The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-07-07
The Republican Platform.
Charlotte News.

| IL says, OI course, Ilduv UnlnSS TO
be expected. 1t claims credit for the
return of prosperity to the country
and lays emphasis upon the panic of
1898. OF course the proper answer
to that is the well known fact that
Republicanism was in power in 1893
up to the 4th OF March; that the
Harrison administration had caused
to be made the plates for a bond
issue in order to meet the threatened
deficit in the revenues, and that the
Republican attitude on the silver
question was wobbly enough to ex-
cite alarm. The claim for the estab.,
ishment of the gold standard should
fcertainly be shared with Grover
Cleveland, who has been often enough
accused by friends and foes with
having prevented the country going
to silver basis. We say these point
ings with pride and viewings with
alarm are to be expected of platform
makers, and yet, nevertheless, they
somehow leave bad taste in the
mouth when it is known that the
platform was prepared as substan-
TALLY printed before the convention
met and had the approval of the
Great Reformer, Theodore Roose-
velt.
The tariff plank is weak straddle
with the stand-pat idea uppermost,
yet with a sop thrown to the Iowa
idea. 1t proclaims that the tariff
must be revised in the house of it's
friends when revised at ALL The ex-
perience of the country has shown
that it has always been revised in a
higher direction by it's friends. The
burdens OF oppressive prices for
articles that are sold cheaper in for
eign lands by American manufactur-
ers than to the home market, will
make a pretty good issue in the
coming campaign, to say nothing of
the influence of the tariff upon the
| trusts.
The trust plank is the weakest sur
render that was ever made to the
predatory corporations 1t is really
sad to see how completely the bron-
| cho-busting trust-buster has been
tanned. The shelving of Knox in the
Senate and the meek acquiescence of
Roosevelt in the dictatiOn of Cas-
satt and Frick and the other trust
magnates is followed by the adop-
tion of plank that is too evidently
designed to placate powerful enemies
| and reassure the alarmed monopo-
lists.
But the chief issue for the Southern
people to consider is the one relating
to the suffrage amendments of the
Southern States. 1t is the product
doubtless of the brain of Lodge, of
force-bill fame. The force-bill would
not go down. But the South can be
punished for eliminating the un-
worthy element of it's suffrage and
the punishment will also rebound to
the benefit of the Republican party.
Since the negro is no longer allowed
to vote without the educational and
property qualifications that have
been adopted by the Southern States
the SOuth's representation must be
cut down in Congress and in the
electoral college. Here is the plank
itself:
"We favor such Congressional ac-
ton as shall determine whether, by
special determinations, the elective
franchise in any State has been un-
constitutionally limited, and if such
is the case we demand that repre-
sentation in Congress and in the cleo
toral college shall be beproportionately
reduced as directed by the Constitu-
tion of the United States
There are two things to be said
| about that. First that the South
will cheerfully take this punishment
rather than go back to the. old con-
ditiOns of unlimited negro suffrage,
| with the horrible train OF evils
| threatening our very civilization,
that followed in the train of unre-
stricted negro suffrage. Please God,
there are not enough bayonets in
the United States army to enforce
the amendment that has been in
terpreted to mean unlimited negro
suffrage.
The other thing to be kept in mind
is that an issue is raised here that
should make the South more solid
than ever before. 1t is not ques-
tion in this campaign what the prin-
ciples of the Democratic platform or
the personnel of the DemOcraticn NOM
inees may be. To uphold Republican,
ism, whether as Republicans or indie
pendents, is suicidal for the South
ern people this year We should
think that this plank would be
properly resented by every white
Republican in the South 1t renders
the power of the Southern States in
the councils of the nation less, if it
can be carried out by the victorious
party. 1t renders the chance of Re-
publicanism itself to represent the
South less than it is today.
In brief the negro issue has been
drawn fair and square. Judge W. S.
OBJ. Robinson has been left off the
national committee. The Judge re-
fused to sit down to table wit IN n ne
gro, proclaiming himself a gentle-
man. The Lily Whites have been
everywhere snubbed The Southern
punishment plank, as reported in tn.
Ohio convention that endorsed
Roosevelt, has been made a promi
nent plank in the national conven
> ton, as the News predicted. And the
} News predicts that for the first time
: in the history OF the Republican
party its introduction will prove q
boomerang. They do not love thu
negro as they should in Indiana and
t Illinois, for instance. And while thu
= negro holds the balance of power il
! these States and it is well to placat'
t him, there is a great and growing
/. body of white people in these State
' who will transfer their allegiance
! from any negro party henceforth.
e The South is bound to see that he
t salvation rests this year, OF all years
: in the victory OF Democracy.
n Hancoek,s Liquid sulphur should
| Il. every home. 1t cures eczema, pimples, te'