Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-12
MAKES FIRST SPEECH OF CON.
GREssloNAL CAMPAIGN IN
NORTH CAROLINA,
BREAK IN SOLID SOUTH
secretary Declares That Nothing Could
Happen in Politics That Would Work
to Greater Advantage of Country at
Larse-TeIIs of Prosperity in South
Under Republican Rule.

Greensboro, N. c., July 10.-Secre-
tary Of War Taft made the opening
speech here last night in the campaign
in which President Roosevelt hopes to
break up the "solid south" in the inter-
ests not only of better state govern
ment, but of the whole nation
Secretary Taft plunged at once into
his subject. After declaring that all
fear Of negro domination" has passed
away in the south, he gave the reason
boldly and forcefully why he believed
the people of the south should cut
loose from the democratic party.
During the past decade Mr. Taft
pointed out. period of unprecedented
prosperity has come for the southern
states. under the circumstances" he
said, ut is not to be expected that the
sensible clear headed business men of
the south do not perceive the tremen-
dous disadvantage under which the
southern states labor in having only
one party with any voice in their state
governments, and being herded togeth-
er always as the hidebound support
of the democratic party Of the country,
no matter what wild fallacies it may
adopt in its platform, nor what candi-
date it may put before the country
Appeals to Business Men.
The question which should address
Itself to the great business interests of
the south, the secretary stated, is how
much longer "the specter of things
past" is to hold them to political alleg-
lance that does them no good in ma.
tional politics and deprives their COM
munities of the ''inestimable benefit of
the presence in local politics of two
parties, each of which. if it does wrong,
has real chance of being punished
for its misconduct"
Mr.. Taft said that although much of
the wealth of the south is dependent
upon protective tariff it's representa-
tives in a national convention vote I'M
hesitatingly for the proposition that a
protective tariff is a robbery of the
many for the benefit of the few. Al
though great majority of the south,
ern people, are strongly in favor OF
~Rsaiatainings the flag in the Philippines
until the sacred trust imposed by the
circumstances shall have been highly
and fully discharged, they "neverthe.
less permit the democratic party in
the chase after northern votes to for.
mulate the false cry OF tanti-imperial
lsm,' in which they have no sympathy
whatever and on which they were
twice led to humiliating national de
leat"
Sample Democratic BIunders.
Again continued the secretary
mo part Of this country is SO vitality
interested in the construction Of {
great waterway to connect the Allan
tic and Pacific oceans across the 18th
mus of Panama as the south. 1t wal
indispensable to this enterprise tina
the treaty made with Panama by Pres
ident Roosevelt and Secretary Ha,
should be promptly confirmed, and We
the majority Of the representatives o
the south in the senate attempted tx
defeat the treaty"
The secretary said the peace ant
prosperity Of the islands of the Carib
bean sea and of the countries of Soutl
and Central America are Of the utmos
Importance to the south, yet "merel.
for the purpose of making partisan
point, merely for the purpose of EN-
barrassing the administration" PAL
ty caucus of senators of the Unite,
States was called to bind every mem
Der Of the party to vote against tn
ratification Of the Dominican treaty.
Real Issues of Campaign.
Turning to the issues involved In tn
coming congressional campaign, tn
secretary said the republican platform
Of Mr.. Roosevelt pledged the furthe
enforcement of the antitrust law an
the interstate commerce law to pre-
vent discrimination against the shiI
ping public and to prevent oppressiv
combination and monopoly.
1.-THE investigations by the depart