The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-05-03
HURT BY IT'S LEADERS
Their Incompetency in Many South
ern States Has Delayed Spread of
Republicanism.
CONDITIONS ARE BETTER NOW

Party in Past and Expresses High
Hopes for the Future-When
North Carolina Gees Republican
Again it Will Remain So.
Washington, ID. c., April 21.-Ex-
Senator Butler sent the president of
the League Of Republican State Clubs
OF the District Of Columbia the fol
lowing letter Of regrets. Ill reply TO
the League 5 invitation to address the
banquet given at Masonic Temple this
evening:
April u, 1906.
Hon. William {. Connor.
President ID. {. League Republi-
can State Clubs.
Washington, ID. {.
Dear Sir:-I desire through YOU
to express to the members of the
League Of Republican State Clubs
my regret at not being able on ac-
count OF sickness TO attend the an
nual banquet this evening and re-
spond to the toast assigned me. ]
had looked forward with great
| pleasure to attending this banquet
because | am deeply interested in
the objects III view.
The failure of the Republican
party III the south to call to Its
standard the class Of men III suf-
ticient numbers who naturally
would espouse its live and progress
sive princi piles has been due to
causes and conditions that few out
side Of the south have probably full
ly appreciated.
1t is needless here to recall and
comment upon the great error of en-
acting the XIV and NV amendments
and the unfortunate and disastrous
reconstruction period. The result
of these conditions alone it seems
any other political party in the south.
But i'll addition we have in many
southern states been cursed with
=, false and incompetent leadership.
Led by Evil Counsellors.
In more than a few states the
leadership of the party has been in
the hands. of men who did not want
the party to grow. They wanted it
to grow smaller, they wanted their
states to stay Democratic as to their
state and local governments, and
they wanted to have a small coterie
of men calling themselves the Re-
publican party who would control
and dish out the federal patronage
among themselves.
Their constant regret has been
that the party was already so large
that there was not an office for each
Republican. If this condition could
have been reached, then there would
haveifi1een perfect harmony! for
the first time i'll the Republican
party in certain localities and
states III the south, provided they
had not quarrelled over the question
as to which one was entitled to the
biggest office.
These so-called leaders often made
themselves offensive Ito the best
white people so as to make sure that
no decent number Of the other party
would attempt to join the Republican
party. Fortunately this condition of
affairs is rapidly changing but it is
changing against the will and over the
protest of this class of old line ma
chine pap suckers.
Time, as it removes us further
| from reconstruction and from the
| animosities of the war. and as it has
at the same time touched with magic
wand the great resources Of the
south, producing nationnal pro-
gress and prosperity, SO has the pow
er of the false leaders been broken
down and thereby has been removed
the prejudice of those who have been
kept out of the Republican party, and
the consequence today is that thOus-
ands and thousands of the most pro-
gressive types of southern manhood
in their state and country are getting
in the party in spite of the obstacles
that stand in their way.
Of course the removal of the OPP
portunity of the Democratic ma
chine political to appeal to and to
incite race prejudice as his only
campaign argument has been one
great factor in bringing recruits. Be
sides, the Republican party has al
ways as a national party, appealed
to the business and progressive men.
and especially to the young men, OF
the south, because it has been the
party of action and a party OF or
ganization and effective action.
A Democrat By Training.
I was raised Democrat. | well
remember how in my early teens the
Republican party as a party OF Or
sanization and action appealed to me
as a national party while, when L
would look around me and see what
the Republican local organization
was. / was forced to proceed along III
the ranks of Democracy regardless OF
whether I was pleased or displeased
with the action or rather the lnactlon
of the Democratic party.
The fundamental differences be-
tween what in general political par
ties are pleased to call their prln-
ciples do not differ so widely IN
their effect upon men as do the per-
sonality, the spirit and the organi-
cation of the body of men who
Continued on page %