The age-herald., 1901-05-23
SNe South NDM Not be 3ocAed'
,ooooooooooooOooooocooooo

are. A Republican mass meeting looks just like it always did. A number of good men fin the south, who have here tofore been Democrats, voted the Repub- lican ticket in the last two campaigns. but you could not lSet one of them with in nose shot of Republican county convention The Republican party in the south will therefore continue to be a ne- gro party, even without negro voters, and as such white men will not join it.
 "Of course, if the negro were entirely eliminated from politics there would be a stronger tendency among the whites to divide on party lines. Men do not think alike simply because they are white, ex- cept on the question of white against black. But, even with the negro out of politics, the Republican party could not materially increase its following in the south. A party which represents the orr ganIzed greed of the country, and which is at war with the principles and tradi- tions of the republic. does not commend
 itself to a people who, more than any other in the country, are conservative, American and independent. When the south comes to be dominated by the powers that controi such states as New Jersey and Pennsylvania 1t may become Republican"
 What do you think of the defection of McLaurin of South Carolina?'
 .The only question is, How far will the federal patronage placed at the disposal of McLaurfn go toward debauching the State of South Carolina" l see from the papers that Wade Hampton, through Me- Laurin, was offered a federal office. I think the old mans answer will be the answer of South Carolina-I am not to he bought McLaurin bitterly opposed the annexation of the Philippines. He made a speech in the Senate against the peace treaty-most of 1t taken without credit from other sources-in which he caustically arraigned the Presidents Philippine policy But the Republicans needed his vote for the treaty, and they got it. and they not only got 1t on that, but on all other questions. Then the President put into his hands the patron- age of South Carolina That's all there Is to McLaurin."
 tation and every necessity for fraud in the local and general elections. They do not want the power to commit fraud and debauch the franchise transferred from the inspectors of elections to the regis- trars or to any one else. They want suffrage clause that means absolute hon. esty, that will take away every tempta- tion to dishonesty. and last but not least that will secure honesty in elec- tions.
 The people have long. pleaded for an honest election law. The politicians have told them that the only way to get 1t was to have a Constitutional Conven- tion, and then, they declared, we should have honest elections. We shall see whether the politicians meant what they said. The Journal believes they meant it. The Journal believes the politicians as well as the people have become tired of fraud in elections. If so, the convcn- tion will leave no doubt in the minds of the people as to it's own honesty and sin- cerity and it's pledges made to the | people.
 | The leader in the convention who rises | equal to the occasion and to the emer- gency will have deserved and received a laurel wreath at the hands of a grate- full people.