The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-09-11
;A a STRO;N(d TR PAP !. .ER. !.

Edward " shepard's Defence Of the
south's Suffrage Laws.
AN AN oursPoKnn 'lsiIt i: DnHocRAr. ',,1s
He Thinks the south justified
in Restricting The Suffrage
in the Way that
She Docs.
The Evening Post h:.s sent the
letter Of inquiry, printed below, to
many prominentlnortlcrn Democrats
as to their position on the question
Of negro suffrage So far the only an
swers received have been from Mr..
Cleveland and DIr. Edward M. Shcp-
ard. MIR. Cleveland's letter is as fol-
lows: ~ ~ .....
To the Editor: Of The Evening Post:
Sir: Your, letter propountling Ger
tain questions touching negro suffrage
In the south is at hand
l am not willing to take from my
vacation the time necessary to an
Swer these questions i'm Il thorough
| manner-even If we're inclined TO
enter into the discussion invited by
your request.
Grover Cleveland
Bnzzard'S Bay, Mass, July 81.
This letter Of ex-President Cleye.
land was sent in reply to the follow
ing inquiry:
Dear Sir: It is frequently alleged
In the southern press that leading
northern Democrats are in sympathy
with the effort to disrranc1ise the tic-
gro in the south, under color Of laws
uneuually enforced as between whites
and blacks. TO test the truth OF this
assertion, The Evening Post respect
fully asks you to give 1t for pubica-
tion your opinion upon the following
statement Of facts:
In the case (18.72D CT Jackson W.
Giles, appellant, VS.. the Board of Reg
istrars Of Montgomery County, Ala
bama, argued before the United States
supreme court at the October term Of
1902, 1t was shown that the said board
OF registrars refused to register quail
| fled negroes for no other reason than
their race or color" The brief for
the appellant specified that more
than 5000 colored persons" In Mont
gomcry county alone are thus cxclud-
ed from the suffrage, though ''qudli.
fled under the law of the State OF Ala
bama and Of the United States"
Granting the truth of these state
mcntS and failing interyentioni by the
supreme court.
Cd Has congress any duly in the
promises? 4
n,S2} nl 4! Il IT. the constitHti0nal uaranties
are allowed to lapse, wEav @ 1saers' can
we count upon remaining in vigor?
90 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 disfranchisemcnt Of the
foreign-born voters in the north who
are the peculiar strength Of the Demo
cratic party?
BY answering these questions at
your earliest convenience, you will
greatly oblSge. Yours very truly,
Editor OF The Evening Post.
The foregoing was mailed to tho
address Of the following gentlemen,
in addition to Mr.. Cleveland:
w. j. Bryan, Alton B. Parker, Rich
ard Olney. David B. Hill, Judson Har-
mon, Edward M. Shepard.
Also to these northern Democratic
representatives: Congressman Gran
ger, Thayer, Sullivan, Hughes, Nc.
Dermott, SulZer, Harrison, Ryan and
Badger.
The letter was sent, in addition, to
Gov. Garvin Of Rhode Island, to May
or Collins of Boston and also to Mayor
Harrison Of Chicago and Mayor John
son Of Cleveland
~ Congressman Granger Of Rhode
Island, SO his private secretary wrote,
was out Of the country and cauld not
reply. Acknowledgment came also
from the private secretaries Of Con-
gresSmen SulZer and HarriSonsOf This
city, both OF whom were out Of reach
In the west. All OF the others ad-
dressed, with the exception Of Mr..
Shepard, omitted to state their opin-
ions on the case submitted. Mr.. Shep.
ards letter of reply is as follows:
VIEWS OF EDwARDyM. SHEPARD.
TO the Editor OF The Evening Post:
Sir: ! cannot briefly answer your
three questions upon negro suffrage,
predicated upon tho Giles case. If |
am not-upou this large and difficult
question to be misunderstood, must
write at length. do not grant the
truth" OF improved statements made
by complaint in equity OF which
neither the court in which the suit
was brought nor the supreme court,
to which 1T was appealed, had juris-
diction. The courts required no an
swcr to the complaint and refused to
take evidence upon it-holding that
it was judicially immaterial whether
the statements Of the bill were true
or false since, even II they were true,
the courts could give no relief to the
colorcd plaintiff. In this conclusion
the report indicates that all the judg-
eS OF the supreme court concurrcd cx-
ccpt Judge Brewer and possibly JGdge
Brown. Even Judge Harlan, who cx-
pressed his merely personal opinion
that In proper suit the colored citi-
zen might have had relief, declared
that in the only suit which he did
bring the court could not help him.
Nor did accept the suggestion that