The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-27
THE SOUTH AND DEMOCRACY.

Capt. Samuel A. Ashe, former editor
of the News and Observer and one of
the best informed and ablest writers
in the South, has an article in recent
issue of the Springfield Republican on
"The South and the Democracy" in
answer to an editorial in that paper.
1t is wise and timely article and we
feel sure our readers will be glad to
see it in these columns. Capt. Ashe
writes:
To the Editor:
Will you permit me to make some
observations anent your editorial OF
the goth on ''Ehe South and the Demo
cratic party?" The suggestion OF the
article is that it may be desirable to
choose the President by the popular
vote-as to which much can be said III
the negative. But l do not ask to dis
cuss that question-only to examine
some of your allegations, and some OF
your reasoning. Because the South
remains solidly Democratic, and the
North will not become Democratic
therefore Presidential elections should
be on a manhood basis! For myself
i would greatly prefer that the North
should break up" little, and become
in part Democratic. Of that, however,
/ have but little hope. The majority
of the Northern people are Republl-
can and have been SO for 40 years, and
i fear will remain so hundred more
0'Connor once said a gentleman never
changes his religion or his politics.
He probably but repeated an old say
ing based on the adherence OF Jacobln
families to their traditions. Yet the
sentiment is not stranger to the
American breast. We are born and
bred into our political and religious
faiths. And the majority of the
Northern people are and have been
and will continue to be OF the Repub-
lican faith: as at the South majority
of the whites are of the Democratic
persuasion. At the North there is
power, or influence fixing the Repub-
licans in their party ties based on
their opposition to and disapproba-
ton of Southern action, and | suppose
MANY Democrats at the North have
the same dsapprobation. In some
measure then it might be said the
Northern mind is infamed against the
South, and Northern political action
is influenced by that consideration 10
state it broadly, the North is h0stlle
to the South-at least politically VI
that condition. gentlemen of the South
have taken note We are familiar with
it. But.it does not move us. 1T is the
condition that has existed since 1860,
i'm a modified form. We know It, we
recognize it, But it does not sway us.
You will not find any similar manlfes-
tation of hostility on the part of the
South toward the North. We are con-
tent to do our work in our day and
generation without taking the North
into the account at all. Are we doing
it we'll? The quietude of the South,
the happiness and contentment of our
people. their emergence from the dis
tress and poverty incident to the war,
and the new mills, the banks, the
railroads, the great cotton crops, the
considerable sums spent on education
these make the answer to the ques-
ton. We know, and we are content.
If Northern people disapprOye, we are
not moved by their Misrepresentation.
We recognize the condition of HOSTILE
ty, but we do not concern ourselves
with it. We go on with our work.
You quote some paragraphs from
the Macon Telegraph. With that pa
per at the present time l am not ac-
uuainted, but some years ago It's poll
ties was variegated. At most 1T is an
obscure paper-and you might WE'LL
having made the quotation, have mere
ly exclaimed, "Off with his head!N 80
much for Buckingham! For you know
that the Democratic platforms are
prepared by a committee chosen by
the delegates from each State, respec-
lively; and you also know that never
since the war has the name of any
Southerner been mentioned III any
Democratic convention for either Pres
ident or ce-President (lnless err
If there have been Democratic leaders
of the South, it has been because OF
their talents and capacity displayed II
Congress; but the party or the nation
has never been asked to invest then
with leadership. The platform is the
work of foTty-six Statesmen OF the
thirteen Southern States. The
South did not turn away from Mr.
Cleveland; he moved away from us
He plunged into destruction
Did he serve the country well in es
tablishing those conditions that led t.
the repeal of the Wilson bill and tht
adoption Of the Mckinley tariff anC
that made possible the existing evils
in the Philippine islands? 1t was thu
rebound from him that made the &c
ton at Chicago possible. But even
at Chicago the South neither made TIL
platform nor asked the leadership. j
was the West Mr.. Bryan's great vot
outside of the Northeast in 1896
shows how deeply the people wer
moved. And the platform was respon
sive to tile western sentiment. How
ever. all that is in the past. III
burning question then-the -