The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1903-01-09

sional convention and dictate both
the platform and the candidate has
probably effected slight result one
way or the other. 1t 10 evident
that Southern Democrats. by
reason OF their faithful and
ohangeless support of every plat
form and every candidate selected
by the party At large during the
past forty years are entitled To u
dominant voice in the choice of
men and of principles. Without
the $50 or more electoral votes of
the Southern States the election
OF q Democratic. president or a
Democratic congress would be an
impossibility. Every national
chairman goes into the campaign
with the assurance that he can de-
pend upon that large vote AZ a
certainty. His problem then is to
secure the votes of enough doubt
ful States 70 secnre q majority in
the electoral college. Ali of the
time, attention and money that he
can control is therefore directed to
a few doubtful States outside of
the South. Save in rare instances
he pays practically no attention to
the South. From that section the
votes come without effort.
On the other hand, it is equally
evident that the Southern Demo
crats are not selfish. They have
not claimed their rights, nor is
there Q likelihood that they will do
40 at the next national convention.
They desire victory in 1904 and
they are again willing TO bow to the
dictation Of the East and North or
perchance of the West. in order to
secure that victory. II may be-
safely predicted that there sill b-
no concerted action among tue
Southern delegates to influence
the acts Of the convention. South
ern delegates. acting individually.
however. should see to il that n
platform expressive OF sound Dem
ocratic principles is adopted. Not
one of them should allow himself
to go on record in favor Of any un-
holy alliance OF any sort. Straight
and fearless Democracy should DO
the keynote Of the next conven-
ton. There must be no quibbling,
no striking of issues.
By the exercise OF her influence
in Legitimate and sensible way
it is not impossible for the South
1 To rise TO her former position of
power in national affairs. She has
mad glorious past; che should
pre-, are for glorious future.
Surely there. L. ~Iill something n
store for Il section that gave she
word To Washington to wrest inde-
pendence from tyranuical king
a. the point of the sword, and a
jefferson to state in bold aud fault
less language the declaration of
that independence. To the his
toric constitutional convention as
sem bied At Philadelphia to lay the
permanent foundations Of our re-
public she gave a Washington Ia
preside over the deliberations and
a Madison to exercise bis wonder
full constructive ability-an ability
which left an impress upon the
constitution more strongly marked
than that of any one man In the
convention. The South, too, gave
the great John Marshall to the
country, q man whose decisions
have largely determined the trend
Of American government. She
gave q Jefferson to add the great
Louisiana Territory; a Madison &c
conduct the war of 1912; Mon.
roe to enunciate a great doctrine
which ia still intact and to which
the nation still clings with fervor
a jackson to fight the British anC
the Indians and 70 settle the bank
ing questions which sorely troub
led the young country; and Poll
to conduct the Mexican war and e
receive the empire of Texas into
tho Union.
Besides these the South was Law
ish with her great men in public
life. There were the Lees anc
Randolphs in Virginia; Calhoun
and the Pickneys and Rutledge'
in South Carolina; Clay and thu
Breckinrid2es in Kentucky; ane
the Bayards in Delaware. From
out of her borders, too. there cam,
John Bell. Felix Grundy aud Ish
am q. Harris. of Tennessee; Rob
ert Tombs and Ben Hill, Of Geor,
gis; Lucius Quintus Cincinnatu,
Lamar. of Mississippi; Augustu'
II. Garland, of Arkansas; james
B. Beck although a Scotchmal
born), and John G. Carlisle, o.
kentucky. To this long and glor
ious list many shining name.
might be added. 1t is enough t.
say, however, that under the prop
er conditions the Southern soil j,
productive of statesmen. Let u
hope that the conditions are ripen
ing for another illnstrious line o.
leaders. Let us hope that men O.
the South will be gifted with suth
GENTLY broad vision to be tn.
statesmen of the future. Let then
throw off ;hs garm ants OF the pio