Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-08
REPUBlICANlSM IN SOUTH
MANY VOTERS INFLUENCED BY THE
NEGRO QUESTION.
Belief Expressed That Change I'm Sen.
timent Will BE Soon Mantfe.t-
ed-Mr. Salomon's Views.

Although he terms himself dyed-in-the-
wool democrat, Mr.. G. Solomon OF this city.
who has just returned from an extended
tour Of the south. is OF the opinion that the
time is not far distant when the solid
south" will be broken and at least two or
three states be controlled by republicans.
While on his tour. Mr.. Solomon visited a
number of places both large and small in
east Tennessee. Virginia. Georgia, Alabama
and the Carolinas. There are he said, a
great many men In all the states named,
but especially in Georgia and the Carolinas-
who really republicans but who have
been voting with the democrats because the
negroes Were a great factor in the calcula-
lions of the republicans. and because tho
main question at issue the white man
against the negro.
The experiment of Acknowledgement If
the colored vote in North Carolina is being
closely watched In every southern state
with the view of adopting similar proceed
ings in the states classed with the solid
south that have not already done 50. The
conditions in southern politics are very
peculiar, Mr.. Solomon said. II has always
been the white man against the negro. and
the majority of the white men has always
voted the democratic ticket, although hosts
OF them Were republicans at heart. The
conditions of the country are such that the
white man must protect his home-at all
hazards and consequently thousands of
men who had no democratic sympathies
voted for the candidates of that party be-
cause the negro voter was invariably re-
publican
Mr.. Solomon told of a conversation he
had with the proprietor Of a leading hoted
in West Point, Ga, who. during the civil
war, was A malor in the confederate army:
II have, said the old veteran. been a
democrat since the war. but l cannot I'M
derstand what the fool democrats mean by
deciaiming against anti-imperialism.'
The Negro Postmasters.
From what Mr.. Solomon observed. he was
convinced that the appointment of negro
postmasters in various places had not aid
ed in attracting recruits to the republican
party. He was convinced. however that a
great deal Of the prosperity now Astounding
in the south was due to the wise course
pursued by President Mckinley I'm various
matters affecting that part of the country.
Within the past two years, Mr.. Solomon
went on to say. there has been an iucrea So
of 300 per cent in the number of. cotton
mills in the south. Within the next few
months there will be put in operation at
Columbia, S. c., the largest cotton mill in
the world, and it will rival in capacity and
the number Of its operatives the famous
Eagle and Phoenix mill at Columbus Ga,
which is the largest misunderstanding es-
Establishment on the globe. These things
show that the south is more prosperous
now than it has been at any time since the
war, and the outlook for the future is par
tlcuidTIy DrlBnt- L ne want OF ram VIII
prevent the gathering of large a crop OF
cotton as was hoped for, but 1t will be
greater than last year, when the yield was
unusually large, because the acreage of
this year is at least three times as much
ii was in 1899.
Yield of the Crops.
The peach yield of Georgia was enor-
nous, and of the cereals very large crops
were gathered especially in east Tennessee,
Virginia and South Carolina For the seq
ond season only-the manufacturing of the
article having been begun there last fall
flour will this fall be made in Georgia.
The increase In the number of cotton
mills has taken from the factory districts
in the New England states to the south
thousands of mill hands, and many Of
these have already exerted a beneficent in
huence the natives of the localities
where they have made their homes for the
future.