Daily Champion clipping

Handy, Emanuel; Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925

ATCHISON MAN WRITES BRYAN

Hon. Emanuel Handy Receives Reply From Bryan's Assistant Secretary

Atchison, Kan., Aug. 27, 1908. - Hon. W. J. Bryan, Lincoln, Neb. - Dear Sir:

In reading of your address on your accepting the nomination for the Democratic convention for the Presidency of the United States, I respectfully wish to ask you a few questions: - First - Do you consider that the colored people of this nation citizens of the United States, entitled to all the rights and privileges as citizenship that the white people are? Second - If you do, then do you think that your Party has lived up to its declaration, that it represents and its policy as essential to reform as known abusers. Now, my dear sir, my reason for asking you these questions is to get your idea with regards to the relation of the colored people when you declare the people shall rule. If you do not consider the colored man a citizen and not entitled to a vote and yet if he owns property he must pay taxes, which is the cause now in eight or nine of the Southern States to-day without which you nor any other Democrat could hope to be elected. Should you think the colored man to be a citizen and entitled to vote do you suppose that the people would be ruling such a policy as is carrying on in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana in all of these states you will get to start with 57 electoral votes that could be counted to-day without going through the forms of an election while six Republican states are only allowed 23 electoral votes although polling several thousand votes by not allowing the colored man a vote in the Southern Democratic States? Is that what you call the policy essential to reform the known abuse? Yours Respectfully, E. Handy, 1228 Walnut Street, Atchison, Kansas. Charles W. Bryan, Publisher. - The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb., Oct. 12, 1908. - Mr. E. Handy, Atchison, Kansas. - Dear Sir: - Your letter, directed to Mr. W. J. Bryan, was received and laid aside with a large number of others for him to make a personal reply, but owing to his almost continuous absence from home, he has very little time to give to his correspondence. He asked me to thank you for your kind letter and to express regret that the heavy demands upon his time have prevented him from making a personal reply. He appreciates the friendly interest which prompted your communication. Very Truly Yours, J. R. Farris, Assistant Secretary. - MHB. - Adv.