The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-04-13

these things, neither the fear OF Mr..
Watson or any one else would have
prevented me, When [ was governor
Of New York movement was made
in the legislature to abolish seperate
colored schools in New York city. I
opposed this measure and it failed. l
do not find that I interpoSed a veto
and have forgotten the course the
matter took, but I know that what
ever did was in favor Of maintain
ing separate colored schools instead OF
having them mixed.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) GROVER CLEVELAND.
WATSON IN REPLY.
The following letter from Hon.
Thos. E. Watson in reply to the above
Is hot stuff and will be read with in
.tereSt:
THOMSON, Ca, April 5.
TO tie Editor Of the Augusta Chroni-
Gle.
SIR: In your issue Of yesterday you
publish letter written by Mr.. Cleve-
land to my friend hon. Charles Bart
lett.
This letter is dated March 4th.
Just why it was kept from the press
for an entire month, is not stated.
Mr.. Cleveland says that he does not
suppose that I believed, or had any
reason to believe, that my charges
were true when they were made.
The intimation that I would wilful-
" charge upon him things which I
knew to be false, Goes both himself
and me an injustice.
To publicly make against a man so
prominent as Mr. Cleveland serious
accusations which were known to be
untrue, could only be the act OF a
knave who was at the same time q
fool. a slanderer who is simply
knaTe may whisper falSehoods which
be knows to he falsehcodS: but such
ISLANDERS are never published over the
signature Of the man who makes
them, unless the author IS fool as
well as a knave.
When Grover Cleveland assumes
that am either knaTe or fool he
will find no respectable man who
knows me to agree with MIN. The
gentleman to whom he addressed his
letter would tell him quickly enough
that any such construction put upon
my act, or any such imputation cast
upon my character, would be repudi-
ated by both the Democratic senators
from Georgia, and by at least a ma
iority Of the Democratic delegation
from this state to the lower house.
People Of the state in which my life
has been passed do not endorse my
politics, but they do not doubt tie
honesty Of my convictions nor the
purity Of my character; and Mr.. Cleve-
land will not strengthen himself in
this state by rejecting upon either.
Now let US see what Mr.. Cleveland s
letter amounts to, as reply to my
charges.
beg to remind your readers that
the issue arose out Of the controversy
which ragged around the Booker Wash
ington incident.
A Republican member Of congress,
to Offset Mr.. Roosevelt'S treatment OF
Booker, had alleged that Mr.. Cleve-
land dined G. 81. J. Taylor at the
white house. Mr.. Cleveland denied
the statement; and his card, when
published, was headlined in such a
way as to carry the impression that he
had never practiced social equality at
the white house.
In an article which was published
in the Atlanta News, I pointed out
that Mr.. Cleveland had confined his
denial to the negro Taylor, and that
the head lines went further than the
letter-as is often the case.
Furthermore, I added that Mr.
Cleveland had practiced social equal.
ty in three particulars:
!. In appointing negro to be min
ister to one Of the South American re-
publicS.
2. By signing the bill for mixed
schools in New York.
3. By inviting Fred Douglass and
wife to his wedding reception at the
white house.
Upon what grounds were these
charges made?
Necessarily, they were based upon
current and contemporaneous news
paper reports which were not con-
tradicted. How else is a citizen to
have knowledge Of public affairs? The
newspapers are the source OF our in-
formation; and il public man allows
the newspapers to make gnerai ane
Yepeated statements about his con.
duct, he must expect such statements
to be credited, unless denied.
how do know that Mr.. Roosevelt
dined Booker Washington? | was not
there. did not see it. have not
spoken to any one who did see it. But
the newspapers made the charge, and
it was not denied-hence believe 1t.
How do know that Grover Cleve-
land made private and almost
secret sale of United States bonds to
J. Pierpont Morgan, and by this
private deal made it possible for the
7araciouS Wall street financierS to
pocket about ten million dollars Of
the money Of the Taxpayers Of this
republic:
! was not there; yet know it hap
oened, because the newspapers made
such a row about it tlat Cleveland
was afraid to sell any more bonds that
way.
In like manner, l believed be signed
the bill for mixed schools in New York
because it was 50 charged in the news