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


praise upon him; he was throwing bou-
Guets at him; he was singing him out
as the brave, manly Democrat who
defined the Southern race prejudice,
and who gave to him, the negro, the
same treatment which was accorded
him in Europe where color does not
decide the social position Of man" ;"
For nine years this book has been
in circulation. For nine years Cleve-
land has been enjoying the credit for
all the good things his negro admirer
said Of him. Doubtless there are thou
sands of people who have thrilled with
admiration as they read CT the manner
in which Mr.. Cleveland detied the ma
lignant race prejudice Of the South,
wrote invitations with his own hand
to Mr.. and Mrs. Douglass, accorded
them the treatment due in ones house
I'd all ladies and gentlemen, and bold
" conformed to that European stand
ard which diSregardS color in fixing
social status.
And now after nine years-after
| Douglass has died, and after the
Southern negro has been disfranchis.
ed, cometh the said Grover Cleveland
and declares that he is not the her.
Fred Douglass said he was.
Is there any sence in splitting hairs
about wedding receptions, and other
social receptions, or other social-eQual-
| ity practices? None whatever. The
question at issue is: Did Nh. Cleveland
invite and receive Douglass and wife
upon terms Of social equality? That
is the pith and marrow Of the dispute.
If it be true, as Douglass says, that
MIR. Cleveland often wrote the invita-
tions with his own hand, and that he
treated the negro and wife at all the
white house receptions as social
equals, defying the prejudice and the
criticism of the Southern accuracy OF
my statement stands proved without
reference to any particular reception.
II Mr.. Cleveland will condescend to
read pages 6+6, 647 and 64S OF the
book referred to, and will then specify
to what extent the author lied, be
will clear up the atmosphere consider
ably.
Poor old Fred! What a lesson is
here, my brethren. In his day and
time, Fred Douglass was power in
the land. White politicians courted
his support. The highest leaders in
the land made much Of him. President
Grant petted him; Garfield petted
him; Harrison petted him; and CleVe-
land-but that's another story.
Poor old Fred! BE is dead now,
Pretty much everybody who wants to
kick him can come up and doit. Once
upon a time his voice, along the line
of battle, "were worth thousand
men," In those days, be was a dis
tinguished coored gentleman and
statesman" How have the mighty
slipped down hill. ct present, he seems
TO be nothing Iore than "a id mig
GER" who never was invited anywhere
by anybody, whether on their heels or
on their heads, drunk or sober; and II
ever be got into the white house at all
be just 'butted in"
Old Fred will turn over in his
grave when he learns that the great
Democratic president whcm he SC
much lauded for his manly defiance OF
malignant prejudice has caught the
damned niger fever, and shows a
rising pulse every time we take bis
temperature.
I will make further investigation
about the New York school law; but
if, in the meanwhile, Mr.. Cleveland
has anything to say about appointing
that negro as minister to the white
republic in South America, be might
write Charley Bartlett another head
or heels letter, while we wait.
THOS E. WATSON.