The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-21
THE SOUTH AND DEMOCRACY.


Captain Bob Bruce OF Mneola, Texas, who is
az the Riggs house, was captain OF NJ Company
OF the Rough Riders, and proved his valor on
more than one occasion in the war with Spain.
His company in the regiment commanded by
President Roosevelt, and the latter had more
than opportunity to note the mettle OF his sub
ordinate officer.
Captain Bruce takes some interest in Texas
politics and in a brief talk that topic said
AS gold democrat ! am not in harmony with
the dominant element IN our state On Ma
tionai issues am inclined to the policies advo-
Gated by the republicans and many OF the leading
citizens OF Texas take this view The racial
question is the only thing that keeps democracy
P 29 TOP in our part Of the '3a"''y-|''''"s''"
Captain Bruce is ill.informed or he is mis-
representing his people for a purpose. AL
lowance, of course, must be made for a pro-
Tossing democrat who is seeking appoint.
meut at the hands Of a republican presi.
dent
There are a fow, possibly "many"--it is
a comparative term--leading Southern men
who favor republican National issues. For
the most part they are men of large com.
mercial interests, who have got out of touch
with the popular mind, who are impressed
by the wealth of the East, and, because the
East happens to be republican, imagine that
it would pay the South, also, to be republic.
an. With few exceptions their opinions are
based on the assumption that it would
'pay"-the particular interests with which
they are identified
In the first place, they are looking only
at the great fortunes. They are blind to the
condition of the masses of the East. They
do not perceive that prejudice growing out
of the issues of the civil war is a stronger
political influence there than here-at least
as strong-and if that were removed there
is more reason to believe that the East
would be democratic than that the South
under other circumstances would be repub.
lican.
The fact is that the masses, East and
South alike, have been pundered by the
policies of the republican party whose lead.
ers have generally been able to make the
oldtime unionists vote as they shot"
/ The race question alone might make the
South democratic. though the republicans of
the South are rapidly coming to the demo.
cratic view in that respect, but it is demo
cratic for the better and broader reason that
/ 1t is Jenersonian.
The South is agricultural and can not
logically favor the policies which enrich
few manufacturing centers at the expense
of vast producing and consuming areas.
The South from the very beginning of the
Republic, believed, in a union of sovereign
State governments as opposed to centralized
Federal government. This, modified in de.
gree by decree of war; is the heritage come
down from the decisive character Of the 20
lltical establishments of Virginia and Mary.
land as opposed to the methods OF Plymouth
and Massachusetts,. The two great parties
took their divergence there, and under
changing names and passing issues have
continued with the same fundamental op.
/ position and will so continue to the end OF
time, neither quite prevailing, ever contend.
ing and compromising, and thus preserving
/ the equilibrium of the Nation.
| BY so much as the South varies from the
original view by so much has It absorbed
population and influences from the East
BY so much as the East varies from its
original view by so much has It come to
fear the power and the greed of Hamilton.
ian doctrines. But complete ar.algamation
and unity Of political opinion can no more
be expected than complete uniformity of
climate and soil. Nor is II desirable. Gov.
ernmental safety lies in competition of
thought and interest, as commercial safety
lies in competition of action and interest
The civil war removed some concrete
propositions, but It did not affect the alb
stract principles which underlie and control
| other concrete propositions as they arise.
1t also raised some prejudices which will
pass in time, and created one particularly
fateful problem which tho South alone can
solve and which It insists upon being per.
mitted TO solve in it's own wisdom. Now
and then an economic question. like the
monetary standard may cause more or less
division in the democratic party. but moth. I
ing permanently sunders It because it is
body OF fundamental faith superior 10 self. |
ishness or circumstance 1t began with the |
Republic, 1t will end only when the Re. |
public 10 no more.