’’’’羅’’羅’ (WILLIAM MONROE TROTTER)

對’爾遜’統’抗議 Protest to President Wilson

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    ’給’國白’’“’’由”’而給’裔’國’’’“’奴隸’”嗎? 天’不’!

    1912’’’爾遜’選’統’’’’“’’由”’諾言’’’’統候選’’’爾遜’’給’’黑’領’’’諾說’’’當選’統’“黑’’’證’’’絕對公平’’’’”’而’’爾遜當選不’’’’’’’’部’’’部實’種族’離’

    ’’中’’國有’’種’’’’’爾遜’交’’’抗議’’’’’’’’’’’1914’11月l 2日’’統’見由’’’’羅’’羅’(1872’l934)’領’’個’裔’國’’’團’’羅’’’’’’黑’報’’’輯’’’’’’’’’’說’’爾遜對’’羞成’’對該’’團說’除’’們’換領導’’’’不’’’們’面’

    ’羅’生’’亥’’’個中產階’’’’’’’’’舒’’郊區’’’’’’’’’學’’’’’’’’第’個黑’學生’選’’’’’學生’誼’’’’’商’’’羅’創辦’’’’’’報’’’種族平等而’’戰鬥’’’對’爾遜’’’’講’重’’’’’國黑’報’’

    ’’’’我們’交’由’’’’’裔’國’簽’’’民請’’抗議’’’’’部’’’’部’’’部裏’對’部’有’部分’有’’’統’雇Ⅸ實’種族’離’我們曾’’’’’’’’’’’統職’’實踐’當選’’諾言’結’’種種族’離’我們曾’’’’種族’離’’’’尤’’’’’雇Ⅸ中’對眾’種族中’’個種族實’種族’離’’絕對談不’有什麼’由’談不’’重’’’談不’公民平等’’’’離雇Ⅸ’’著’’’控’們身體不潔’’’有傳’’’’’’著’控’們’’等動’’’’聽’’’部分公民’偏見’’’接’’身’’等’’’我們抗議’’’場’’’’’’’’’’’’’手間’’’’間’尤’’’’’’’公’衛生間’種族’離做’’我們曾’’’’種種族’離’公眾’’’’’落’完’欠妥’’’產生’遠’不’’’’’對’’個’’國’’公民’說’’個’’’打擊’對’資’’’’我們’’國’’’統’’’’’’’’’’說’’’個’’’打擊’

    當’’曾’’’’’親’調’有關情’’’’’’’’’’’我們’找’’’’原’’我們’’’對’’’統’’’雇Ⅸ實’種種種族’離不僅’’’’’部’’’部’而’’’種’’’’’蔓’’’’’’部’’

    ’’’部’’’局’不僅’’’有種族’離’而’辦公’’’有’’裔’國雇Ⅸ’飯’’’趕’’離’’’’’方’’’’趕’’離’手間’’’’’部’’們’’趕’’離’’’’’離’’手間’’’’’部’’裔’國婦’’’’中’’離’第’’’’壁裏’’裔’國’雇Ⅸ’’趕’第’’’’離’間’’’’’’’’’’白’職Ⅸ’’’’不允’’’’離’第六’’’裔’國’雇Ⅸ’’’離’手間’’第’’’’’’部’部’樓’’裔’國’雇Ⅸ’’手間’’離’’’’’’內’部’’有’離’’手間’我們’第’次申’還’’對’提’’’’’國務’及’它部’’有’離’’手間’’’’醫’’樓’儘管那裏’有’個’裔’國職Ⅸ’’’樣’有’離’手間’’’’部有’離’’手間’’’’部’樓有’離’’手間’’’’’’辦裝’’’五樓’’裔’國婦’’趕’’離’’’場’’’離’’手間’’’我們’’申’’’’’個’’’’’’’’’’’離手’’’手間’’種種族’離’最’落’最’’污’’’裔’國雇Ⅸ’’們’’’樓’裏’’’用公’’手間’’’警’’’’警’’們不’’禮’’’

    ’’’團’體投票’’’我們’’’’’種種族’離’’疑問仍’’續’情’’’五’’’’’’面’’’’次抗議’’’’’’’’’部’’’’對’裔’國雇Ⅸ’種族’離’

    ’國黑’公民驚’不’’’我們’’’’’我們’’’’不’’’’’’諾言’不’’’們’識’’假’’國’首都’’’部’裏’’們’’’’離’’’’’那麼’’’部生’’產’’’’那種’’’迫’’’’’蔓’’’們公民’’整個基礎結’’’動’’’

    ’’’’’民反’離請’中’’們’讓’’白’們’反對’見’今’’投票’’’’們’次’投票方式’示抗議’對民’黨’’除’那’’言不諱’反對種族’離’’’們’概投反對票’’’部’’’唯’當選’’’民’黨’’麻塞諸塞’’’’爾什’’’’曾’’給’’’’停止種族’離’’’’’種方式’’裔’國’’示’對種族’離’’’’絕’

    ’實’’我們有’’’’’’’’’著’有風’’’’民’黨’’’’選’統’’民’黨’’興仍’問’重重’’我們種族’選票’足輕重’儘管內部有分’’’仍’’民’黨’’’’’今’們’’載’’’’支援’動’’’’’產’

    僅僅’’’’’’’’捧’’’第’’’’’支援’’’裔’國’領’成’’們種族’’’’’情棄’’領’’’’圍攻’種族’離導’’’’’變化啊!

    ’說’’“’’黑’’’’’國’’’’實’’’’們種族’’’’有’望’”面對仍’’續’種族’離’請’’’’’諾言’’’情’公民’’’著融’’而種族’離’毀’’’情誼’公民’’’’國’首都’街’’’任’’個’路’’不管’黑’還’白’’都’’’’’’’樓’’用公’’手間’而’’’’’’黑’公民’不’’請’’’’成’體統!

    ’’平等’公民’有鑒’’公’’’諾’我們有’’’手中’有’’’’’中不’’視’’由’不’限’’’由’不’’難’’由’不’污’’’由’’給’國白’’“’’由”’而給’裔’國’’’“’奴隸’”嗎? 天’不’’

    我們’’’’’’’’’項’’’’’反對’’’雇Ⅸ中’種族’膚’’不’而實’任’及’有’式’種族’離’我們’’’問’’’’’’麼做’我們等’著’’答覆’’樣我們’’’’’’答覆轉’給正’等’中’’’’統’’國公民’

One year ago we presented a national petition, signed by Afro-Americans in thirty-eight states, protesting against the segregation of employes of the National government whose ancestry could be traced in whole or in part to Africa, as instituted under your administration in the treasury and postoffice departments. We then appealed to you to undo this race segregation in accord with your duty as president and with your pre-election pledges. We stated that there could be no freedom, no respect from others, and no equality of citizenship under segregation for races, especially when applied to but one of many racial elements in the government employ. For such placement of employes means a charge by the government of physical indecency or infection, or of being a lower order of beings, or a subjection to the prejudices of other citizens, which constitutes inferiority of status. We protested such segregation as to working conditions, eating tables, dressing rooms, rest rooms, lockers and especially public toilets in government buildings. We stated that such segregation was a public humiliation and degradation. entirely unmerited and far-reaching in its injurious effects, a gratuitous blow against ever loyal citizens and against those many of whom aided and supported your elevation to the presidency of our common county.

      At that time you stated you would investigate conditions for yourself. Now, after the lapse of a year, we have come back having found that all the forms of segregation of government employes of African extraction are still practiced in the treasury and postoffice department buildings, and to a certain extent have spread into other government buildings.

      Under the treasury department, in the bureau of engraving and printing there is segregation not only in dressing rooms, but in working positions, Afro-American employes being herded at separate tables, in eating, and in toilets. In the navy department there is herding at desks and separation in lavatories. In the postoffice department there is separation in work for Afro-American women in the alcove on the eighth floor, of Afro-American men in rooms on the seventh floor, with forbidding even of en trance into an adjoining room occupied by white clerks on the seventh floor, and of Afro American men in separate rooms just instituted on the sixth floor, with separate lavatories for Afro-American men on the eighth floor; in the main treasury building in separate lavatories in the basement; in the interior department separate lavatories, which were specifically pointed out to you at our first hearing; in the state and other departments separate lavatories; in marine hospital service building in separate lavatories, though there is but one Afro-American clerk to use it; in the war department in separate lavatories: in the postoffice department building separate lavatories; in the sewing and bindery divisions of the government printing office on the fifth floor there is herding at working positions of Afro-American women and separation in lavatories, and new segregation instituted by the division chief since our first audience with you. This lavatory segregation is the most de grading, most insulting of all. Afro-American employes who use the regular public lavatories on the floors where they work are cautioned and are then warned by superior officers against in subordination.

      We have come by vote of this league to set before you this definite continuance of race segregation and to renew the protest and to ask you to abolish segregation of Afro-American employes in the executive department.

      Because we cannot believe you capable of any disregard of your pledges we have been sent by the alarmed American citizens of color. They realize that if they can be segregated and thus humiliated by the national government at the national capital the beginning is made for the spread of that persecution and prosecution which makes property and life itself insecure in the South, the foundation of the whole fabric of their citizenship is unsettled.

      They have made plain enough to you their opposition to segregation last year by a national anti-segregation petition, this year by a protest registered at the polls, voting against every Democratic candidate save those outspoken against segregation. The only Democrat elected governor in the eastern states, was Governor Walsh of Massachusetts, who appealed to you by letter to stop segregation. Thus have the Afro Americans shown how they detest segregation.

      In fact, so intense is their resentment that the movement to divide this solid race vote and make peace with the national Democracy, so suspiciously revived when you ran for the presidency, and which some of our families for two generations have been risking all to promote, bids fair to be undone.

      Only two years ago you were heralded as perhaps the second Lincoln, and now the Afro American leaders who supported you are bounded as false leaders and traitors to their race. What a change segregation has wrought! You said that your "Colored fellow citizens could depend upon you for everything which would assist in advancing the interests of their race in the United States." Consider this pledge in the face of the continued color segregation! Fellow citizenship means congregation. Segregation destroys fellowship and citizenship. Consider that any passerby on the streets of the national capital, whether he be black or white, can enter and use the public lavatories in government buildings while citizens of color who do the work of the government are excluded.

      As equal citizens and by virtue of your public promises we are entitled at your hands to freedom from discrimination, restriction, imputation and insult in government employ. Have you a "new freedom" for white Americans and a new slavery for your Afro-American fellow citizens? God forbid!

      We have been delegated to ask you to issue an executive order against any and all segregation of government employes because of race and color, and to ask whether you will do so. We await your reply, that we may give it to the waiting citizens of the United States of African extraction. ’

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