The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-14
TAFT AND THE soLrn souru.

TAFT AND THE SOLID SOUTH.
 Tn his recent address to the Republi- can brethren at Greensboro. N. C.. Sec retary Taft used this language.
 believe that nothing that could happen in the politics Of this country would work greater advantage to the country at arge, and to the South Tn particular than the breaking up of what has been properly known as the sos spr sGsh for S say Ss s on. in ns Uf PsF soss who think that this result would nec- essarily increase the probability of the continuance in power of the Repubii- can party.
 The New York Commercial believes that Taft's speech reflected the views of Roosevelt. and hence we may regard it as an inspired production. Among other comments The Commercial says;
 Here is an issue--a real. live. mili- tant issue--on which the Republican party might consistently enter the next eStSaa'ii By tSat time aP prPsssmabiy, G the trust problem will have been solved satisfac. torily--in so far as there is. anything now left of 1t crying for solution-and the earth beneath and the waters under the earth will have been perfected perhaps: and thus the people and the yearning for new worlds to conquer in the way of problem solving.
 Is the South ready for this one? Or would the shying of the solidity-split q call to arms for the South's old guard and new guard alike to resist to the death the menace of negro doms- nationT
 It Is not at all surprising that Taft Roosevelt and other Republican lead CTS of the North would like to sec the South divided politically. That would mean more Republican congressmen and Senators. and more electoral votes for their Presidential candidate. that, again. would mean continued Republi- can rule. We know that in this same address Mir Taft denied that there was any partisanship In his views. but the record of his party is against him.
 Now. taking Alabama as fair ex, ample, we have long contended that it would be for .he better in many ways If we had two thoroughly reputable political parties therapeutics which. would divide on great principles of government and not on sectional or personal issues. but 50 far we have been disappointed. Any attempt to or ganize and maintain in this State Republican party founded on the ba- sic fact that this is and must remain a white mans government has been failure. Any Republican organization to have any standing in Alabama. by which we mean a party that will con trol and divide out the patronage. is bound to coddis the eoiored element and bow to the equal rights" demand of the extreme Republicans of the North. It Is to be deplored, but 1t is true. and while that condition controls the Republicans there will be no ma teriai division in the ranks of the white people of Alabama.
 Now a word to MT. Taft about the solid South, in addition to the explana- tion given above. This section will remain practically solid just as long as prominent Northern Republicans Of the Crumpacker stripe keep up their mouthing about negro disfranchise ment. and continue to threaten the South with loss of representation un- less we admit the negro to full and equal political rights. We are aware that this is not the universal. or evsa the general. sentiment at the North, but there is enough of it to keep the South ern people exasperated. and as long as 1t continues tho South will vote the Democratic ticket If Taft, Roosevelt. ct al. desire to remove or break up. Southern solidarity the thing for them to do is to mussle or retire those of their party who are responsible for the conditions now existing here. The white people of the South will con- tinue to control 1t, beyond peradven. ture. and if our Northern brethren wish the Southern States to remain separate and distinct political natiou- slity they can secure that result by keeping up their attitude of hostility to a condition that we are determined to maintain.