Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-15
SOUTHERN OUTLOOK
Lilly White Republicans May
Defeat Roosevelt.
ANXIOUS DEMOCRATS
RACE QUESTION IN NATIONAL
CONVENTION.
Result Of Presidents Policies Nav
Strengthen or Defeat the
"Solid South"
DEMOCRATS

No question is interesting southern demo-
Gratis today more than the outcome of Pres
ident Roosevelt's plan for making the re-
publican party of the south a fighting or
ganization for the purpose of adding to the
republican representation in Congress and
to become an element of consequence in
presidential elections. They fully under
stand that Mr. Roosevelt has little sympa-
thy with that republicanism of the south
that looks upon federal patronage as its
one goal. What are known as the lilly
whites have been very willing to take the
leadership in keeping alive some form of
organization in order to become the dis
pensers of federal patronage, and as long
as 1t has been understood that that is the
limit of their ambition they have lost little
caste among their fellow-citizens Of the
democratic party.
A Change of Politics.
But as soon it becomes known that to
be a republican in the south means to fight
for republican supremacy, southern men
are convinced that this class of republi-
cans will feel the unpleasantness of their
relations toward their democratic friends
and to a very large extent will change their
political connections. They believe that the
republican party in the south, under such
circumstances, will become party of the
colored race almost exclusively, with the
result that it will not have even the
strength at the polls it now possesses.
Those who entertain this view of the SIT
uation believe that at the next republican
national convention the race question will
be fought out and that this class of lilly
whites will make their influence felt to
defeat any candidate who undertakes to
change conditions in their section of the
of ha
fight in which the southern democrats are
most greatly interested now is to see the
lilly whites win by throwing their inf1u-
ence for candidate for the republican
nomination who will '1et the south alone"
That means that they hope to see the de-
feat of Mr.. Roosevelt before the, conven-
ton.
Losing Prestige.
All the prestige that has been fostered as
a result of Mr.. Roosevelts southern mater
nal ancestry is now being severely tested.
To the average southerner his plan for
building up a strong republican organiza-
tion in the south means only negro suprem-
acy. The idea that there are principles
embodied in the republican platform that
are regarded as vttally important to many
business interests and of consequence to
the entire country is one that they do not
consider in relation to this question.
1t is now regarded as very certain by
many southern democrats that the "lily
whites" will from now on lay their plans
for the defeat Of Mr.. Roosevelt, unless
something happens to convince them that
he has experienced a change of heart on
this subject, and that is what they do not
expect.
Another View.
This problem in relation to the develop
ments that will take place in the south is
looked upon in very different way by
many republicans who sympathize with the
President in the plan he is endeavoring to
have realized. They think that If re-
publican organization can be effected in all
the southern states and maintained in such
a way as to assure republican victory now
and then, or to at least make 1t possible
to obtain republican victory, the result will
be to rally to the party thousands Of young
men Of the prominent southern families,
who will be led to indorse republican poll
cies in the abstract and to consider that
they have political future, with all the
possibilities of preferment in Office, by ad-
vocating them. 1t Is now so universally
conceded that political career, beyond
one looking to federal patronage, is SO i'm
possible in the south that young men pre-
fer to remain out of politics if they do not
go into the democratic organization.
1t is believed that If the President dis
penses political favors in the south during
the next two years on the basis Of active
political work to bring about the results he
is contending for, and in doing ignores
the lilly Whites his action will very clear
ly define these classes and will make the
issue plain to every one, SO that when dele
gates selected for the next republican
national convention there will be no doubt
about their views on the subject of republi-
can plans in the south
To Settle Southern Situation,
The unusual interest being centered on
this question by the southern democrats
just now is because they believe that the
result of Mr. Roosevelt's policies will fix
for many years to come the political status
of the south. If it should result in the loss
of so large a proportion of the white re-
publicans as to make the party there COM
posed almost entirely of the colored race
which they very generally claim will be
the case, they think that fact will settle
the whole question. If it should result in
an increase of the white adherents to the
party because Of approval of republican
policies and hope of identifying themselves
with party of sufficient strength to win
victories they see a possible breaking of
the solid south. If such should be the case
they claim that the colored vote would be
divided between the two parties and there
would be. an entirely new alignment of all
the forces in the realm of southern politics
the outcome Of which gives only a subject
for speculation.