The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-07-29
THE souTH's CURSE

The spiritof intolerance which rules
the South is well illustrated in the a,ti-
tude the Louisville Courier-Joupal has
been forced to assume toward the Bryan
| platform and ticket. Never was there 4
worse case Of stultiAcatiou and cowardly
submission to an ignorant and blindly
preiudiced public sentiment than tn,
change OF that really great newspaper
from its championship Of sound none.
and expansion to free silver and the
demaeogic cry OF imperialism raised by
Bryan. 1t is a sad and pilisble spec
tscle. Both the editor and proprietor o.
the Conrier.Jo Journal have publicly re-can-
ted their former political opinions
and contrary to their conviction Of
what is for the best interest ol
the section they represent are now
advocating the election Of the Bryan
ticket 1t is little wonder that the South
fails in progress and development. 1t is
little wonder capital refuses to 70 there
for investment and that its best blood is
forced to seek more congenial aud in
telligent sections OF the country for a
start in life. Yet the South exercises
twice the political power as the same
number OF voters in the North. 1t is n
shame and reproach and menace at
the same time to popular government
that this should be so. The republican
party has to obtain the votes to elect its
national candidates at the North by in
telligent discussion aud through the
sheer merit OF its position on public
questions. 1t goes into the electoral col
lege handicapped by the entire electoral
vote of the South, east for any
candidate and any set OF political
principles the democratic party sees
fit to set up and proclaim. Leading
newspapers all over the country are
apologizing for Mr.. Watterson aud his
paper, but for men of the intelligence
and attainments Of Mr.. Wstterson and
the proprietor of the Courier Jonrnal
there can be no reasonable excuse. They
deserve the severest condemnation OF in-
telligent and honest men everywhere.
No other commentary is needed on the
difference between the North and the
South than to say any public man or
reputable newspaper in the former would
be utterly and irretrievably ruined by
such a shameless aud confessedly sordid
course as that pursued by Mr.. Watterson
and Mr.. Haldeman. One OF the best
OF their case is by the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 1t makes the
usual apology for them, but tells the
fac Is in their case without palliation or
DR. ossing over. 1t reads as follows:
The attitude which Mr.. w. D. Halde-
man. proprietor of the Louisville cour-
ier-Journal, has been compelled to take.
both personally and in his paper, is
almost pitiable; yet every newspaper
man can understand why he has been
forced into the position which he now
assumes. Both Mr.. Haldeman, the
owner, and Henry Watterson. the editor
Df the Courier-Journal, were opposed,
and are still opposed to every plank
in the Chicago platform, re-enunciated
At Kansas City. They are believers in
The single gold standard; have no SYM
pathy with free riot strongly antag-
Dnize the proposition to reorganize
the supreme court for the pur-
pose Of securing majority to overturn
existing decisions; and in general are
opposed to all the Populistic program
of the so-called new Democracy. More
over. on the one issue which the Demo-
Gratis are trying to force to the front
in the East, that Of anti-expansion,
they are heartily in sympathy with the
policy of the administration. Take it
all in all, there is not one single issue
before the country in the present cam
paign in which these two prominent
Democrats are not far more in SYM
Dathy and accord with the Republican
administration than they are with Mr..
Bryan, to whom they have now felt
to render perfunctory sup
port.