The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-07-11
TAFT EAvORS DEMOCRATS
FOR NORTH CAROLINA JOBS
MEANS STRENGTHENING REPUBLICAN PART
In Speech Before Mass Meeting He Covered
Many Points in the Conflict Between
the Whites and Blacks.

GREENSBORO. N. c., July s.-Secre-
tary Taft this evening delivered an ad-
dress before mass meeting Of North
Carolina republicans.
Secretary Taft, in opening said that
when he was invited to attend this
meeting the committee advised him
that "the political situation was such
that If proper effort was made at the
coming election 1t would be possible to
carry the state for the republican
party" The secretary added:
II believe that nothing that could
happen in the politics of this country
would work greater advantage to the
country at large and to the south in
particular than the breaking up of
what has been properly known as the
solid south I say this in no partisan
spirit, for I am not one of those who
think that this result would necessari-
~ increase the probability of the con-
tinuance in power Of the republican
party: The solidity Of the south has
In a measure furnished !ts own anti
dote in restraining many voters in the
north who might have left the repub-
lican party but for what they regarded
as the injustice and danger Of south
ern political conditions.
"The south has been kept solid by
the specter Of negro domination and
by stirring up racial prejudices and
arousing unfounded alarm over an i'm
possible return to reconstruction days."
said the secretary. after a long
struggle" he added, "the negro's vote
was made to count for nothing, and
then the political leaders of the domi-
nant party came to realize that dread
full generalization of all society that
followed in a government IL law was
Haunted and fraud was to constitute
its basis. They cast about to make the
law square with existing conditions
by property and educational quallhca-
tions which should exclude the negro
They adopted amendments to the state
constitutions with the so-called
grandfather clauses, intended to APP
ply the new qualifications to the negro
and not apply them to the whites"
The secretary said 1t was impossible
to frame a law establishing an educa-
tional qualification for suffrage which
will stand the test Of the fifteenth
amendment and which will not operate
ultimately to exclude impartially the
negroes and whites from the ballot
who lack educational requirements.
A policy in the south, he said, which
excludes from the ballot impartially
black and white, when ignorant and ir-
responsible. cannot be criticised.
During the past decade, Mr.. Taft
pointed out, a period of unprecedented
prosperity has come for the fair south
ern states. Under the circumstances"
he said, at is not to be expected that
the sensible, clearheaded business men
Of the south do not perceive the tre-
mendous disadvantage under which the
southern states labor with having only
one party with any voice in their
state governments and in being herd
ed together always as the hidebound
support of the democratic party of the
country no matter what wild falla-
cies it may adopt in it's platform nor
what candidate it may put before the
country.
"The effect of changes of industrial
conditions is eliminating the cry of
negro domination from the politics OF
the former slave owning states has
manifested itself first in the border
states. West Virginia has become per-
manently republican and Maryland and
Missouri put themselves in the repub-
lican column in the last presidential
+. election, while Kentucky nearly
brought forth works meet for repent
ance in the first Mckinley election.
"The question that should address it.
self to the great business interests of
,kak fC
much longer the specter of things past
to hold them to political allegiance
that does them no good in national
politics and deprives their commune
ties of the inestimable benefit of the
presence in local politics of two par
ties. each Of which. If 1t does wrong.
has a real chance Of being punished
for its misconduct"
Mr.. Taft contended that If the south
ern people had kept up with the times;
had they at the ballot box expressed
their sentiments on the living issues
of the day instead Of allowing them
selves to be frightened by specter
and a shadow of the past. their poll
tical Importance as communities and
the Significance of their views upon
measures and men would have been
vastly enhanced"
He said that although much of the
wealth of the south is dependent upon
a protective tariff, Its representatives
in a national convention unhesitating-
ly vote for the provision that a pro-
tective tariff Is robbery of the many
for the benefit OF the few; that al
though a great majority of the south
ern people are In favor of maintain
ing the flag in the Philippines the sa-
cred trust imposed by circumstances
shall have been highly and fully dis
charged they nevertheless permit the
democratic party to chase after north
ern votes. to formulate the false cry
of neutrality-suspicious. In which they
have no sympathy whatever, and or
which they were twice led to humiliat-
ing national defeat.
Again" continued the secretary, INC
part OF this country is so vitality inter.
ested In the construction Of a grea