The gold leaf., 1904-03-24
HE DIDN'T DO IT.
Mr.. Cleveland Gives the Lie to the Re-
newed Story that the Dined the Ne
gro, Taylor.

Washington, March 2.-Represnt-
ative Webb, of North Carolina, today
diverted the minds of his colleagues
from the commonplace District of
Columbia appropriation bill by read
ing letter from former President
Cleveland, who in scathing terms de-
MED having lunched with the negro
Taylor at the White House. Said Mr..
Webb:
"Mr. Chairman. a man in trouble often
attempts to get himself out by trying to
pull others in This was evidently the
intention of the gentleman from Kansas
(Mr. ScOtt), when he stated on the floor
of this House ton his own authority
that Mr.. Cleveland had invited a negro
by the name OF Taylor to lunch with
him, and that Taylor did So The gentle
man, a terms, makes this statement
several times in the ecOurse of his remarks.
OnTuesday morning, as soon as The Con-
greSSiORal Record reached me. contain
ing the gentleman's statement, | wrote
to Mr.. Cleveland to know if it was true
that he had lunched with the negro Tay-
lor. as stated by Mr.. Scott | enclosed
copy of what the gentleman from Kansas
said, and this morning received the fol-
lowing reply:
princeton, March 2, 1904.
"HOn. E. Y. Webb, House of Representa-
tives.
Dear Sir: 1t is matter of small con-
cern to me that Mr.. Scott has seen fit
to use my name in display of his evil pro
pensities on the floor OF the House of
Representatives. In answer to your in
quiry, however. | have to say of his state
ment that the colored man, C. H. J. Tay-
lOr, took luncheon with me at the White
House, that it is a deliberate fabrication
out of the whole cloth. As far as Mr.
Taylor is concerned, | understand prior
to his appointment as Register of Deeds
at Washington that he had served as an
assistant in the office of the city attor-
register was confirmed by> the Senate,
and he served in that place with intelli-
gence and efficiency. He has since died.
Some people restrain themselves from
abusing the dead My inquiries concern
ing Mr.. Taylor before his appointment,
my observation of him during his in
cumbency and the little have known of
him since, satisfy me that his character
is unjustly attacked in the diatribe of Mr..
Scott. One charge is made against Mr..
Taylor by Mr.. Scott, which he doubly
clintches with truth when he declares:
He was a black negro am led, how
ever, to doubt his familiarity with his
subject when he adds, as black as you
ever saw
Yours very truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
'1t is said that faIsehood travels
around the earth, while truth is pull
ing on it's boots, but | want this
truth, as stated in Mr.. Cleveland's
letter, as far as possible, to travel in
the same channels as the faluehood
has travelled, and it may be, in many
minds, the fabrication will be over
taken and destroyed. Mr.. Cleveland
was friend of the negro, but not a
'fool friend" He never by word or
act encouraged the dream of social
equality in the breast of the black
man. Again, he was the friend of the
cOlOred man, but he was also the
friend of the Southern white man.
and sympathized with us in our race
problems and race burdens, and that,
sir, is more than Mr.. Roosevelt seems
ever to have done"