The Washington times., 1901-10-03
Republican Plans in the south.

1t is a singular and suggestive coin
| cidence that three of the leading Chica-
! go newspapers. and perhaps more of
| them, in their issues of October l. all
had editorials on the subject of an al
| legged conference between Mr.. Roosevelt
while he was still Vice President and
Booker T. Washington, relative to Fed
eral appointments in the South. In that
conference. Mr.. Washington is said to
have expressed the view that the ap
pointments should be made from the
very best class of white men, irrespec-
tive of party affiliations. All OF the
journals referred to, the Chronicle"
| the Record Herald" and the '-Tri-
| bune." assume that President Roose-
Welt fayors this policy; each of them
gives its own sanction 20 the plan. and
each understands it TO be the beginning
of a movement for the turning down
of the gang that has run Republican
politics in the South, and for the build
ing UP of white Republican party"
When we consider that the "Chroni-
cle'' differs in politics from the other
two. il seems a little strange that all
should approve the policy. but SO it is.
The Chronicle" proceeds upon the
theory that it viii serve the South right
because of its assumed sins of omission
and commission in the past. The force
of the logic is not apparent There is
no point in favoring the punishment OF
a vast section because of something
wrong, OF supposed TO be wrong. in its
past political attitude. Nor is there the
slightest reason for believing that If
the course mentioned is adopted, it sill
be intended to penalize the South for
anything which il may or may not have
done. The purpose is to benefit the
national Republican party by break
ing into the solid Democratic South.
Long experience has demonstrated the
utter impracticability and even impos-
sibility of the Republican party main
tanning an ascendency in any Southern
State upon the basis of an almost solid
negro vote organized and led by a few
white men. who are in politics strictly
as a business. Hence it is proposed
virtually to abandon the negro and en-
deavor to divide the white vote by a
iudicious distribution Of Federal plums.
The Record Herald" and the "Tri-
bune'' both concede this TO be the pur-
pose, and both justify it by attacking,
rather savagely the professional Repub-
lican politicians of the South.
Standing by itself, Mr. Washington's |
advice that the best men be appointed |
regardless of party cannot be assailed |
upon high moral grounds But when |
such appointments are made for the |
purpose of breaking down one party |
and building up another. the course |
becomes itself partisan in the worst |
possible sense. We say the worst
sense, because il is self-evident that a
political party created by Federal pa
tronage would have less to sustain it
from moral point of view than any
political party ever formed in the Uni
ted States. saving. perhaps. only the
one which 1t would be intended to sup
plant.
The scheme appears TO be a visionary
one. 1t Is hard to imagine any consid-
cradle number of Southern Democrats
being weaned from the political convic-
tions and affiliations of a lifetime by the
distribution Of comparatively few
Federal appointments. Unless a Fed
eral officeholder is a fair representative
Of the dominant political sentiment of
the community In which he performs
his official duties, his influence usually
counts for very little and frequently
for nothing at all. His appointment is
very likely TO intensity the feelings of
the opposition. To make such a scheme
work in the South, the Republicans
must convert majority of the white
voters, because, in the nature of the
situation. the negroes will feel con-
strained to flock by themselves They
will not act with the Republicans un-
less they receive some consideration.
IL this Is accorded it will be Impossible
to secure the white vote. which is in
to the success of the
scheme. No doubt with the race ques-
ton wholly eliminated, the Republi
cans can pick up some white votes In
the South, but with or without Federal
patronage. II Is going to be slow work.
1t is not in the least improbable that
a political revolution may change the
party complexion OF the North before