The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-12

contingency seemingly remote The South
is the strength OF the Democratic party g
Tho South sacrifices Its interests. Its
wishes, Ia part Its beliefs. to the Dem-3
ocratic party Kept or keeping itself
In a state OF perpetual humility, meekly
doing what It is told to do, It has nd
national policy. The magic word me-
gro still puts it into state of goose
flesh even after 1t has forced or choused
the negro out of politics. Still the old
bugbear has the old effect. Expansion.
TINT old Southern tradition. protection.
that new Southern necessity, may go
hang. The South does not uare to DO
Republican. Safely and stolidly DEM
ocratic, 1t has been content for six years
to be the dupe or tool OF the Western
Democrats. It Is little sick of that;
perhaps now the Eastern Democrats VIII
be allowed to lead 1t by the nose again.
It is not the fear Of q revival or sec.
tional animosity that prevents the
ocrcats from nominating Southerner
for President. It is the want of political
courage and political common sense on
the part of the Democratic South. HARD
words to States once so famous ior
craftsmanship and leadership, SO gl1teu
in political genius. so proud ana SO pow.
erful in conventions. Hard words, 5p .
true. When the South ceases to be the
of the Democratic party; when there is
a healthy opposition In every southern
State: when the South gets tired OF foi-
lowing humbly at the heels of Demo-
cracy-then it may secure the nonll1la-
ton OF Southern man for President
But the number of Southern Democrats
in public life who are worthy OF tilc
presidency is not likely to increase "i1iie
the present conditions OF repression anu
subserviency continue.
This. criticism comes in very poor
grace from Northern Republican news
paper. When the Southern soldiers lalo
down their arms and returned to their
homes they quit fighting, they accepted
tbe conclusions of war. The Southern
states came back into the Union in good
faith. But they were not received IN
the same spirit. The Northern RepuD-
licans were determined to punish the
South and they used the negro as the IN
strument of their vengeance. They put
the ballot into the hands of the recently
freed slaves. and, not content with tnat'
they sent their enissaries into this sec
ton to organize the negro voters into
h,ack mass and to pit them against the
whites.
II was then and there that the color
line was drawn in politics, and the White
men of the South were compelled LOT
their own protection to organize soilols
against the black mass They were
equal to this struggle and they could
have beaten the negro at his own game,
Of 1,o RanJ1hlic3n Gov
eminent at Washington were brought TO
bear and everything that the Govern
ment could do was done to put the ne
gro into power and to put the white man
down. It was fight for the very eXlS-
tence of the Anglo-Saxon race In this
section and it was necessary that the
whites should subordinate all other issues
and stand together for their own preser-
vation It was impossible for the South
ern whites to deal with the Republican
party, even had they been willing to sup
press their own feelings and to forget the
wrongs which this party had done them
They were compelled to choose as be-
tween the national Republican party and
the national Democratic party, and they
were compelled to affiliate with the
Democratic party, no matter how they
might have differed as to questions OF
public policy involved in the Democratic
platform.
The Southern people have managed by
their pluck and support as race to
keep the negro party down, but this has
been accomplished through no favor from
the Republican party at the North, but
in spite of its determined and malicious
support of the negro.
The thoughtful men Of the South would
welcome a condition which would enable
them to divide honestly upon questions
of national politics. They do not need
to be told that the South has been weak
ened as factor in nationa! politics by
being solid whether or not, but the South
must continue solid in spite Of all this
SO long as the negro is an important
factor in our politics.
We pray that the time may speedily
come when this condition will not lon
ger exist, but If it does come it will be
through no favor or help of the Republic
of the way the Southern people will be very
slow to ally themselves with that party
which has always been their arch enemy,
and which has done everything to harass
and humiliate them.