The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-09

has a stronger desire for the President of the United States, whoever he may be. to administer the laws impart1ally, perhaps. than any other portion of our country. There appears to be some misconception touching Southern senti- ment on the question on the part or your correspondent, since he claims In effect that Southern Congressman were giving united support to those labor laws which Samuel Gompers was press ing for passage before the last session of Congress.
 It so happened that I was commis- stoned by an organization of business men here to go to Washington and aid in trying to defeat that special legis- lation referred to by your correspon- dent, and before going there I sought to ascertain the views of Southern business men touching the proposed laws, and I received more than 2,5OO let ters from leading business men through out the South, which were submitted to Southern Congressman, and I know that it was largely due to the firmness of Southern members, of the two house committees before which these bills were pending that favorable report on them was prevented.
 I know it ito be a fact that there were some Southern Congressman who had been led away by their Northern colleagues, on the plea that this ques- tion did not materially affect them in the South; hence they could support those labor laws and help capture the laDOr vote Tn Ine NOTIU, WHeEe IL was strongest. but there were many other hesitate to express their opposition to these laws, because they wanted to free the South and keep it free from labor agltators and labor dication. In this connection I desire to emphasize another fact, as showing Southern sen- timent on this question. I took to the St. Louis convention the names of over 5000 business men and enterprises throughout the South who desired that the Democratic platform to be adopted by that body should be free from class blanks. and these names were submit ted to prominent members of the plat form committee from the South and 1t was largely in response to this strong presentation from Southern business men that a platform was framed which announced the party policy of equal and exact justice between capital and labor.
 The business interest of the South were considered so intimately and so vitally interwoven with the welfare of the people of all classes that no more fatal policy could be suggested than that which hrrayed class against class, em- ployer against employee, or vice versa, and these are the direct results of labor agitation along partisan lines.
 The South was and is bidder for cap ital and settles to rehabilitate its waste places made desolate by the civil war. and everywhere there exists among the leaders of Southern develop" ment q sentiment that demands safety ana protection to DOtn alike. WHelHeC in the humblest worker who comes here to eaVn an honest living in his own way. or with the business man who desires to manage his affairs without dctation or interference from any source whatever.
 Politicians who may not or will not recognize this sentiment here in the South are as certain to be relegated to the shades of a political oblivion as that the sun will rise tomorrow
 I agree. therefore, with the assump- tion of your Washington correspondent that Judge Parker should make his views as clear on this subject as he did in his famous dispatch on the gold standard. If he will adhere to the de clarations of his party's pla tform in the matter of capital and labor, he will render the most valuable service that his party has received in many years
 Thoughtful citizens of both parties have been congratulating the country that the declarations of the two great parties were so nearly alike on this subject of capital and labor, and they expect that the campaign shall conform to thesn declarations. These thought rul citizens are the independent voters of the country. and it is safe to predict that whichever party devnates from their platform on this subject will lose votes. This will apply as well in the south as in the North. The south Is loyal to Democracy so long Demo- cracy is loyal to the South. but 1t will not stand for class discrimination that retards progress and blocks the wheels of development. Those who may be closest to Judge Parker should bring these facts to his attention for on his meeting these with the same courage that marked his gold standard utter rance. depends his hope and the hope of his party for success in the coming struggle.
 Rirmingham Ala, August 27.