The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-15
SOUTHERN POLIriCs

T-ca anomalous p0iiticat Coiiu!tioii az
t.,e South is emphas zed by the fact ina
!, large number OF cotton mill owners
have recently expressed their approval
os the ope,,-door policy III China and
urged TIE Administration not to do any
lining in that direction that Will interfere
with the cotton industry IN the Soulh.
These same mill owners are in favor OF
protective tariff on cotton MANUFACTURES.
md the iron producers Of the SCUM are
IN favor Of q tariff on iron. It Is also
an ooen secret that these men and taou-
sands of others throughout the South are
in favor OF the gold standard and are
ec,,aliy opoosed to the free coinage OF
silver. 1t Is perfectly apparent, IN me
,fat tho business interests OF the South
"a a considerable extent are in sympathy
with the pol cy OF the Republican party
and ef1t rely out OF sympathy with the pol
ley Wild. the Bryan party has edTocated'
vet the South is overwhelmingly Demo
cratic, and even IN a national election
wfer. these issues are involved, there Is
never any question as TO tow the vote
of the South will be cast.
We do not propose in this article 10
discuss the question of tar If, o. the
question OF expansion, or the question OF
finance, or any policy Of the Rep'ioi can
party or OF the Democratic party. We
simp,v point to the anomalous condition
OF a people believing one way and voting
another we do not preach The ScTolo
doctrine that q man Should vote aga INST
his convict ons because his material IN.
.erests lie In another direction. But ii Is
none tina less fact that 1t is anomalous
and inconsistent and seem ngly a retlec-i
ton upon the intelligence Of the Southern
,eopie that they should think one way
and vote another.
Thera are two reasons for this. the first
OF w;ash is the ever-present menace OF
negro Suffrage. The second Is that the
Republican PARTY has been 50 mean To-
wards the Southern people and has heap
ed SO many inc: entities upon them, that
the very name is -epulsive and it is hard
for them to make up their minds to
vote with that party. The Republican
party is held responsible, and justly So,
for the war. for universal negro suffrage.
for the infamy OF reconstruction, and Cor
ali the evils that negro suffrage anc re-
construction have brought upon the South.
The party has been more decent within
the mast several years, and barring the
appointment of a few negro officers here
and there, the South has had title to
complain of Mr.. McKinleyss adm.n!stra-
ton. But it will take a long time for The
Southern people to forget the evils that
this party has brought upon thsrn- How
ever, If tho menace Of negro suffrase
could be everiastingiy removed by the
repeal Of the fifteenth amendment, by DC
srei.s. the Southern people would, N
spite OF their preiudloes, split up and
many of them would vote with the Re-
publican party.
TAX about a reunited country, talk
a1,out tho obtterat.on Of sectional pre-
iudice, there Is one great obstacle n the
way. the same that caused friction be-
tween the two sections and brought the
war, even the negro problem. The negro
was a marplot sarsa as slave and istez
as voter. The slavery question. thank
God. has been settled and retired. Il now
we can re. rid ofsnegro suffrage the same
Influences which control politics IN other
sections will control in the South and the
south viii no longer necessarily be solid
for any party.
"---------
The man who paid his election bet By
pushing the other fellow down. Broad
[ Street in wheelbarrow had the conso-
| ,a.son of knowing that the psymea of the
bet entertained the crowd almost as much
az did the returns for the victorious can.