Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-31
Mr.. Cleveland and Southern Suffrage

The New York Evening Post recently ad-
dressed number of northern democrats,
among them Grover Cleveland. w. ]. Bryan.
Alton B. Parker, Richard Olney, David B.
HILL Judson Harmon and Edward M. Shep-
ard. in the following terms:
Dear Sir: 1t is frequently alleged in the
southern press that leading northern demo-
Gratis are in sympathy with the effort TO
disfranchise the negro in the south. under
color of laws unequaly enforced as between
whites and blacks. To test the truth Of
this assertion, the Evening Post respect
fully asks you to give it for publication
your opinion upon the following statement
of facts:
In the case Qs.721) of Jackson w. Giles,
appellant. vs.. the board of registrars of
Montgomery county, Alabama, argued be-
fore the United States Supreme Court at
the October term of 1902. it was shown that
the said board of registrars refused to reg
lister qualified negroes for no other reason
than their color. The brief for the
appellant specified that more than 500
colored persons in Montgomery county
alone are thus excluded from the suffrage,
though qualified under the law of the state
of Alabama and of the United States
Granting the truth of these statements,
and failing intervention by the Supreme
Court,
% Has Congress any duty in the prem
Uses?
go If the constitutional guarantees and
penalties provided for such a case are al
lowed to lapse, what others can we count
upon remaining in vigor?
49, If the negro may be deprived of the
suffrage in the south, how long will it be
before the same argument will be adduced
as Mr.. Dos Passos of the New York bar
admits that it may be, for the diSfranchise-
ment of the foreign-born voters in the north
who are the peculiar strength of the demo-
cratic party?'
This reply is dated Buzzards Bay, Massa-
chusetts. July 81:
ITO the Editor of the Evening Post:
.Sir: Your letter propounding certain
questions touching negro suffrage in the
south is at hand.
Il am not willing to take from my vaca-
ton the time necessary to answer these
questions in a thorough manner-even if 1
were inclined to enter into the discussion
invited by your request.
GROVER CLEVELAND"
Some people declare that Mr.. Cleveland is
cold and ungrateful. Whatever the charge
may rest upon, it will not be strengthened
by this letter. For here is gratitude.
The suffrage laws in the south which dis
criminate against the negro are repugnant.
in spirit at least, to the Constitution of the
United States. The men who designed and
passed them made no bones about the mat
ter. Many of them, rather than see the
ballot-box reOpened to the negro would
willingly have the federal Constitution en-
forced and southern representation in Con-
gress reduced They speak frankly the
subject They have grown tired Of employ
ing force and fraud in carrying elections.
The shotgun and the tissue ballot and the
forged tally sheets were instruments which
degraded in their own eyes the men who
resorted to them. And so it was finally de-
cided to accomplish the end by state law,
even If in so doing the federal Constitution
should be defied.
Now, when Mr. Cleveland was elected
President in 1884 and in 1892 the old order
prevailed in the south. The votes of the
southern states were rolled UP for him by
the methods which the southern men have
since cast off. They preferred to act under
a disputed law rather than longer in way
which lowered them in their own estima-
ton. But as Mr.. Cleveland accepted the
south's votes obtained in that way, and
never uttered a word of criticism of what
had been done for him and in his name.
why should he come forward now as the
champion of the Constitution and a free
ballot?
What is the Evening Post driving at? Is
it seemly-thus openly to embarrass or to
quiz an ex-President of the United States?