The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-01
FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1904.
THE TIMES ARE PROPITIOUs.

We are told in the Book of Judges
that ''the stars in their courses fought
against Sisera," and 1t looks like the
forces of nature have Joined with the
Democrats in their fight against Re
rublicanism as typified by Roosevelt4 If
nCThing else had occurred to point out
the path of duty for the Party, the plat
form adopted at Chicago ought to fur
nish all the incentive needed, for it is
a direct challenge to the South, es-
pecially, and to Democrats of all Sec
tions.
The action of the Convention on the
tariff is sufficient to show how thor
oughJy the Republican Party of today
Is arrayed against the people. Notwith-
standing the fact that there is a strong
Republican sentiment in favor of tariff
revision and reduction the convention
was afraid to recognize it. The lead
ers of the Party at Chicago knows too
well how dependent their Party is on
the support and influence of those who
are the beneficiaries of the present
taIiff laws. They dared not declare for
reduc ton. for that would have been
dangerous. The declaration that the
Republicans themselves shall revise the
tariff when the proper. time comes, or
when revision is necessary, is a mis-
cradle subterfuge, and they knew It,
Those who control the Party will not
find the proper time to lower the duties
as long as they can bleed those who
enrich themselves off those duties.
Republicans remain in power
But the really Infamous feature of
the platform is that plank looking to
interference with suffrage regulations
in the South. The scheme of Crum-
packer to reduce Southern representa-
tion because of the alleged denial of
the right of suffrage to colored voters
is in every way worthy of Roosevelt.
who doubtless was the inspiration of
that plank, for it is in line with his
sentiments and his acts.
The fact that the Federal Courts
from the lowest to the highest have
refused to interfere with the rights of
the States to regulate the suffrage has
no influence on these South haters, ex-
cept, perhaps. to convince them that
they cannot punish Southern people in
that manner. They believe, though,
that they can humiliate and injure our
section by the method proposed in their
platform. If a Republican administra-
ton and Congress can bring themselves
to believe-and what we wish we read
fly believe-that negroes in any State
are Disseminated against at the polls
then the plan is to deprive that State
of a portion of Its representation in
Congress.
1t will not be at all difficult for
securely intrenched Republican Party
to satisfy itself that the negroes are
6iscriminated against, and that will be
all that is needed to cut down our rep
resentation. They may succeed. but in
our judgment the troublous scenes of
the reconstruction era will be repro
duced, and perhaps something worse,
for the Southern people will not be as
submissive to oppression and injustice
as they were generation ago.
Thus 1t is that all the facts and cir
cumstances point unerringly to the
duty of Democrats TO make one grand
united effort to regain control OF the
government aud save it from the spoil |
ers. The incentive is great and the
signs are favorable and we cannot
avoid the feeling that the Party will
come up to the full measure of it's duty
and relegate tariff robbery and Crum-
nackeTisIn TO the rear