You sir, will admit that it was never intended in the establishment of these several departments that there should be a privileged class in such departments, especially is this the case when the work of each individual clerk is the same. You will also remember that this segregation does not occur when these Clerks are at work in the same room and at adjoining desks, but takes effect when these Clerks are supposed to be free from such duties, then they are to be segregated to certain rooms set apart for recreation and lunch and to restore for a brief time tired nature. You sir, have stated to this Committee that this was done to prevent friction between such classes of Clerks. Allow us to propound this question to you, "Why should there be any friction between any of the Clerks during the luncheon period in the short space of time allotted them by the rules of the department to partake of the same, while there is no mention of either friction or segregation in the longer period that each is performing the same duties in the same room which brings them in closer association with each other?"

Have you, Mr. President, considered this fact or this, that for over fifty years Colored men and women have been in the employ of the government, some have filled places therein that called for the best ability to perform the work assigned. Their qualifications to do this and the manner they performed it has never been questioned. To such an extent was this that the signature of certain members of this race are to be found on the national currency of the country. During the period to which we allude, all Clerks used the same room for luncheon and for other purposes. No questions arose on the part of the one or the other as to their presence there. You will also remember Sir, that during this period there were two administrations of your Party. It was not until you had selected certain members of your official family that it was deemed proper to separate or rather segregate these Clerks during the brief time allotted to them for lunch. It has been stated by those in sympathy with this rule that it was established to prevent social intercourse between the classes of Clerks, particularly to prevent the Colored Clerks, men and women from having social intercourse with other Clerks, which appeared to be their great desire. This statement we stamp as untrue. No Colored man or woman craves to enter the social circle of your people. The great trouble has been in the past as well as in the present to prevent members of your race from entering our homes and purloining therefrom the choicest flowers of their homes. If such be your belief, "why then," we ask you and the members of your cabinet, "Do you employ members of this race who from their duties enter into the closest relations with you and your families in the preparation of your food and other duties that devolve upon them in your homes? Duties far closer than any that would be imposed upon them in social intercourse. Is it because there comes a change in your mind as to their fitness when these men and women enter into government employ and work side by side in the same room and often at the same desk, that it is deemed expedient, even necessary that they should occupy separate rooms during the recreation period? Does this not strike you, Mr. President, as rather inconsistent?"

You have stated in your remarks to this Committee that you had taken great interest in their race, that it was your desire to make them independent of the White race. We are generous enough, Mr. President, to believe that in uttering these words you did not comprehend their true import. As the Executive of this nation, as an historian, and as the former Dean of one of our Universities, you have said in your writings, that no race or people, residing in the same lands and under the same form of government can be independent of the one to the other. Again Sir, we have not asked this distinguished favor at your hands, we are content to remain simply American citizens. You have probably forgotten in this connection that this country of ours was settled by different classes of people of different nations and of different religious beliefs. The East by the Puritans, the middle states by the Swedes, the Dutch and the English, the South by the English, French and Spanish and we also could name in the same way the several sects who made this land their home. All these classes, people and sects have gone to make the nation. They became homogeneous and this homogenity has brought upon this country its present prosperity. In each, our people have taken and borne a leading part. It was their labor in the cotton fields of the South that made cotton king. The same may be said as to the cane fields in the same section. In the defense of the nation on many bloody-stained battle fields the blood of this race was amongst the first to baptize its soil. For all this You, Mr. President, and others who believe with you that they are aliens and should be segregated from their fellows and their rights withheld as American citizens. Have you forgotten Sir, how well they served the men of your section, their fidelity to you when in need, their care of your families while you were on the tented field, how tenderly the women of this race assisted in nursing you back to health? What the men and women of our race have done for the White men and women of the South in the past should from sheer gratitude make them to-day the friends of our people instead of their worst enemies.

All that we ask, Mr. President, from you, is simply fair play, that justice that one man is entitled to at the hands of another to receive. We also say to you that no question of wrong is settled until it is settled with right and justice to all, in which color or skin should be an unknown quantity. Every man and woman in this land is entitled to this and will fight to secure it. It is to you, Mr. President, to undo this great wrong under which we suffer and to which our Committee who waited upon you appealed to you for redress. Will you do it? We remain,

Courteously yours,

Edward L. Walker President.
W. M. Parker Secretary

Letter

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924