The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-09-04
MOST EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS

MOST EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS
The New York Evening Post has
focused attention upon the leading
candidates for the democratic presi-
Dental nomination in the most embar-
RAISING manner for them that it
could have chosen. AS the Post is 4
supporter of the democratic cause,
they cannot ignore it, or the other
hand if they attempt to comply with
its request, they have the fate that
befell Henry Clay when he wrote his
famous letter on the annexation Of
Texas. as an awful warning.
The Post asks every conspicuous
northern democrat point plank "
e, he be ieves that qualified negroes
in the south should be protected in
their right to the ballot, not the ig-
norant, but the intelligent, negroes
who can pass any reasonable exami-
nation. Its inquiry is contained in
the following letter:
Dear Sir: 1t is frequently alleged
IN the southern press that leading
northern democrats are N sympathy
with the effort to d~isfranchise the ne
gro in the south, under color laws
unequaily enforced as between whites
md J. aoLyr To test tho ,VJ1th nf HITS
assertion. the Evening Post respect
fully asks you TO give it for publioa-
ton your opinion upon the following
statement Of facts.
In the case. (1S72D of Jackson w.
Giles. appellant, VS.. the board of reg
istrars CT Montgomery county. Ala
bama, argued before the United States
supreme court at the October term Of
1902 it was shown that the said board
Of registrars refused to register quail
if,ed negroes for no other reason
than Their races or color" The brief for
the APPELLANT specified that more than
5000 colored persons" in Montgomery
county alone are thus excluded from
suffrage, though qualified under the
law of the state of Alabama and OF
the United States"
Granting the truth of these state
ments and falling Intervention by the
supreme court.
ID Has congress any duty in the
premises?
~ If the constitutional guarantees
and penalties provided for such a case
arc allowed to lapse, what others can
count, up on remaining in vigor?
I'D If the negro may be Gepri ye1 OF
the Suffrage il? the south, how long
will it be before the same argument
will be adduced. as Mr.. Dos Passes Of
the New York bar admits that il
may be, for the Acknowledgement OF
the fOreign-bOrn voters in the north
who are the peculiar strength of the
democratic party?
BY answering these questions at
your earliest convenience you will
greatly oblidge. Your very truly,
Editor of the Evening Post.
This letter has been sent to Grover
Cleveland, ". ]. Bryan, Alton B.
Parker, Richard Olney, David B. Hill,
Judson Harmon. Edward NJ. Shepard.
Also to the following democratic con-
gressmen: Granger, Thayer, Harri-
son, Ryan and Badger. The letter has
been sent also to Governor Garvin
of Rhode Island, to Mayor Collins of
Boston, to Mayor Harrison of Ch:ca-
go, and Mayor Johnson of Cleveland.
This list. includes all the democratic
possibilities. 81 ri D.
With characteristic promptness
Grover Cleveland answers and takes
the hull by the horns. He says he
is fishing and does not want TO be dis
turbed by such trivial matters, and
moreover that he is not inclined tc
discuss the rights of the negro at thi;
time. His reply Is as follows:
Sir: Your letter -p~ropounding Ger.
tain questions touching negro suf'
fTage IN the south is at hand.
fam not willing 10 take from my
vacation the time necessary to an
smeratRese questions IN a Thorough
mauaer-even IL I were inclined Il
enter in the discussion invited by
's~ Grover Cleveland.
-EBuzzard's Bay, Mass, July Il.
Edward NJ. Shepard is the on
other democrat who has mustered III
courage enough to say anything. AM