The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-23

ANY stranger who happens his wsv 81.
the hosnltaole treatment that Is matt,
OF tradition In this section Of the conptty
me back Of Bob Bobos hand never wen,
TO any man who came his way witho,,
cause for the turning and coming from Mn
the refusal TO allow the president to aoye
his dogs has all of the emphasis Of con.
trast." wa
Never In the history Of this country or
OF any other, perhaps. has there bean
parallel of this remarkable condition of an
tairs. While the sentiment of all the nao.
PIE OF the South can by no stretch of ths
imagination be placed on a level with TINT
OF Colonel Bobo, the stand taken bv tbot
noted Mississipplan is uuquestionably mn
Indication Of what the president NAV OK.
pect should he continue his iu.adylsed nro.
negro campaign.
Until Mr.. Roosevelt appeared on the
scene the better classes among the colored
race were well content with existing condi.
tions and were well aware of the fact that
their best friends and helpers were to he
| round among the white people of the South.
II may be that the best people among the
negroes still entertain this opin.ou but IL
must be admitted that the presidents pol
: Icy In this connection is bound to have a
hurtful tendency In the end 1t viii proba-
bly, have the effect Of spelling many an
other good negro lust as 1t has spoiled
| Booker T. Washington-a man who. ac.
! cording TO the testimony Of those In posi-.
ton TO know, is losing much of his power
for good among members of his own race
aud much Of his standing among the white
| people because Of his active participation
! in politics and because of the position he
| has allowed the president TO assume toward
| him. Had Washington declined that notorl-
| out dinner invitation he would have ut once
established himself rs the unauestioned
| leader of his race and a great many un.
| pleasant complications would have been
| avoided. AS it Is, it Is plain that the end
is not yet and that, given a situation preg-
nant with startling possibilities and presi-
dent the trend Of whose mental faculties
no one can analyze or forsee, some develop.
ments even more unusual than any of those
heretofore in evidence may be brought
about.
There is no doubt, 1t may be stated Incl
dentaly, that the announcement Of SEN
ator Hannn's intention to retire brought
gloom to practically every republican poll
ticlan in the South and to many in other
portions of the country Despite the eva
siye and misleading denials that have ema
mated from MIR. Hanna and his friends, It
is known positively, as has been heretofore
stated in dispatches TO The Post, that 1t
is the present intention of the Ohio senator
not to be a candidate for reelection to the
senate, not to allow the use Of his name
as a presidential possibility and not to re,
tain the Craftsmanship OF the National com
mittee any longer than he can possibly
help. Now, great many politicians have
said that they would do this or that, and
have done exactly the opposite when the
time came; so, while Mr.. Hanna is no doubt
sincere In his present intention to with
draw from politics as soon as possible,
there are many precedents for change Of
mind and no one need be surprised If the
senator decides to stay in the fight when
It actually commences and he begins to
smell the powder.
There is unquestionably strong under
current In favor Of Hanna for president in
all the Southern States and III many of the
States in other parts Of the country. The
sentiment In this direction Is particularly
strong In North Carolina and In Alabama
on the offlceholders Of which the presidents
pro-negro policy has had particularly dis
astrous effect. The white republicans
there have been goaded almost beyond en-
durnnce by the removal OF Federal officers
charged with nothing more serious than
participation in the movement to eliminate
the negro from politics, and by the defer
ence paid by the president to Washington
and other negro politicians. There is little
doubt as TO the political complexion Of the
delegations which viii come from the
Southern States to the next republican con-
vention. Unless some remarkable change /
is brought about the sentiment Of the South !
will be strongly anti Roosevelt.
This. Of course, brings up Che inter
esting question Of whether the south's
opposition to Roosevelt be put to any prac-
teal account, According TO the figures |
made out by Postmaster General Payne not /
long ago, when the matter OF the reduction !
Of the south's representation In congress /
and in the republican National conyen- |
tions was under discussion. Roosevelt can |
be nominated for a second term without I
the aid of a single Southern state This I
being the case, ne could carry out us tN- |
acknowledgements idea without fear
OF disastrous consequences so far as the /
South is concerned.
Should Senator Hanna perseyere In bis
not TO be a candidate for
the presidential nomination in 1904 Roose-
welt Is almost certain to be nominated
Practically the only man aside from Hanna
now being mentioned as possible oppo
nent OF the strenuous president Is SEN
ator spooner OF Wisconsin and II Is con
coded that he has no chance Of winning the
prize unless some unlocked for features
are introduced With Hanna out Of the
way Roosevelt will probably have practical
" walk-oyer. From the democratic
standpoint this will be the best thing that
could possibly happen, for. while Il would
hardly be possible to beat Hanna, II may
be possible to beat Roosevelt Senator
Morgan Is not the only democrat who
thinks democratic president may be
elected in 1904 unless a bear gets Roose'
Welt down there In Mississippi"
For the same reason that wise men De