The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-09-11
A STRONG R PAP ER. y
Edward N. shepard's Defence Of the
south's Suffrage Laws.
AN oUTspoKEN DEMOCRAT.
He Thinks the South Justified
in Restricting s,o Suffrage
In the Way that

80. In the Way that
jhe Doc5.
The Evening Post has sent the
letter Of inquiry, printelA below, to
many prominent northern Democrats
as to their position Oh the question
of negro suffrage. So far the only an
swers received have been from Mr..
Cleveland and Mr.. Edward NJ. Shep-
ard. Mr.. Cleveland's letter is as fol-
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 in u thorough
manner If we're inclined TO
enter into the discussion invited by
your request.
| Grover Cleveland.
Buzzard's Bay, Mass, July 81.
This letter OF eX-President Cleye-
land was sent in reply to the follow
ing inquiry:
Dear Sir: II is frequently alleged
in the southern press that leading
| northern Democrats are in sympathy
with the effort to disfranchisc the nc
gro in the south, nndcr color nf lays
unequally enforced as between whites
and blacks. TO test the truth OF this
assertion, The Evening Post respect
fully asks you to give it for publica-
tiOn your opinion upon the following
statement Of facts:
In the case Q8.72D cf 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, it 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 exclud-
ed from the suffrage, though quail.
| fed under the law Of the State OF Ala-
bama and Of the United States.''
Granting the truth of these state
mcntS and failing intervention by the
supreme court.
W Has congress any duty In the
premises? s,s3g &, n, q 4
81 s6,lII,l Il the ties
are allowed to;lapse, wfiau1 s 1saers' can
we count upon remaining in yigor?
(3) 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 disfranchisement 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 the
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 NJ. Shepard.
Also to these northern Democratic
representatives: Congressman Gran
ger, Thayer, Sullivan, Hughes, Nc
Dermott, Sulzcr, Harrison, Ryan and
Badger. 97
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 ihis
city, both OF whom were out Of reach
in the west. All Of the others ad-
dressed, with the exception of MIR.
Shepard, omitted to state their opin-
ions on the case submitted. Mr.. Shep-
ards letter Of reply is us follows:
VIEWS OF EDwARD,M. smEpARD.
TO the Editor Of The Evening Post:
Sir: ! cannot briefly answer your
three questions upon negro suffrage,
predicated upon tho Giles case If l
am not-upou this large and diillcult
Question-to be misunderstood, must
write at length do not grant the
truth" OF improved statements made
by complaint in equity Of which
neither tho court in which the suit
was brought nor the supreme court,
to which it was appealed, had juris-
diction. The courts required no an
Swer To the complaint and refused to
take evidence upon it-holding that
1t was judicially immatcrial whether
the statements of the bill were true
or false--since, even II they were true,
the courts could give no relief to the
colored plaintiff. In this conclusion
the report indicates that all the judg-
cs OF the supreme court concurred ex-
ccpt Judge Brewer and possibly Judge
Brown. Even Judge Harlan, who cx-
pressed his merely personal opinion
that In a proper suit the colored cti-
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
the southern press ascribcs to north
crn Democrats sympathy with the
effort 20 disfranchiSc the negro In the
south under color or laws uncuually
enforced as between whites and
blacks" Have you correctly under
stood the southern press? Has 1t not
been interested over the condemna-
tion Of negro suffrage by Secretary
Root, Dr.. Lyman Abbott, and other
distinguished Republicans? Might
not your questions be more properly
addressed to members Of the party
now in power? Is not their opinion,