The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-03-16
HOW rs THIS?
Thomas E. Watson Finds a Flaw IN
Grover Clsveland's Dsnials.
DOUGLAS AND WIFE At WEDDING

He Also Says Cleveland W e
Governor Of New York
Signed Bill for
Mixed Schools.
Thomas E. Watson, tie historian
and an ex-member of Congress, who,
because of bis retirement from active
political life possesses unusual intiu-
ence among the people Of the South,
in an open letter to the Atlanta News
declared that Cleveland was worse
than Roosevelt on the negro question,
Mr. Watson's letter, dated at mis-
home, Thon son, Ca, is as follows:
Mr.. Gle Velaad denies that c. b. j.
Taylcr lun ;hed or dined at his table.
Certain newspapers devoted to Mr..
Cleveland print his letter under scare
headlines which announce that NO
negro ever ate at Cleveland's tables. "
In saying this they unwittingly go
too far, and they make trouble for
their oracle. He did not say that
NO negro ever ate at my table" He
confined his denial strictly to Taylor.
It might not be fair to recall in
stances where colored Congressmen
dined at the White House, at State
dinners, but it is perfectly fair to re-
mind Mr.. Cleveland Of Fred Douglas.
This negro. who had married white
women (of a certain sort was net
only treated with official considers-
tion, but when Mr.. Cleveland with
extreme delicacy) had his bride come
to the White House that be might
wed her there, be invited Fred Doug.
las and his wife to attend the recep-
tio1. This reception was not state
function It was social, purely. Nc
(ne had the right to be present save
those invited, and surely Mr.. CleVe.
land must have respected his lovely
and accomplished bride too much te
have summoned any man or woman he
dii not consider his or her social
eollal. 1t does not appear that be III
vited either bis coachman or his cook
Fred Douglas, whose color proclaim
ed the African, was present among
the guests, and with him came his
white wife.
Not only did Mr.. Cleveland do this
kind of thing in Washington, but
, when Governor of New York be signed
the bill providing for mixed.schools
Owing to this system, which he thu!
approved, negro children have beer
injected into the white schools, ant
white children have been compelled tt
submit to negro teachers.
Il this is not social equality, wha-
is it?
, What does that system Of co-educa
ton lead to, inevitably?
To the Southern white people moth
ing could be more oaious than thi
forcible bringing together, on term
of absolute equality, little white girl
and little negro boys.
To compel the intimate association
: Of the two races in the school hous
during the plastic period Of youth i
, the most insidious and dangerou
) attack that could be made upon tn
racial integrity Of the whites. Th
effort to delude the people into tht
belief that there is any materia
? difference between Cleveland an
Roosevelt on the negro question, o
any other political issue is enough 4
stir ones diSguest. There isn't an
material difference, and all observaD
men know it.
l Recently John Sharp Williams th
Democratic House leader, lahore
2 faithfully in one Of the. mag azlnes t
: show that his wing Of the Democra
t tic party had an issue. In spite Of al
that John Sharp could do, his articl
r lamentably failed to disclose any issue
John Sharp's entire magazine produc
tion could be summed up in on
: sentence, 1--WE would rather do j
2 than let the other fellows do it,"
Without intending to amuSe any
body, John Sharp's performance wa
/. almost as humorous as the caperings
S those Democratic Senators who haV
: been "cussing" Roosevelt with thei
tongues and indorsing him with thei
votes on the Panama business.
If l were party man at all, Whic
I am not, l would shell the wood
where this kind Of tWeedle.dee an
tweedle-dum nonsense goes in; and
would do my level best to create th
opportunity for some national cand'
date with brains enough and pluc
enough to make an issue with on
present lords and masters.
THOMAS E. WATSON.