The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-12-10
Wrong Advice.

It is assumed that the present Congress will
not attempt to furestall action by its successor
on any OF the questions which entered into the
recent Presidential campaign. No Republi-
can member of the House of Representatives
Of the Fihy-eighth Congress was elected on a
platform advocating the reduction of the
South representation in Congress. If that
issue is to be dealt with at all it should be
taken up and settled by the Fifty ninth Con
gress. A few Republican extremists are
threatening to begin the agitation right away,
but evidence is lacking that their program has
the approval of the leaders of their party
This is nation of free speech. and perhaps
in their Joy over the November landslide some
jubilant and injudlclous Republicans may feel
inclined to take fall oratorically out of
the South. 1t is to be hoped that Southern
Democrats will fee! under no obligation to
reply in kind and to enter into a rancorous
discussion. What Southern Representatives
may say on the subject of reduction of their
representation should be couched in manly
and digni6ed terms. Baltimore Sun, Dec. s.
This is wrong advice. The war between the
States closed nearly forty years ago, and about
three or four years later all the Southern States
were back in the Union, with representation III
the Senate and House of Representatives. Be
fore the war the majority of Southern people
were Wings After the war the Wing party
in the Northern section of the country was
almost completely absorbed by the Republican
party Comforting the right to vote upon the
negroes created race issue in the South, and
nearly all the whites banded together under
the Democratic banner.
Since the rehabilitation OF the Southern
States the Democrats of that section have
permitted the Northern Democrats TO have
sole management of the party, write plat
forms, make presidential nominations, and
generally prevail in leadership in Congress.
The Republican party during its ascendancy
has treated the South as though it not
part of the Union, and Northern Democrats
have been afraid to recognize the South to
any considerable extent. 1t is true that occa-
sionally the South has been recognized with
the Speakership and leading committee chair
mauships, but this was chiefly because the re
representatives. from the North lacked elements
of strength aud capacity to fill the positions.
The war is over or it is not. The Southern
States are part Of the Union Of States or
they are not As noted above the South ha 5 /
been treated by both parties with disirust, aud |
il is time now for the Senators aud Represen-
tatives from that section to assert their rights |
in Congress, defend he acts Of their States |
and determine no longer to be under North |
ern tutelage. 1t should have been done long /
ago Certainly it is time now for the South /
to be on the defensive and the offensive, as /
occasion demands. Ii they are to sit silent.
as the Sun advises, when the South is viH6ed /
and reviled, they may well 60 home.
Up TO 1860 the Democratic party was known /
as The Fierce Democracy. Il needs some /
ofihat ferceness now. There was too much /
conservatism in the last campaign. There l
was no aggression. People we're led To be /
heye that the country would be as safe under /
Roosevelt as Parker. Financial conditions
were satisfactory to Wall street aud farmers
were getting a dollar bushel for wheat.
Neither condition was due to the Republican 4
party, but both classes generally so believed /
and voted to let well enough clone. Most /
Northern people are more interested in per \
sonal gain than in political principles aud 4
vote IN the present interest OF lhelF pochef .
books, with no thought OF the future. Two /
crop failures and financial distress would in
1906 result in eleetiug two thirds oflhe Demo
cratic candidates for Congress in the North, /
East and West.
Owing to the sectional feeling in the North l
against the South, about the existence OF /
which there eau be no controversy, although /
arms we're laid down nearly forty years ago, /
the Northern Democrats have been afraid to
aid the South. while the leading Northern /
Democrat, Samuel J. Randall Of Pennsyl 4
vania, in Congress for some years, was an
ont-and .out believer in high protective tar
i'll, speaking and voting against the moderate
Mills tariff BILL He was willing to let The
manufacturing North continue to fleece the
South through a robber tariff. The only tire
he did service TO the South in twenty years in
Congress was successful fight against the
first Force Bill.
Let Southern Democrats 10 Congress assert
Inconsistencies aggression with aggression,
assault with assault, and moi follow the advice
of papers like the Sunday low aud say 10th
ing, and listen in silence TO assaults upon
their section.