Evening star., 1901-04-17
INDUSTRIAL SOUTH
Effort to Have It Break AWAY
From Old Party Lines.
EFFECT OF THE PRESIDENTS POLICY
Renewed Interest Felt in a Recent
Appointment.
WATCHING THE RESULT

Politicians are watching with consider
able interest the progress of the efforts
under way to build up in some sections of
the south a party including former demo-
Gratis who will vote with the republicans
upon financial, industrial and other ma
tional questions. At present the nucleus
of the enterprise is in South Carolina, with
Senator McLaurin Of that state the lead
ing exponent
There have been many prophecies in the
last four years about the industrial south
soon breaking away from old party lines
and entering upon new affiliations polit-
ically in consonance with what is claimed
to be for the material welfare of the. section.
Up to this time the men who have formed
the advance guard have been notable rath-
er from their prominence than by their
numbers.
Renewed Interest in the Subject.
Renewed interest is given the subject by
the attitude of the federal administration
at this time toward off1ceholders in the
south, the latest example being the ap-
pointment Of a gold democrat to be dis
trict attorney for South Carolina to sue
ceed a dyed-int the-wool republican. The
fact that this appointee's indorser was a
democratic senator who had supported the
administration in the last Congress was
a coincidence not susceptible of Interior
motives of construction.
The course of President Mckinley toward
the south has been marked by spirit of
political cOnclllatlon that at times has been
construed to be an invitation. There is no
doubt that as a result of four years of this
policy he received scores of thousands of
democratic votes in southern states when
he came up for reelection. Doubtless some
them tributes President
personality, respected and beloved through
out the south. President Mckinley would
be glad to transfer some trace of that 10y
atty to his party, as a legacy to the next
administration, to be foStered and devel-
oped hereafter.
There is no doubt in the minds of many
republicans that there is a strong and con-
stantly growing sentiment in the south in
favor of sound money and protection as
advocated by the republican party A dis
tinct friendlness to expansion has also
been discerned recently. This being the
case. it would natural that progress
sive southernerS would cast their lots with
the republican party.
Much Antipathy Still Exists
But there is yet a good deal of the old
antipathy to the republican party remem-
bered from the days of reconstruction
Many democrats who walk up encouraging
ly to the republican policies balk at the
party itself. Unsavory local memories are
still eXtant.
The course the President is pursuing is
in opinion of observing politicians, inclined
to disspate some of the old spirit of hos
tility to the party. Local appointees of a
republican administration who are men
known and respected in the communities
will be, it is asserted, a pledge that this is
not the party Of reconstruction days, and
that it has a place where sound money and
protect1on1st democrats may find lodgment
Every one comedies that there Is good
material for recruiting all through the in
dustrial south. This has been growing
since the days when the bourbons were
time the bourbons had no place to lay their
heads. Bitterly hated by the wool hats"
whom they in turn despised, they were
adrift on the political sea.
Deserted the Bryan Democracy.
The Bryan democracy that succeeded the
populists offered some relief, but only of
temporary character. Last fall the bour-
bons deserted Bryan by whole regiments
full and voted the republican national
ticket, secretly or openly, as circumstances
dictated. The question now is whether
the bourbons, the converts to sound money
and protection, the Caucasians who retain
or have absorbed the dominant ideas of the
section regarding office-holding and polit-
1cal control-if these elements can be rail-
lied to the support of the republican ma
tional ticket
1t is realized that an experiment is being
tried and politicians view it with varying
IDEAS of it's outcome, but with keen inter-
est nevertheless.