Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-03
DENIED BY CLEVELAND
Recorder Taylor Did Not
Lunch at the White House.
SCOTT APOLOGIES
DECLARES THAT THE REPORT
WAS FREQUENT IN KANSAS.
Mr.. Williams Of Mississippi Discusses
the Relations Of the
Races.
SCOTT APOLOGIES


During the debate on the District appro-
priation bill in the House today Represent
ative Webb of North Carolina took the floor
on a pro forma amendment to discuss pol
itics. Mr.. Webb reverted to the statement
made in the House last Monday by Mr..
Scott of Kansas that President Cleveland
had invited the negro. c. H. ]. Taylor, to
dine with him at the White House.
Mr.. Webb said he had written to Mr..
Cleveland about that allegation and this
morning received the following reply:
PRINCETON, March 2, 1904.
Hon. E. Y. Webb, House of Representa-
tives:
Dear Sir-It is matter Of small concern
to me that a Mr.. Scott has seen fit to use
my name in a display Of his evil propenSi
ties on the floor of the House of Represen-
tatives. In answer to your inquiry, how
ever, have to say of his statement that the
colored man c. II. j. Taylor took lunch with
me at the White House, that 1t is delib-
crate fabrication out of whole cloth.
LAS far as Mr.. Taylor Is concerned, un-
derstand prior to his appointment as re-
corder of deeds at Washington that he had
served as an assistant in the office Of the
city attorney at Kansas City. His nomina-
ton as recorder was confirmed by the
Senate, and he served in that place with
intelligence and efficiency. He has since
died Some people restrain themselves
MY inquiries concerning Mr.. Taylor be-
fore his appointment. my observation Of
him during his incumbency, and the little
l have known of him since, satisfy me that
his character is very unjustly attacked in
the diatribe of Mr.. Scott.
"One charge is made against Mr.. Taylor
by Mr.. Scott which he doubly clinches with
truth when he declares he was black
negro l am led, however, to doubt his
familiarity with the subject when he adds,
as black as you ever saw
yours very truly,
(SigneD GROVER CLEVELAND"
"Mr. Cleveland was a friend Of the ne
gro" continued Mr.. Webb. but not a fool
friend. He never by word or act encour-
aged the dream of social equality in the
breast of the black man. Again he was the
friend of the colored race. but he was also
the friend of the southern white man and
sympathized with us in our race problems
and that sir. is more than Mr.. Roosevelt
seems to have DONE
Applause on the democratic side several
times greeted the reading of the letter and
the remarks of Mr. Webb.
Mr.. Scott Apologies.
Mr.. Scott then took the floor and said he
accepted Mr.. Clevelands statement and
rendered his apologies to Mr.. Cleveland.
Until this letter was received he had never
heard the statement denied.
Had you ever heard it made?" Mr..
Thayer asked.
Mr.. Scott said it had been repeatedly
printed in Kansas. When c. H. ]. Taylor
came back from Washington and was
given reception he boasted at the recep-
tion that after all the professions of
friendship OF the republican party, it had
remained for a democratic President to in
vite negro to his table at the White
House.
gle newspaper containing such a state
ment. Mr.. Scott said he could not go back
twenty years to produce the paper.
Mr.. Williams Of Mississippi then took
the floor to continue the political discus
sion.
Mr.. Williams on the Races.
'"This whole incident" he said, '.is
telling blow at the abstract theory Of the
general equality of the featherless biped.
1t is a discovery of the underlying hy-
pocrisy of the contention that all men are
socially equal regardless of their color,
race traits and tendencies.
1.-The other day some gentlemen upon this
side charged home as a disgrace, mark
you, that President of the United States
had lunched with negro, and there came
from the other side of the House charge
against an ex-President as disgrace that
he had done exactly the same thing, show
ing that in every mans real heart the con-
tention is deep-seated that race traits and
tendencies are equally as ineradicable as
the colored mans skin and the kink of his
hair" (Applause)
The Presidents Attitude.
"Mr Roosevelt has the right that any
other citizen Of America has to eat with
whomsoever he pleases, black, red yellow,
white or what not, educated, ignorant or
what not. 1 have nothing to do with 1t, no
body else has anything to do with 1t, but
when you carry it farther, and when he
hot Of ha fut
it was done for one purpose, and for one
purpose only, and that was to carry the
light of example to the benighted south,
that does not believe In social equality be-
tween the negro and the white man.
"If it was not done for that, then 1t was
done for no purpose at all. 1t was an un-
conscious exhibition of the magnificent ar
rogance that teaches men now and then to
shed the light of example upon the be-
nighted white population of the south, that
never mounted to the highest rank of civil
lization and seized hold in its full measure
of the everlasting truth of the equality be-
tween featherless bipeds.'
IT have assumed that the President Of the
United States has recognized social equal
ity; 1t is a case where he recognized social
equality in and of itself. Nor am quar-
reling with him as Mr.. Roosevelt, nor have
quarreled with him at all. He has a per-
feet right to invite him there IL he chooses;
but, as far as I know, he waited until he
was President of the United States, so 1t
could bear an official stamp before he ever
did it,
In Case of Cinnamon.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, this question is
rather amusing than serious In some as
pects 1t has disclosed what I wanted to
call attention to, and that is that under
this entire featherless biped equality the
ory there is very much hypocrisy, and one
Of the curious things about 1t Is this: You
go up to the White House or go to de-
partment here and ask them to please not
to appoint man as postmaster down south
because he is colored man, and they will
swell up and tell you that they cannot
make discrimination on account of race,
color previous condition of servitude.
And yet the present incumbent of the White
House would not appoint Chinaman as
postmaster upon the Pacific slope IL that
Chfnaman were as able and well capable
of attending to the duties of the office as
Ii Hung Chang himself. And why? Simply
because he was a Chinaman: simply be-
cause the white people of the Pacific slope
do not want q Chinaman to be postmaster
on the Pacific slope He might be China
man infinitely better equipped and smarter
than ! am: he might be infinitely better
equipped and smarter than the occupant