The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-04-26
GLANCE AT POLITICAL AFFAIRS.

Men should Vote as They pray-They
Cannot Vote for o Party without MAX
ing Themselves Partakers OF its sins.
IT. T. Hicks In Daily Industrial Eews.i
The census of 1900 showed &c.,
900 white voters in North Carolina.
In the election OF 1904 209,0 vo-
ted. OF these 127, 900 were reported
to have voted the Democratic ticket,
and $4,000 voted the Republican
ticket. Eighty thousand did not
care enough about politics to vote.
No doubt there will be 100000
qualified voters In the State in No
VENT Der, 1906, but it is quite proba-
BILE that one-third Of the whole num-
Der will from indifference, uncer-
tainty as to their duty or failure to
pay poll tax fail to vote. Many of
this 100000 have refused to vote on
account Of Democratic election meth
DDS, but they will begin again when
an issue is presented that appeals
strongly to them. So we start out
with Democratic majority Of nearly
$4,000. If $4,000 Of these should
change their political affiliations the
State would go Republican.
1t is quite true that many who do
vote are Indifferent as to the result.
They have been described as
"Always voting at their party's call,
And never thinking of themselves
at all
There are still others, men we'll
worth counting by the census takers,
who think intelligently and under
stand political questions and condi-
tions and yet vote squarely against
their own convictions, wishing and
hoping that the candidates and cause
they vote for may fail. They dc
this strange thing for the sole and
only reason that they have not the
courage of their convictions ; because
having been born and reared in q
party that fear the criticisms that a
change of party will cause. 1t is
difficult thing to do to change ones
politics. 1t has been said that it is
equivalent to declaring that you
have all your life been fool. But
not 30. A truer saying is that "wise
men change their opinions, but
fools, never" What thoughtful
person as he reviews the history OF
his mind does not recall great mum
Der of changes his opinion has I'M
dergone? What true man will pre-
fer to remain in error rather thar
change his course? ALI new meth
DDS, new ideas, new systems of agri
culture, business and religious con
version involve the idea of turning
around, going in different direc-
ton.
| DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM BROUGHT DIS
AsTER AND RUIN.
Not living man believes that thu
Democratic party's system of prin
ples-that composite idea if there il
such a thing which is now repre-
scented by the word democrat can be
put into successful operation in this
country. 1t has been tried twice in
the last fifty years and brought dis
aster and ruin. While those princi
pies to which it is opposed have
been tried in government with the
result of unexampled prosperity fol
all who will reach out their hands
and take it.
It is also certain that in 1904
nothing but prejudice resulting from
an ancient hate prevented a large
majority in every State in the Union
from being cast for the Republican
ticket, and in fact thirty-six of the
largest out Of forty-five States did
cast a majority of about two millions
for that ticket. Our business, oul
money and bread and clothes get.
ting, and the education Of our chill
dren, depend for their success upon
the success of the national Republi.
can party. No one for a moment
doubts this. No one would hesitate
to vote for it if he thought his vote
necessary for its success !; yet hun.
dred and twenty-seven thousand
men voted in North Carolina in
1904 to defeat the laudable under
takings Of that party, because they
were ashamed to vote their real con-
victions, or did the reckless thing of
voting against their judgment, hop.
ing that enough others would vote
the other way to prevent their reck-
less act from taking effect. And
they will vote for Simmons, the
Kitchins and Pou and Small next
November to 60 to Washington and
draw high salaries for misrepresent-
ing them and working against their
interests. Vardaman, jeff Davis, of
Arkansas, and Tillman are the men
who give character to the South.
Are they our true representatives =?
I need not argue the truth of these
propositions. Every thinking man
in the State knows they are true.
But they will be encouraged in
their course by being told that North
Carolina Republicans are bad.
Eighty-twO thousand bad white
men, unpatriotic men, in the State
would destroy it. Against them it