The sun., 1903-12-13
LILY WHITES GOING BACK.
UANT TO REJOIN THE DEMO-
Gratis IN LOUISIANA.
Democratic Party split over the Quo stion
whether These Former Republ leans
Way Vote at the Primary-Prcsit Ient's
Negro Policy One Cause OF the Ch; lngc.

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. i2.-The d smo-
cratic PARTY Of Louisiana is split owe the
question whether it shall receive bach into
thc foll the Lily Whites who went o, er to
the Republican party during the Ao min
isrra,Ion of President Mckinley, but who
are now repentant in consequence Of Mr..
Roosevelt s negro policy.
The Democratic State central conn nittee
has called a primary for Jan. 10 ftr the
nominate ion of a United States Scnat or and
state officials and all white Dem ocrats
are invited to vote at it. The question
arises, What is Il white Democrat?
The several parishes are interpreting
tic word Democrat differently. Thus, in
Ascension parish, sugar district, where
n majority Of the white voters, he'd by E. N
pugh and Henry Mccall, now Collector of
Customs at New Orleans. went over in a
body to the Republican party on the tariff
issue it has been decided that all persons
VINO declare that they are Democrats, who
subscribe to the Democratic faith, ard who
pledge themselves to vote for the Demo-
cratic tcke, shall be regarded rs Demo-
Gratis and allowed to vote, without regard
10 their past affiliatio ions. Thus the doors
have been thrown open to the repantant
Lily Whites.
Protest has been made against this by
ld-lina Democrats, AMI in most of the
parishes voters are compelled to prove
Themselves Democrats by swearing that
at the last election they voted the Demo-
cratic ticket, a requirement that will shut
ont the Lily Whites.
The Lily White movement, which began
in the sugar, rice and lumber districts.
had become so strong in the State election
of 800 that it very nearly carried Louisiana
The result was in doubt for two months. and
it required the Legislature to decide whether
Pharr (Rep.) or Murphy Foster (Dem.) was
elected Governor
The Lily Whites finally received official
recognition from the Republican party.
Their delegates were seated in the last
Republican national convention, their can
dictate is now the national committeeman
for Louisiana, and their selections have been
appointed Collectors of Customs, post
ma sters, &c. and received the other Gov
ernment patronage.
They organized Republican Union Club
after the model Of the, Union League. an
nounced that they would put up full State
and city tickets in the coming election, and
showed vigor and life that had not been
seen in the Republican party in Louisiana
for couple of decades. lndefd. there
was much talk of raising $500 600, and in
viting the Republican national convention
to hold its sessions in New Orleans.
Whites had achieved the recognition they
sought for, the party began to crumble to
pieces. In Ascension, where the party
saw its birth and where it controlled a
Whites, headed by f. n. Pugh, the organizer
of the movement, have gone back almost
in body to the Democratic party, and the
question within the Democratic ranks in
that parish is whether they shall be for
given at once and allowed to vote in the
Democratic primary or be kept on the
penitents bench for while.
In st. Mary's parish, "the sugarbowl of
Louisiana. where they were very strong and
In control at one time, they are rapidly
drifting back to the Democracy, save those
who have secured Federal offices. In
1bervile. Iberia, Lafayette, Lafourohe.
Cacasieu and other parishes more than 80
have deserted the party
The drift back to the Democracy is due
almost exclusively to the attitude Of the
President on the negro question. The Lily
Whites were distinctly a white mans party,
but they were induced to accept the negro
in a mild way, and actually recommended
negro to President Roosevelt for the
office of Receiver of Public Moneys at New
Orleans. This was a marked concession
on their part and caused many Of the rank
and file to hesitate.
When the Indanola and Charleston
incidents occurred, the Lily White leaders,
many of whom had obtained office, were,
of necessity, compelled to defend the Presi
dents action, or, nt least, extenuate it.
The voters could not understand it, and
the drift back to the Democracy began.
The Lily Whites are compelled to decide
now whether they will be Democrats or
Republicans. or lose their right to vote at
the approaching Democratic primary: The
negro question, as presented by MIR. Roose-
welt. has decided most of them in favor
of the Democracy. The Cuban Reciprocity
treaty will help the movement along, as
most of the Lily White Republicans are
interested in sugar, and regard the support
given to the treaty by the President as
aimed directly at themselves.
At the rate at which the boiling is now 60
ing on. the indications are that the Louis
ian, Lilv White Republican party will be as
much Of skeleton as the Louisiana Regular
Republicans before the Presidential election