The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-13
D. M. White Replies to Manning.

| Goodwater. Ala, June H. 1908 | Editor The Advertiseh:
 I notice In your issue of the 9th inst
 a clipping from The New York Evening Post purporting to be a letter from I C. Manning of Alexander City, Ala, and the comments you make In Eolr editorl al on me same. If the circulation of that article were conf1 d to Alabama alone, l would make no reply to it whatever for 1 am sure that the writer of that article, J. C. Manning, is so we'll known among the people If Alaoa na that any c large that he might make against me would not even reflect on me- either as an Individual or as the Mayor of Goodwater am sure that this man Manning Is known all over Alabama as being worth less, and that he does not even command the respect of the negroes whom he pre- tends to defend in his article to The New York Evening Post In fact 1t can be truthfully said of Manning. that he never earned an honest dollar in his life and that his sole aim in writing that letter to The New York Post was in view Of the fact that he had an Idea that the letter would have favorable impression on President Roosevelt and Booker T
 Washington. and that he would thereby stand chance to get a better appoint | ment than the one he has as postmaste of Alexander City, Ala.
 He says in this article that he is familiar with the ruling spirit of the Mayor of Goodwater (myselO and this Mayor would be complimented in his own estimation no higher than to have it writ ten that no negro is more worthy of human sympathy or political considera- tion than is any mule, or of less kind treatment than d good dog. Manning IS familiar with my spirit towards the negro and when he said that I would feel com plimeIted in having l. said Of me that a negro was not entitled or worthy of human sympathy, and indeed to less kind treatment than good dog. he Knowingly stated an untruth and every man who knows J. C. Manning and myself, will corroborate what l say.
 He can't get a negro in all this com munity that would certify to his state ments. and nobody knows this better than does Manning himself. l suppose that under the circumstances l will be par. doned to speak the truth and say that unjust puniShme Tt If neg-oas is abso- lutely repulsive to me and that no negro is imposed on when 1t Is in my power to prevent it. It have been elected Mayor of the town of Cfooo WaIar several times and each time 1 have received practically the solid vote of the negroes of the town l desire further in this article to say that great injustice Is being done the town of Goodwater in the manner in which it is being brought before the public by the papers as enslaving the negro popula- ton of the town and quite often, as in this article of Manning's, the authorities of Goodwater are accused of expressing the negroes and inhicting all kinds of cruel punishments on them without the authority of the law.
 l defy any person to prove that any negro or white man has ever been con- victed In my court that was not guilty
 or that didn't have fair trial or that received illegal or cruel punishment after they had been convicted. And I aId certain that l can truthfully state that no negro has evAr been worked In slavery in the town of Goo water since the day when slavery was abolished in the sixties
 It Is a fact that numerous negroes have been tried and convicted in Goodwater for stealing and have received a small fine and light punishment when white man under the same circumstances would have been much more severely dealt with as a great allowance Is always made for the negro. owing to his standing in life.
 Many of the write-ups that Goodwater is getting in this matter impress me as being done by lot or politicians. or would be politicians, without a ob, rush. ing after President Roosevelt's band wagon, seeking thereby to court his favor and get an appointment at his hands.
 It seems that Mannings article is writ ten especially to catch the Northern peo-