Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1904-11-04
BLOW DID NOT ALMOST KILL DEM.
OCRACY WHEN ROBERT TREAT
PAINE, JR., DESERTED.
Has R%enounced the Faith OF His Fathers
Because Of Ills Desire to See
Ele:led a President That Will
Invite Booker 7. Wash.
iHgtOn TO Dinner.

Probably there are many readers OF
The American who have managed to
exist without even having heard Of Mr..
Robert Treat Paine. Jr.. OF Boston. Mr..
Paine Is the suDlimuted gentleman who
some days ago renowned the Demo-
cratic faith and enlisted under the
Roosevelt banner because OF his desire
to see elected n President who would
Invite Booker Washington To dinner,
and perhaps afford other colored citi-
zens an opportunity 10 dine Mt the
White House. While IL severe blow.
Mr.. Paine's dcscrtion has not left the
Democratic party entirely hopeless. but
for the brief moment ii brings him into
the parti-hued spot light. From Alaba-
ma comes the statement of the editor OF
the Luvcrne Critic. formerly II resident
of Washington, ID. G.. a statement to
this effect:
Robert Treat Paine. acting for his
wife. bought, through his agents In
Washington, ID. c.. Il piece of land in
Virginia near Fort Myer md Arlington,
laid of into town lots. named 1t Clar-
endon, and sold to people with n bind
ing contract that said lots should never
be sold to Il negro. | own three OF
these lotS-ll0, 10 and 12l-and have
the contract and the deeds for them"
Thus 1t would seem that while Mr..
Paine prefers n President who will eat
with colored folks, he blacklists them
when it comes TO selling town lots.
There is another incident In the life OF
Robert Treat Paine which reveals his
superlatively assinine qualities to per-
lection. In the city Of Brooklyn there
lives II Robert Treat ain who n year
or two ago received through the mail O
number OF dividend checks which were
evidently not intended for him. In
~vestigation disclosed the fact that they
were the property Of Robert Treat
Paine, OF Boston, and he forwarded
them to the Boston person, with a po-
lite note of explanation. In return for
his courtesy he received this note:
Your letter, with its Enclosure. has
been received by me. 1 hope you will
allow me TO express my sincere regret
that You should bear the name that by
right OF lineal descent belongs to me
II my family here in Boston. There
Is no other direct male descendant of
Robert Treat Paine, signer Of the Dec
Ia ration OF Independence, who was the
nrst to bear that name. If the name
was given you in honor Of the signer,
l think such n practice should not re-
ccive the sanction Of thoughtful per-
sons"
The Brooklyn Paine thercupon wrote
the Boston Paine as follows:
For the reason that it is impossible
TO stop the bray of the donkey without
killing the ass l will allow you to cx-
press your sincere regret. The family
to which l have the honor to belong ex-
listed for many years prior to the sign
Ing Of the Declaration OF %Indcprnd-
encc. and your statement that tue
signcr was the first to bear the name
suggests thoughts rs to his antece-
dents. l have never been sufficiently
Interested TO look up my gcnealogy,
and | certainly shall never attempt 1t
now, lest l might find that one OF its
withered branches reached ont to you"
This closed the incident. Now comes
Robert Treat Paine. of Boston, who
again makes public his claim to being
the prize ass of North America. Why
lie Is not in Il ward for i%ucurableS in
the foolish house Is II question which
should chiefly concern his neighbours
Nashville Crenn.J American.