The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-02
THE sOUrH'S MISTAKE.

The SeWaNee lteFle" VI S.iiAS'AH 49,
contains a thoughtful, candid and alto
sether sensible paper from Mr.. 5. 5. L.
Paterson, of Richmond, on The Pohtlcal
Isolation of the South 1t is a paper
that the representative men of the u.h
should study carefully and prayerfuly,
for it directs attention to serious con-
dition of affairs in this section OF the
country.
Mr.. Patteson first points out that in the
election held on November G. 1900 the
Democratic nominee for the Presidency
carried the so-called Sold South. with
the exception of Maryland and West Vir-
ginia, and in addit'o on the States of Idcho
Montana, Colorado and Nevada; all the
rest of the country expressing its prefer
ence for the Republican nominee.
II Mr. Patteson had sad nothing else
this simple statement ought to bring the
Southern people to serious reflection, for
their political afIiliation thus app 2a~s to
be with a few silver States in the West.
In 1896 Southern Democrats served notice
that they had cut loose from their forme-
associates in the North and had joined
themselves to the Democrats OF the West,
and here is a net result.
In the next place Mr. Patteson points
out that public speakers canvassed the
whole country from the Atlantic to tn
Pacific, with the exception of the South
not including West Virginia and Mary
lnnd-and in that part of the Unitod States
the great issues of the campaign We're
practically not discussed at all. That
means that the South was set down as
being solid for the Democratic nominee
in any event, and did not need to be can
rassed. The party management know
that it would be a useless expenditure OF
time and money to canvass the South.
The nominee from the day that the con-
vention expressed its choi"c carried th>
Solid South in his vest pocket. And tbs
in spite of the fact, as Mr.. Patte=on
points ont further on in his &;rticle. th7t
the Southern people as a whole do not
believe, and did not in the late campaign
trine. OF course. as he says, there we're
men of ability and character anlo"s
Southern leaders who truly believed in
free silver; but there We're others who
did not believe in it. butNunder tn pecu-
liar conditions In the South felt COM
PEELED to vote with the party.
Where has the advocacy Of these Popu-
listic principles carried the Democratic
party? he axis. And answers: "Of the
Northern Democrats it has driven eff
Grover Cleveland. William c. Whitney.
William T. Villas. Charles S. Fairchil7.
Judge George Gray, of Delaware. and
practically all the distinguished national
leaders; and among the great Sorthern
leaders. 10 whom we once gave our united
support. we no longer find John G. Car
Isle, William Lindsay. Senator Caffery,
Simon b. Buckner, and last. but MT
lease. Mr.. Justice Edward Douslass
White. None of these men had become
4 Republican. yet they have not. and
never will become advocates of free Sill
YER"
Not only has the party driven these
men away, but the South has turned its
back upon It's substantial fr ends at the
North. although, as Mr.. PattesHn well
SAYS. our real interests are necessarily
nearer to New York and the Eas.scn
cities than TO those west OF the Missis-
sippi.
The terrible blunder of 1896 was scarce'V
less than a political crime. We do not
desire TO rake up the issues of that cam
paign. nor to open the old sores which
time has in d measure hesied. but il the
national Democratic party is TO regain
the position that it once held in the land,
it must profit by the lesson which it has
learned, and If the Southern pecM
would occupy the position in the pol'ti S
of the nation that they are entitled TIC
occupy, they. too. must remember the
hlunder VIII CHI tn y m de in tieing them
selves to the Populists of the West and
they must sever thai tie and renLd t
the re atioash;p. The Southern peopl
are not P apull-ts. and they have no bus
mess to be affiliated with Populists. The
truest Democracy in the country is to
be found in the South, and the Southern
people We're grossly m srepresented in tn
Popul ste platforms which. in their zeal