New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1902-08-09
4 SOUTHERN MAN FOR PRESIDENT

or voters SilOulu dSScIG lucLISCiNC %
within the party, take the party
management and conduct affairs in
its own way. The best thought
and the majority of votes IN the
Democratic party are in the South.
| There are other States that 60
Democratic now and then, but the
South is always Democratic, always
loval. Ever since the war the
South has been held back and sat
upon. Its voice was never heard
in the national councils of the par
ty. 1t was the property of the ma
tional councils Of the party. 1t
was the property of the Democratic
nominee. 1t was told to keep quiet
and utter no sound for fear Of
making some one angry. 1t could
vote the ticket on election day and
vote it straight from top to bottom,
but at other times, it was expected
to be silent and was looked upon
as useless, a vermiform appendix,
an unused organ broodlng IN
parepididymal desuetude. 1t has
come to pass that the South has no
statesmen or men of commanding
ability. This is an egreglous error.
There is good material in abun-
dance. We have been eXaltlng
mediocrity of late and degrading
our strongest men, ostracising
them as the Greeks ostracised their
men of power and influence, but
the material is by no means en-
hausted. We have drawn on New
York for our candidates as regular
ly as we used to draw on the same
metropolis for our shoes and hats
anu dll blilcl lcCtSSut It's W z HuNC
drawn on Indiana and Pennsylva-
MIA and Illinois. Going far afeld,
we have gone out into the wild and
wondrous West for a candidate,
and we have been rewarded by a
monotonous succession of defeats
at the polls. We have never
thought at looking at home for a
candidate, although there are many
we'll qualified. We felt that a
Southern man wonld not be trusted
in the presidential chair, which was
true for a time, but which is true
no longer We offered none made
no demands, and contented our
selves with following some foreign
leadership.
All this should end. There is
no longer room for suspicion. The
Southern man is an ex-Confederate
to be sure. hut an eX-cOnfedate in
the presidential chair is no longer
to be looked upon as impossibillty.
The confederate has been en-
trusted with the Federal sword and
uniform and given the command Of
armies and he proved his loyalty.
If Fitzhugh Lee and Gen. Joe
Wheeler are to be trusted to com
mand armies in war time, can they
not be trusted to preside in the
White House? If reunion and
confidence are to be restored the
North must do the restoring. The
South has done all it can or cares
to and has filled to the full the
measure of its duty. If the North
desires reconciliation and is sincere
in its declaration that sectional
feeling has completely exhausted
itself let it prove it by giving rs its
confidence and trust.
The South has the votes and con-
trolls the Democratic party, is the
Democratic party, and should rule
it's own. There is not a State in
the South that does not possess ex-
cellent presidential timber. Tenn
nessee has given the country presi
dents before and she has not ex-
hausted her resources in this par
ticular. Vertrees Of Nashville is
the peer of any candidate from any
State. His native modesty has kept
him from being as we'll known as
he deserves, bnt he would soon i'm
press himself upon the country.
Judge Horace H. Lurton is better
known, and man of great ability.
His occupancy of the White House
wOuld be a guarantee OF a wise and |
conservation administration. Bet
ter known, more available and
equally capable is Gen. Luke f.
Wright of Memphis, who has at
tracted the eyes and won the
plaudits of the civilized world by
the mastery manner in which he
discharged the difficult duties of
governor general of Manila, while
acting in that capacity. He pos
sesses superb executive ability, and
as president he would be an honor
to his party and his country.
The Democratic party must live
at home and develop home men and
home measures. They should not
beat the bushes in other States FOR
principles, policies or candidates.
The Democratic party is the South
ern party and it must no longer ig-
more Southern men. The time has