The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-31
PRESIDENT LONG EXPLAINS.
Says He Was Not Sent to North Caro-
lima by Mckinley.


lima by Mckinley.
To the Editor: i am a regular sub
! scriber to your daily paper. My love
| for North Carolina, my native State,
| has never diminished. 1t has fallen to
my lot to care for an aged mother in
! Alamance county.Last week it became
my duty to look after some business
in connection with my farms in North
| Carolina. and to see about getting some
| one to take charge of the old home
stead for me next year. Gov. McKin-
| ley Senators Sherman, Foraker. and
Pritchard, had nothing TO do with my
going to North Carolina. The trustees
| of Antioch College did not know that
/ was called away. l had no orders or
instructions from any man in the
! United States. After / reached Raj
eigh, was kindly invited to attend the
| convention while in the city. Senator
| Pritchard did not know that I was to
be in the hall on the night when he
! happened to recognize me, and called
on me for greetings from the McKin-
| ley hosts of Ohio. Senator Pritchard
and Governor Mckinley had no more
! to do with my presence in North Car
Dina than the editor Of the Observer,
and are no more responsible for what
| | said
| When | was President of Graham
! College, l aided the colored people, just
after the war, in this way: Daily, af-
! ter the college exercises ended, at
p. m, l walked out to the African NJ.
f. church, and taught the colored
men who were preparing to teach
| their own race in their own schools.
l also aided the colored people at 9TH
er places, in the organization of their
missionary work in the Christian
church, and they used to call me their
friend, their pastor. Of course l was
not a pastor, in the ordinary accepta-
| ton of that word. Yet | was glad
then, as / ann now, to aid the poor and
ignorant. My. missionary work among
| the freedmen was at Graham. y. c..
near the place where l first saw the
light, and where | expect to return, as
to the dearest spot of all when [ am too
! old to teach.
| These things were known and read
| of all men in Alamance. Col James
II. Holt, Jr., and his brothers were
| pupils of mine at Graham. Thomas
|
| ernOr Holt, was another of my pupils.
Not in the class with colored people
certainly not! My missionary work
was entirely a separate affair. Judge
| 4. J.. COble, and hundreds of other
noble sons of North Carolina, were
students at Graham. All the twaddle
about the negro pastor, the negro
teacher, preacher, politician, will
soon be fully understood.
/ appreciate your efforts to advance
| the dear old North State, and have
distributed your extra industrial num-
bers in many places north and west. I
am doing all ] can to induce the very
best class of people to go to North
! Carolina, as they are now going to
| Georgia and Tennessee. But if no man,
however, pure his motives, can enjoy
freedom of speech in North Carolina,
my best efforts viii be in vain.
You did not publish what | said.
eulogized North Carolina as the great
| est State in the Union, and her sol
diers as among the bravest that ever
marched through the white smoke of
battle. You sought to impress your
readers with the idea that l abused
my native State. / know that the old
prejudices are against a minister of
the Gospel attending primaries, or hay
ing a word to say at political meetings
/ do not advocate the idea of ministers
seeking or holding political offices.
do believe, on the other hand, that it
is the duty of every minister-yes, ev-
cry man, in the republic to attend
the primaries, and aid at all meetings,
| in a fair and honorable manner, to
enlighten the people on all questions
pertaining to the religious, social, NOR
al and political upbuilding of man.
have never held any political Office
No college has ordered me, directly or
indirectly, what to say or not to say.
As the editor of a paper, / write to the
people-as freeman, as a teacher, as
a preacher, | will never refuse to say
what / honestly believe to be for the
best interests of all the people When
YOU attempt by inuendoes and filings
to create the impression that any man
or party ever made or attempted to
make me its hireling agent, you are
simply rOmancing.
You profess to believe in a tariff for
revenue only | admit, it sounds all
right: but its real meaning, to me,
is that it is for a deficit only. l, as
honestly, believe in a protective tariff,
and believe that it is for the best in
| terests of my State, and of the United
States.
Very respectfully,
DANIEL ALBRIGHT LONG.
Antioch College, Yellow Springs, o.,
May ,.