The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-19
THE CHEERFUL SOUTH.

The Chicago Tribune, in reviewing
the election, refers to 1.-The pathetic
Solid South" The South is not pa
thetic. it needs no commiseration, it
brooks no patronizing. In politics
it stands firmly for its principles, IN
adversely and in prosperity, and does
so with pride and dignity. 1t is not
unduly elated when the cause it fights
for wins; it does not put on sack
cloth when the cause is lost. 1t has
for thirty-five years turned deaf ear
to those who counselled it ito end
devotion to sentiment and convictions
and make voting a matter OF bus1-
ness 1t has refused to make mer-
chandise of it's civic virtue, TO the
amazement of the so-called CONNER
cialists at home and abroad. The re-
cent defeat in national politics, when
only Southern States gave majority
for the Democratic candidate, has
not caused any man of principle to
change his, views or Jump on the
band-wagon" of the party that puts
Opportunism above Principle and the
Constitution.
The South believes today, and acts
up to it's belief in the declaration of
jefferson that absolute acquiescence
in the decisions of the majority-the
vital principle of republics, from
which there is no appeal but to force,
the vital principle and immediate par
!. ent of despotism, one of
the essential principles of our gov
eminent
The Memphis Commercial Appeal
writes a two column reply to the Tri-
bune on The Cheerful South from
which the following is taken:
Like Little Phil Sheridan at New
Orleans, the South can say, 1 amt
afraid She can laugh at progresses
of disaster and promises of revenge
There is much talk about the cutting
down of representation in Congress.
How can it be done? Congress can't
disfranchiSe all those who don't vote,
for this would cut in two the repre-
sentation of many Northern States.
There isn't a law in the South that dis
franchises any one on account of his
color When we get down to brass
tacks, il will be found that it is an
educational or property qualification
that DISTINGUISHES, and this does not
apply exclusively to one race. Be
sides. how could Congress consider
the educational qualification in Mis-
SiSSippi and ignore It in MaSsachu-
sets? We need not worry our brains
over that There is no just and con-
Stitutional way to cut down eXclu-
sively the representation in the South.
If the thing is attempted the Republic
can party would be the sufferer, and
the negro the victim. For that would
amount, if successful, to the perma-
net disfranchisement Of the colored
voter by the Republican party; and
whatever may be said of the Republic
can leaders, they are not fools. The
South then can afford to laugh at this
threat. 1t can't be done without i'm
posing upon the Republican party the
charming task of committing hari-
kari.
But why does the South toot the
doodlesack and go right on enjoying
life2 Simply because the South has
attained her commercial and indus
trial majority. For year or more
the North has had to her lips the cup
have come to her in the
of trembling. Visions of disaster have
come to her in the watches of the
night. The crisis was ever imminent
Stocks had been tumbling down upon
one another like unsafe walls. In
steel alone there was shrinkage
of fully half billion dollars. Stand
ard Oil had shrunk over one hundred
millions. Amalgamated copper had
gone to grass, and the leather had
evaporated into thin air. The ships
of the shipbuilding trust had gone
to sea and foundered on the Inchcape
Rock. The clearing house receipts
hadincreased practically nil. The
places of amusement had lost their
ability to charm the coin out of the
reluctant pockets. Hundreds of thou
sands of working men were idle
When Senator Fairbanks pointed elo-
quently to a mill that typified the
triumph of Republican policies, it
turned out that the mill had been
closed for two years. In the South
ali has been different. The clearing
house receipts have increased marvel
ously in this section, and nowhere else
A profitable cotton crop has mended
the fortunes of all sorts and condi-
lions of men. The Southern cotton
mills now take as much cotton as
the Northern. Railroad building has
increased more here than in the North.
Our Southern ports are taking trade
away from the Northern. Last years
cotton crop first and last, was worth
at least billion dollars to the South.
In Memphis alone, manufacturing
enterprises were increased threefold
in a decade. Development is making
new cities out of the old towns of the
South. Our theaters have been pros
porous, while those of the North have
been empty. Along all the lines of en-
deavor, the South has grown; and
Southern banks are able to furnish
the money to move our crops without
depending on the North. The situa-
ton IN this section is entirely ex-