The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-09
Mr.. WEBB, WRITE AGAIN.


lion. E. Y. Webbs letter asking whether
he entertained the negro politician, the
late O. H. j. Taylor. at dinner at the
White House, was widely approved, par
ticularly in the South. Instead, however,
OF stopping the discussion, it seems to
have opened the door more widely, and,
according to some people, calls for an
other letter from Mr.. Webb and another
reply from Mr.. Cleveland. special from
Atlanta to the Birmingham Age-Herald
quotes former Congressman Thomas z.
Watson as follows:
1T might not be fair to recall in
stances where negro Representatives
dined at the Whita House at State din
ners, but it is perfectly fair to remind
Mr.. Cleveland of Fred Douglass. This
negro, who had married white woman,
was not only treated with official con-
sideration, but when MIR. Cleveland had
his bride coma to the White House, that
ne might wed there, he invited Fred
Douglas and his wife to attend the re-
ception.
This reception was not State func-
ton; it was social. No one had the right
to be present save those invited, and
surely Mr.. Cleveland must have respected
his lovely and accomplished bride too
much to have summoned any man or wo-
roan whom he did not consider his or her
social equal. 1t does not appear that
he invited either his coachman or his
cook
mot only did Mr.. Cleveland do this
kind of thing in Washington, but when
Governor of New York he signed the bill
providing for mixed schools. Owing to
this scheme, which he thus approved
negro children have been injected into
the white schools and white children
have been compelled to submit to negro
teachers. If this is not social equality,
what is it? What does that system of CO.
Education lead to inevitably? To South
trn white people nothing could be more
odlous than this forcible bringing to-
gether on terms of absolute equality of
little white girls and little negro boys"
Mr.. Watson was Populist and Mr..
Scott a Republican and both inclined to
believe both the Taylor and the Douglas
story. We decline to accept either I'M
less there is corrorative evidence. Mr..
Kluttz says Mr.. Scott is an honest man
and would not have made the statement
about Taylor if he had not thought it
true. Mr.. Watson doubtless has heard
the story he "norates'' and believes it
to be true, but where are his witnesses?
Let him trot them out or not make the
accusation! The truth probably is that
Fred Douglass and his wife attended a
public reception at the White House.
Taylor may have done the same. If so,
Mr. Cleveland did not personally invite
them and perhaps had no idea that they
were coming until they were actually
presented. That would not be palatable
to the Southern view, but would be a
very different sort of thing from the
statements of Scott and Watson.
Inasmuch as Mr. Yates Webb seems
to have the call on writing letters and
receiving answers with reference to such
charges, he might be the proper party to
send Watson's charges to the ex-President
ard ask statement. We have no doubt
that Mr.. Cleveland would deny the Wat
son story even more vehemently than he
did the Scott yarn, for we do not be
lieve Mr.. Watson has been correctly in
formed.