The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-09-15

Roosevelt lunched with Booker Wash
ington, upon the idea that Alton b.
Parker would not himself lunch with
Booker Washington. Let him state
| it. | challenge him to state it. What
else? Negro appointments in the
south! Crum at Charleston. for in
stance. 1t is not the first we nave
known about it. am sorry to say,
nor probably the last; but let Judge
Parker say whether or not he will
refuse to appoint any negro to Office
in the south. Let him speak out like
man. Do his friends say that he will
not appoint negroes to Office in the
south? He has got some friends here,
hasn't he? Naughter.) Is it possible
that in as large a crowd as this in
Nashville, Tenn, commercial center,
democratic stronghold, regular citadel
OF organized democratic strength,
| have stumbled in on mass meet
ing where Judge Parker has not got
single friend. daughter and APP
plause.) If not so, let his friends speak
out and say whether or not Judge
Parker will refuse to appoint negroes
to Office in the south.
Now let us see Does Judge Parker
himself say that he would not go as
far as Grover Cleveland did when
Grover Cleveland wrote personal invi-
tations to Fred Douglas, and asked
him to participate, on terms OF equal
ity in white house functions? Cleve-
land did that. And in receiving Doug
las in that way he treated this negro
as Booker Washington was treated by
President Roosevelt. Cleveland did
that, and Cleveland says Parkersis all
right. daughter and applause)
Turn about is fair play. Cleveland
having said Parker is all right, Park
err wouldn't say that Cleveland was
wrong, would he? Haughter) At any
rate he hasn't done it. Now, another
thing, in the state of New York-any
time you want to go to the state of
New York you can see little white girls
and boys mixed up in the schoolhouse
with little black girls and black boys,
on terms of perfect social equality, on
the same benches, using the same
books, and the same appurtenances OF
the schoolhouse; and at times the
white children have negro teachers.
1t wasn't long ago that little negro
boy went from South Carolina to one
of these schools up there, and was
guyed like new boys are always guyed,
and that black South Carolina niger.
pulled out razor and ran LAG of those
New York white children out OF the
school house. (Laughter.) That hap
pened in April of this year, and every
reporter here will remember having
seen and read that in the New York
papers.
Well now what started that system?
Grover Cleveland signed the bill.
(Applause.) 4. 800
Grover Cleveland signed the bill
which abolished the separate negro
schools in New York, because. up to
that time they had been separate. He
signed the bill which abolished them
and put the whites and the blacks to-
gether in the childhood stage, the for
native stage, the formative stage
where social equality by training OF
that sort becomes almost compulsory.
Grover Cleveland signed it and Alton
B. Parker, or "Aulton'' B. Parker,
whichever way they pronounce it
Qaughter) it really makes little diff
ference-has never disapproved it, so
far as know.
Now, let us put this question to him
or his friends: Does he approve-does
he approve Of the mixed schools in the
state of New York? If he does, would
he approve them in Tennessee, or
Georgia? If not, why not? If they
are good for his own state why are
they not good for any other. II they
are bad for his state why has he never
been man enough to fight them. ZAP
plause.)
And, in connection with Cleveland's
reception of Fred Douglas and his
wife at the white house receptions,
let us ask Judge Parker this: would
you refuse to receive at the white
house such negroes as Booker Wash
ington, Bishop Turner and t. Thomas
Fortune? II so. speak out like man,
and let MS know II before election.
Don't get goods under false pretenses.
The white people are going to vote
for you because they believe you are
different from Roosevelt on the negro