Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-09-23


encouraging to Democrats.
Even Massachusetts is begin
ming to be considered debatable ground.
There is talk Of nominating Hon. Rich
ard Olney for governor, which would
perhaps give the victory to the Demo
Gratis. The news indicates that ex-
United States Senator George Turner,
the Democratic nominee, will be elect
ed governor Of the far northwestern
state of Washington. And thus it
runs all along the line. Democrats
have reason to be Of good cheer.
Tell tho Truth.
The first duty Of journalist is to
publish the truth. "Thou shalt not
bear false witness against thy neigh
Dor" is an essential part Of the deca-
logue Nevertheless the Evening Jour-
nal Of Lewiston, Me-, contains this SEN
tence:
Champ Clark. who is opposed to negro
education and to giving the colored race
any chance on the merit system, sees a
landslide for Parker. He halls from
Missouri.
haven't very much money or prop
erty, but will give the editor of that
paper 500 in cash If he will produce
single authenticated word of mine,
written or spoken, proving or tending
to prove that am opposed to negro
education or to giving the negro any
chance on the merit system. He owes
1t to himself and the cause of truth to
either produce the evidence and get
the 500 or to acknowledge in his pa
per, fully and freely, that through
malice and prejudice he deliberately
published Islander about me. He
also seems to think that it is a sin for
a man to hail from Missouri. Mist
souri's sin, in his eyes, Hes In the fact
that she Is reliably Democratic, and
my sin is the same.
It SO happens that Missouri has the
largest per capita school fund Of all
the states in the Union. The negro
children Of the state share in the bene-
Ats Of this fund in exactly the same
proportions as the white children. In
addition to the state school fund each
district votes upon itself such tax for
local school purposes as 1t desires, and
In this local school tax, voted by the
taxpayers upon themselves, the colored
children share precisely as do the
white children, although the colored
people pay only an infinitesimal por-
tion Of the taxes, IN the legislature l
voted to appropriate one-third Of the
general revenues OF the state instead
Of one-fourth annually to the public
4 schools, the one-fourth being the mini
mum amount which the constitution
provides for. The negro children as
well as the whites were the benefici-
aries equally in this increased appro-
priation. Ihaye never yet failed in the
school elections to vote for the highest
tax proposed, Notwithstanding the fact
that about one,fourth of the children
in the district are colored children. In
addition to this, every time have had
occasion to discuss the subject, either
with pen or tongue, publicly or private
ly, l have insisted that as the negroes
are here, and are here to stay, they
ought to be educated, at least sufficient
ly to discharge intell1gently the duties
of citizenship, and this is the universe
sentiment, SO far as I knoW, among
the Democrats Of Missouri. It ought
to be stated in this connection that II
addition to the public schools proper
the state maintains for the benefit Of
the colored people exclusively Lincoln
institute, high grade college. While
in the legislature voted for larger ap
propriations for the institute and To-
the addition Of a manual training
school and made speech on the Zoo
advocating these things. These act
were not done In corner. The Lewis
ton Journal man could have know
them had he cared to know and stat
the truth rather than to misrepresen
public men simply because they hap
pen to differ with him politically. n
\ ought to know that the latter perform
ance is not the highest virtue in jour
nalisn. While have never set up a
civil service reformer, have neye
been opposed to the merit system 70
i either whites or negroes. A sensibl
Z merit system honestly conducted an
not juggled for party advantage woul
be good thing.
One more fact should be stated herr
aud that is that In Missouri there is n
J attempt whatever to prevent colore
men from voting, and their votes al
! counted with absolute fairness afte
they are cast. There is no property q
educational qualification on suffrage
4 Missouri While the large bulk Of tt
colored vote in my district is Repul
Ican, some of the negroes vote for III
and believe it is true that ever
colored man in the district is my pc
4 Bonal friend whether he votes for n
4 or not. I am certain this is the cas
In the county where live. There
= not man in the county to whom the
would go for succor when in distrei
more confidently than to me, and
help them when can and to the g.
tent Of my ability.
= Retirement Of Senator Hill.
j What will the Republicans do no,
poor things? Judging by the spa
they have devoted to 1t, what they CO
sidered their strongest argumel
against Judge Parker was the clai
that David B. Hill would be Preside
2 Parkers secretary Of state and wou
control his cabinet. Now comes Sen
tor Hill, If the news dispatches are I
liable, and announces positively tn
on Jan. next he will retire from {
political activities whatsoever, th
after that date he will neither se
nor accept any Office whatsoever, a
"a that he will give up the leadership
the party in New York state. Con.