The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-08
A MISTAKEN VIEW.


Some of the Republican papers are say
ing that there is no freedom of speech
and discussion in political matters in the
South. and they base this statement on
the fact that the electoral vote Of the
South will be cast solidly for Mr.. Bryan.
Notwithstanding the belief of Southern
business men that his election would not
be for the best interests of the country.
There is no doubt. of course, that the
electoral vote of the South viii be cast
for Mr. Bryan, but ID is not true that
there is no freedom of discussion of polit
ical matters in the South. Neither is there
any substantial ground for saying that
the business men of the South think that
the election of Mr.. Bryan would be inim-
ical to the best interests of the country.
II is no doubt true that many Southern
business men favor the reelection of Mr..
Mckinley, and 1t is probable that they
viii vote for him, just as they did in 1896.
That there is no effort TO suppress the
discussion of political questions, or to pre-
vent a division of the people into political
parties, is shown by the fact that the
Populst party became strong in every
one of the Southern states. 1t
still has considerable strength in each one
of them. The most of the Populists, how
ever. have returned to the Democratic
party because the principles of that party
suit them better than those of the Pop
uiist party.
But what the Republican papers mean
when they say that there is no
freedom of opinion in political mat
tiers in the South is that the
white people do not feel free to
join the Republican party. They are free
to join that party if they want 40, but
they do not want to. And why? Simply
because it is against their interest 20 do
so, and the Republican party has made 1t
against their interest. That party under
took 20 control the South by means of
the negro. 1t attempted to do an impoe-
sible thing, namely, to put an inferior
race over a superior one The white peo-
pie, in self protection, were forced to act
together By acting together they got con-
troll of their political affairs, and by re-
naming together they retain control of
them. The Republican party failed In it's
attempt to get the congressman and cleo
toral votes of the South For the sake
of getting the Congressman and the
electoral votes the Republican party
would have turned the South over to negro
rule.
That party therefore has no ground for
complaining that she electoral vote of the
South will go solidly to Mr.. Bryan. 1t has
been the chief agent in making it SOLID
for him. And it continues policy calcu-
lated to keep the South solid Every Re-
publican President fills the principal Fed
erai offices in the South with negroes. II
the ballot had not been given to the ne
groes, or given 10 them only as they
showed themselves fit for it, the chances
are that there would be a strong white
Republican party in the South now. But
there will never be white Republican
party in the South as long as there is an
great political power.
These same Republican papers complain
of the movement in the South TO disfran-
chise illiterate negroes. Why should they
complain? When that movement is COM
plete there will be a better opportunity
for the Republican party in the South than
there is now With the negro vote out OF
the way the political division of the white
people will become more marked.
The Republican party gets nothing from
the South under existing conditions. II
may get something after the disfranchis-
ing movement has been completed, though
L is probable that the Democratic party
win always be dominant in the South.
The Republican party made a mistake
when 1t attempted to force negro rule on
| the South and it would make a mistake
| II IL should oppose the movement to dis
| franchise illiterate negroes.