The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-13
WHAT THE SOUTH SHOULD DO.

WHAT THE SOUTH SHOULD DO.
The Southern Democrats are getting
much unsolicited advice these days.
| The burden of it is that il ought to
| Quit being solid, ought TO desert, its
principles and kiss the hand that
smites,
At home and abroad the South has
been getting that sort of advice for
| more than a quarter of century Now
and then a State has taken the advice
and elected a Republican State gov
eminent In Kentucky it brought
about a reign of terror. In North
Carolina it evoked a Revolution In
West Virginia it has been noted for
violence and injustice. 1t was cost
ly experiment each State made and
sorely have the people repented that
they made it.
Just after the war, when Recon-
struction with all it's blight was be-
ing inaugurated, there were Southern
white men who said: "It will be bet
ter for Southern white men if good
: men join hands with the Republicans
and try to shape legislation that Will
be friendly and just" And some took
their advice to find that they We're i'm
potent to change the DEGREES, against
the conquered. They found them
selves used as the agents for inflicting
wrong.
Today, when the Democratic party
in the Republic has been defeated,
We again hear the advice: 1.-The solid
South should not continue. 1t ought
TO be broken up" There is but one
way to break it up, and that is for
white men to leave it in sufficient
numbers 20 give the Republicans the
majority. Can such men be found?
Certainly not, when the Republican
party threatens TO reduce the poiiti-
cal power of the South. The South
ern man who would advocate that in
justice, or quietly acquiesce in 1t,
would raise his hand against his own
mother.
If the South is ever broken it will
be when both political parties ignore
sectionalism and both show that they
will leave the South to work out it's
difficult problem without interference
and without irritating agitation. If
both parties were to adopt the spirit
Of Henry Grady's Boston speech in
good faith the question of sectonalism
would depart from American politics.
HIA hr Ta1,nX nd
would lose the respect of the world
and its own self respect if it should
divide until there is full assurance
that its settlement of suffrage is to be
protected. But there is not q man in
the South who does not know that if
they could succeed in any Southern
State the first step of the Republicans
would be to undo all that has been
done to safeguard the suffrage in the
South, and that the National Repub-
lican party would ass. st in restoring
the ballot to the disfranchised negro
voters. And sad experience has shown
what that means.
BY the way, instead of lecturing the
South about remaining solid in the
face of a local situation that makes
it's course essential to preserve good
local government, why do we not hear
some warnings to New England
against the provincial spirit of re-
manning solidly Republican? More
Republicans have been elected 20 Of
fee in the South during the past twen-
ty years than Democrats have been
elected in the New England States Ii
is we'll known that the business in
terestS of Massachusetts, demand re-
ciprocity, and yet the voters continue
to elect Republican congressman
whose chief stock in trade is their he
lief that they are specially qualified
to legislate for the South and for the
Philippine Islands and other colonies
or semi-colones
New England has no local problem
that recessitates it's solid,ty. The best
government Massachusetts has en-
Joyed in thirty years was when VIM
j.. Russell was Governor The worst
government North Carolina has enicy-
ed was when Daniel l.. Russell was
Governor. Those newspapers that
lecture the South because of it's solid
ity should lecture "Solid New Eng
land for not dividing. 1t has no rea-
son such as compels the South to re-
man solid for good home govern
ment
The news is sent out from Wash