The sun., 1900-11-24

stitJ'lon and an unswerv,ng adherrncs
to ~ princ,ple. and an economically adj
mini-tered Government for the ben~ht
~ N" governed The fr-t ~ 'he-~ fin-
daDental-." however. Il natIy a-aailed by
N" southern state upon which alon'
w." Democratic pnry can roly 'o a"t
Electoral vote. Thoy have passed or
nro noditating the ua,ange of measures ~
dSfrnnchisemcpi which undcniTbly con
0ict with strict construction of w"
Constitution and nout II
THIS brings us TO n remark ~ Mr 'An-
LlsL.. IN the course of an interview pub
il'hed In tho Fleming Post. 10 III" elect
that whether there ~ 70 be a reorganizn-
tion OF the Democratic party and what.
Il will he depends almost entirely on the
acton Of the Democrats In the South.
Of tie i5S Electoral votes obtained by
BRYAN NJ the late election, as Mr.. GAR
LisLR points out only IL were chosen
outside OF the Southern States and these
were chosen In only four States by popular
maiorities aggrcgatng less than bO.WU'
Practically Southern States and. more
particularly. the states Of the old slave
Confeieracy. control the Democratic party
by furnishing its main strength.
This Southern Democracy. however, -
, now as widely separated from the dominant
political sentiment OF the rest OF the Union
as II was In the days when II attempted
secession from the Union. Then the slavery
question was the cause OF the estrange-
ment Now the negro question Is acting
in the same way The Constitution OF
the United States has been dohed by
Southern States in the disfranChisement
Of negroes. The only question governing
the great and controlling mass Of South
ern votes outside Of the border states Ia
this negro question. No national policy or
interest "a even taken into consideration.
however momentous may be the national
election. The second defeat Of Mr.. BRYAN
has lessened In no way that political ex-
clusiveness. but has tended rather to increase
and emphazise it, with the consequence
that now pro ject Is broached by Georgia
paper and applauded by many others.
that those Southern States should pursue
political course wholly independent OF
any party in any other part Of the Union.
by nominating Southern candidates for
the sidency and the vice-Presidency on
its own account. The sole condition on
which II Is proposed to enter into political
unity Ia that the Democratic party shall
Join with the South in demanding the re-
peal Of the Fifteenth Amendment.
OnMr CARLIsLEs reasonable assumption
that no Democratic reconstruction Is pos-
sible without Southern initiative or con-
sent, II seems to be plain. therefore. that,
first OF ALL the basis for II must be decla-
ration OF the Democratic party favorable
to negro disfranchisement. or demand
for the repeal OF the Fifteenth Amend
ment. That is the Southern sine qua non:
and. Of course. it could not be granted
without making the principle OF suffrage
for it could not be confined to negro suffrage
simply-ths paramount issue" OF the
campaign Of 1904
Would not such an issue. reviving the
pas sions OF the days Of 81 very and pro-
posing a distinctly retrograde movement.
be sure TO divide the Democracy and to
separate the Old slave South from the
rest Of the Union even more completely
and di,astrously than did the Bryanism Of
1890 and 1900?
This Southern spirit presents an obstacle
to the successful execution OF the plan OF
Democratic reorganization suggested by
Mr.. CARLISLE which seems to be insur-
mountabe and it will tend not less TO en-
barrass the forces and influences now In
control Of the party, which Senator JONES
Ia 30 confident will continue TO mould its
policies. In any efforts to consolidate the
strength Of the Democratic party.