The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.10, page 307, Apr. 1910, U. of Illinois Press

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APRIL. I9Io ing the present state of mind of the colored people of the country. In all of my conversation with the President and in all of my correspondence with him, I have always been perfectly frank and I have found that he appreciates frankness and has always thanked me for my information, in fact, the President himself knows that there is unrest and dissatisfaction. In reply to the last letter I wrote him calling attention to the unrest and dissatisfaction, he said that he did not blame the colored people for being dissatisfied up to the present point in his administration, so far as his treatment of them was concerned, but in the end he felt sure the results would satisfy them. Unless one is perfectly frank with the President, he may go on feeling that the Negroes are satisfied, when they are not and when the time comes to expect their support, he will be disappointed, hence it is disloyalty for any person to deal in a manner that is not frank with the President. The class of colored men to be benefited more than any other element by dealing frankly with the President just now are the men who hold Federal office in Washington and elsewhere. If the Republicans feel that they can carry Ohio next fall, no matter how the Negroes are treated in the country, they wild pay no attention to them, but if they feel they need their support and good will, they will not only keep the present men in office, but will seek to put more in. I have the highest respect for President Taft. Certainly to me he has been most kind and considerate and I always feel that I can exhibit my gratitude to him for his kindness and confidence in no better way than by telling him always a straight story. Persons holding Federal position ought always to be thankful to somebody on the outside who does let the President know frankly how conditions are, because of course the President discounts anything an office holder may say to him in favor of his administration, and at the same time, an office holder cannot criticise an administration adversely, hence the importance of those who are not obligated to the President in the way of office holding keeping the President informed in a frank, friendly manner of the exact situat~on. I always take pleasure in telling President Taft when the colored 3o7