The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-22
HOPEFUL OF DEMOCRACY.
An Alabamian Discusses the Land slide for Roosevelt aud the Future.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 VIII you indulge one of the rank and hle' of the democratic party with enough space to suggest a few thoughts anent our recent record breaking defeat and the situation which confronts us?
 The successive defeats of the past de- cade should provoke serious efforts to diagnose the disease followed up with courageous eradication thereof if such is possible. The record of the past twelve years is utterly incompatible with nor mai democratic health. But the writer be- lieves that the nation and the south was never more in need of the application of genuine democratic principles. and that a curl for our recent and present ills will be found
 The writer is aware that the discussion of questions affecting the national democ- racy is complicated to some extent in the south by the animosity toward this sec tion evidenced by the people of the north fin general and the republican party in particular, tangible illustrations of which are found in offensive federal appoint .ments and threats of reduced representa- ytion, but would not the formation of a sectional southern party on these issues provoke greater sectional prejudice and make more distant the day when the south shall have it's due voice in the coun- cils of the nation? And, after all, sec tional prejudice against this section amounts mainly to a mere surface ag- . gravation. Even if we do lose a few of our representatives, now that the ne- , gro is out of southern politics, we will send d higher class of men to congress and gain in quality what we lose In quantity. And as 1t does the republicans so much good to See us writhe at negro appointments, were it not better to con stenptuously ignore them, while we has ten the coming of d better day. So far as forcing social equality upon the Anglo Saxon whites of the south is concerned. ] l believe that is a mere bugaboo which an army of Roosevelts cannot make real ity
 Almost the bare thought of social equal ity and it's consequences is degrading. He who sets such an example Is the negros 6 worst enemy, and any serious attempt to enforce it in this section would touch off the deadliest magazine that ger ex- ploded in a civilized country. The negro does not want 1t, in spite of Cookers ex- ample. No true white man will ever all low it. It would never have occurred to the negro himself It Is purely an outside suggestion. It has no practical existence fin the south; never will have, and the least said about 1t the better
 White supremacy is as certain as white superiority. I cannot but feel that fur ther discussion of it is hardly consistent with the self-respect and self-reliance of the proud, pure strain of Anglo Saxons which inhabit this great and promising section. Surely these questions have not reached that grave stage which would warrant us in denationalizing ourselves and forming a sectional party
 No more patriotic people exists than ours We came back into the union in good faith; our patriotism has been tried in the fiery furnace of reconstruction; we are interested in the great national ques- tions of the day, and have our convic- tions upon them. We rise superior to the contempt of narrow northerners and the day is not far distant when southern brains and statesmanshp-actin mainly through the democratic party-shall be imperatively needed by the nation. Fur thermore. most of us love the democratic party and its principles. and it has too long been our friend for us to desert the party in the hour of its need. The dem ocratic party needs us, and we need it. Under its principles we would be pro- tected in the administration of our own affairs, and in the achievement of that great proseprity which lies close ahead of us if our social conditions are left un- disturbed-which is absolutely essential to -the< peace and prosperity of both races It therefore behooves us to hasten the day when democratic principles shall be put in operation. And we can best do this by getting the democratic party in