The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-30
ON NI.LAuRIN,s LINE.

One thought that is suggested by the
| address of ex-Secretary of the Navy, Fl.
A. Herbert, before the Alabama Bar AS
ISOLATION AT Montgomery on Friday is
that the views which Senator McLaurin
of South Carolina has been expressing
in recent speeches have the approval of
more Southern men who are prominent
in business and the professions than is
generally believed to be the case. The
inference from what Mr.. Herbert is re-
ported TO have said is that he regards the
Philippines as a permanent possession of
the United States and approves the re-
cent decisions of the Supreme Court in
the Porto Rico cases. He approves the
the possession of the islands presents is
whether we shall govern them or permit
them to govern us.
A point he made that will set men
thinking is that expansion Republicans
have taken the position occupied by DEM
ocrats before the civil war and that Dem
ocrats are quoting with approval views
once entertained by Republicans and alb
olitionists. 1t is true, of course, that Mr..
Bryan quotes Mr.. Lincoln almost as Of
ten as he quotes Thomas Jefferson. and
he seldom makes a speech or writes an
article that he does not quote a great
deal from the latter.
The thought that crops out in Mr.. Her
bert's address is that conditions in this
country have undergone a wonderful
change within the last quarter of a CEN
ury and that therefore there is need for
a change of policies. Questions are con-
tinually coming up for settlement that
were never thought of by the founders of
the republic. These new questions make
departure from old political doctrines
necessary.
Mr.. Herbert made an earnest plea for
greater independence of thought and less
slavish adherence to parties. His address
dency towards independent thinking in
political matters. There is no doubt that
in the last national campaign there were
thousands of Southern voters who did
not cast a ballot simply because they
were not satisfied with the declaration
of principles of the party with which they
had always acted.
To what extent independent thinking in
political matters will manifest itself here
in the South. in the next presidential
campaign, cannot now be predicted with
any degree of certainty. Much will de-
pend upon what the Democratic party
does in its next national convention, and
whether other states than those that have
acted will eliminate the illiterate negro
vote. There is no doubt that if the fear
of negro domination is reduced to a min
imum it will be difficult matter to keep
the Democratic lines intact, If the doc
trines of the last Democratic platform
are adhered to. We do not mean OF
course that it will be possible for the Re-
publican party or a new party to get con-
troll OF any one Of the Southern states
in the near future. but that a very con-
siderable percentage of Democrats will
refuse to continue to give their support
to the Democratic party seems to be al
most certain.
The signs are multiplying that there are
many who are in sympathy with Senator
McLaurin and Ex-Secretary Herbert. Mr..
Bryan has not the influence in the South
he once had and the ideas for which he
stands are not as popular as they once
were.