New-York tribune., 1903-05-11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
MR.. CLEVELAND AND THE NEGRO.
sne of the Black Race Takes Issue with
ey-President

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir. Ex-President Clevelands speech in Maoisoh
Square Garden on April IL which was. as some
say a bid for Democratic support and sympathy
sn the South in the event that he is nominated ny
his party in Ieos without the aid OF consent OF :"
J.. BRYAN. author OF ''the cross of gold etc anu
his speech in December last. in Witherspoon ha'
Philadelphia in behalf Of the industrial school Tor
negroes In that city-as the French say swear az
each other Then he loftily maintained that 'h'
negro must be left free to aspire to sorne'hiiE
more than an Industrial factor-a newer "i "ooo ~
sna drawer Of water-.to hitch his wagon 10 the
stars and drive along the highways OF the ilihi'
less heavens IN his latest outgiving he piaees
great stress upon the admitted fact that neitner
emancipation nor enfranchisement chahstu 'io
characteristics Of the negro. cTystailized ny genera
tions Of serfdon, barbarism and slavery ano -
acterizes US as IAN fdle thrfftless sno VICIOUS
race And he makes this statement without ahF
qualification whatever.
Naturally Il pleased the South pieaseo the eie
mics Of the negro everywhere The legislature or
Tennessee went into ecstssies over this sianoerous
,rs,c.,,er. of the negro and pa assed a series OF
resolutions commencing the ex-Presdent Tor hls
-'able speech which 1 here and now, as A negro.
denounce as a cowardly and brutal slanoer aho
unworthy of an ex-Presidert Of the Oniteo STATES
The following statistics may interest those WHO
.,o s-.h,,sing oyer Mr Cleveland's speech, or,
rather that psrt Of It which refers 70 the negro
as vicious The eleventh census shows that IN an
the prisons Of the United States there We're
Whites. Ag.Sl negroes. ~SN'~
neither read nor write white. 1858; colored ei-l"'
p.r cent without trades whit, 67.s5 coored, 20 Il
II is admitted BY that % cent Of negro llllt
erzcv has been wiped out since freedom. or z-e9ee
nes-oes out of 100000 (the number estimated in
the eleventh censusl have learned TO read ana
write OF the 24.272 negro criminals lSl"s can
-either read r1or write SO in 10000 negroes VINO
can read ano write there are H,lS4 criminals, ac
cording to the government statistics MI Cleve-
lands wholesale slander of the negro is disproVed
by these figures.
According to Henry Grady Of Georgia, these
vicious" negroes pay taxes in one State OF the
South alone s20.eeooeo OF property. and the re-
suit of their willing labor in farm and field in the
South puts 81. 10000 in cold cash every year
into the pockets of the white South FOR an lole
and thriftiess and vicious race II would seem We
which confronts us North well as South
Mr. Grady in a speech before the Merchants
o,feT things said. Il bespeak your patience while
with vigorous plainness of speech, seeking your
sfse by step We give to the world this year
crop Of 100000 bales Of cotton, worth S45o.OWeo;
fr11its This enormous crop could not have come
from the hand of sullen and discontented iaoor ~
gossip rise above the hum Of industry ana con
fentrnent runs with the singing plough MI. Sraay
ter CT as an unruly. corrupt or depraved denl5en
of his beloved South. which he at that time was
was the counterpart Of heaven-a sort OF rev
Jerusalem for the happy ana c2nteh.o ,5 +beiI
the black nanny species, VINO had oaIeo M. mn
ebon breasts TO white children TO oTink m Ihe NILE IN
of human Kindness and become strong , tntIeoii' III
their love and attachment Tor these oidchs
OF course, some people oeheKea .ss uas SUI. i.o,
making faces merely clte TINS ehtIaCt 70 ks Sa.o
the methods which the South employs 10 ho9o-
missionaries Of learning and light flexible as
oTatoricsl acrobats as Grover CIeNelaino: l., ~ ~no
ought qualify his recent unTarTan'ee f-an9r
'Yonkers. X Y April p. 1908