Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-07
The 6igoiy Of Southern Democ racy.

The 6isotT Of Southern Democracy.
The blind bigotry and suicidal mar
rowness Of Southern Democracy were
never better illustrated than by the
Fourth of July Grafton before Tam
many Hall by President Willett of the
Alabama Bar Association. Mr.. Willett
evidently has heroic faith in his party,
but he fails cOmpletely-to say where he
or the South stands on the questions
which Bryan declares will he the lead
ing issues of the next national cam
paign. He said many absurd things
but nothing was more absurd than the
statement that the South can expect
no favorable legislation from the Re-
publican party. What ridiculous at
titude to take. The South is today
more prosperous than ever before in Its
history. Certainly even Mr.. Willett
would not claim that this prosperity is
due in any way to Democratic legisla-
ton, for there has been no such thing
The tariff laws now in operation, the
work of the Republican party, have
proven a Godsend to the South in the
development of it's industries. That
whole section is building railroads and
factories and foundries and mills 1t is
opening up mines and cutting forests.
Northern money is pouring in there
for investment. Is all this the result
of Democratic legislation? OF course
not. 1t is the natural sequence of the
restored public confidence which the
triumph of the Republican sound
money policy has created. 1t is a part
of the great prosperity which Republic
can rule has brought not only to the
South but also to the whole country 4
prosperity which never was, and
never can be, equalled by Democratic
rule.
In view of these conditions and these
facts how weak and absurd sound
these words which Mr.. Willett uttered
amid the applause of the Tammany
braves: THE Democratic party is i
national party-the only national
party. 1t knows no East and no West,
no North and no South. and in franz
ing tariff laws and other measures it
consults the interests of every part of
our common country, whereas the Re-
publican party. when in power. frames
the laws to suit only those who con-
tributod to its campaign fund, and
there is one third of our great country
south of the Potomac. with $4,000, 900 Of
people. for which the Republican party
neither cares nor legislates. except to
legislate adversely. Thank God we do
not belong to a party which consults
only the campaign contributors in
framing the laws. and ignores and
treats unjustly one-third of our great
country
What bitter and unreasoning par
tisanship this is. We hope Mr.. Willett
does not speak for the best minds and
the truest patriotism of the South. 1t
is an indisputable fact that the Repub-
Iican party knows no section. The
present administration of this govern
ment is in the hands of men too great
for that. The Republican party aims
for best interests of all the people, and
the regeneration of the South will not
be complete until it recognizes this
great truth and ceases to cling to the
errors that have made it's past so dark
and unhappy. The wisest men in the
South, today, are those who are en-
deavoring to break the bonds which
hold their section to Democracy
which is unworthy of it's support, "a
SDemOcracy which means a shattered
financial system, closed factories, and
disregard of those sound principles of
honest and progressive government
upon which our republic was founded
and for the perpetuation Of which the
Republican party exists.