Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-23
The South Still Solid.

Some of the eastern are
are foruinst silver that they prophesy
that even Democratic states will vote
against Colonel Bryan if he makes free
Coinage Of silver the main issue next
year. The claim is made by one npti-
mistic journal, the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, that eve southern states can
nol be depended upon by the Democrats
III such event. That assertion might in
splre' a belief in the minds Of hopeful
Republicans who have never been in
the south, nor watched the political
history of that section of the country.
The southern voters do not give much
thought to the financial question, and
had the Democratic party lined up 9TH
erWise than it did in 1896 at the Chicago
convention the southern states would
have voted just as they did in that veal
for the nominee on a free silver plat
form. 1t will be so mex year. The
nominee, whoever he may be, n upon
whatever platform, will probably carry
all of the southern states that We're car
ried for Bryan. The southern people in
%dividually have modified their views in
many respects concerning government
policy, but they have not abandoned
their observation-disclosures pride in voting
for the party which has even had the
political support of the south, nor their
| belief that it is an inherited duty to
vote against Republican nominees.
The more the Republican national
committee attempts to build up an or
| ganization during national political
campaigns in the south, the more are
the people there aroused to the duty of
| asserting the pr~eponderance of the De-
| mocracy. A hurrah effort like hat
made in Texas in 1896, when the Repub-
lican national committee was induced
to send funds there to assist in organi-
cation, the greater majority do the
Democrats pile up, even II the Repub-
lican voting strength be increased, 1t
is true that the border states of Ken
lucky, Tennessee and West Virginia are
liable any year to give Republican ma
| jorities, but this condition has come
about gradually by growth of the Re-
publican party from immigration and
from the inside rather than from any
effort by the national party o~rganiza-
tion.
The southern leaders and the press
are all outspoken in favor of carrying
on the war in the Philippines and re-
tanning the islands, as they LAY ever
been for the acquisition of territory, but
this will not prevent the people voting
for Colonel Bryan, ever if he and the
platform be arrayed against such a pol
icy. They would even go to the length
Of e~lecting him president upon such a
platform, and at the same time elect
congressman who would vote for ex-
pansion.
Colonel Bryan is not wasting n time
in work in the south. 1t is the uncertain
border states and the northwest and
west where loss of strength is feared by
him. In the latter regions discomfort no
longer prevails, II the people can not
so easily be interested in a measure for
which there seemed to be a necessity
| when he formerly had their support,
because of promises of relief through a
change in the currencv system. AS a
complete reversal of conditions which
them existed has come about without
the remedy he proposed, and without
his aid, his leadership does not seem to
be needed.
In the south, however, business con-
siderations do not enter so largely into
the politics of the. people. The masses
| never study about the intentions of the
parties. They inherit their politics, as
they do their religion, and never stop
to question whether the party is right.
They are born Democrats, as they are
born Methodists or Baptists, and as few
of them ever switch from their party as
transfer their allegiance from one
church to another. Let alone, they do
now and then make a change from in
ward conviction, but an attempt to
proselyte in either case only rouse the
fighting qualities of the southerners.