New-York tribune., 1906-07-10
SECRETARY TAFT IN THE SOUTH.

Secretary Tafts speech yesterday before the
Republican State Convention in North Carolina
deserves attention because It sets forth very
candidly the real reasons for Republican inn
pOtence in many sections of the South and
presents cOnyincingly the grounds on which the
South, in its own interest, should sustain and
lndOrse an administration with aims and poll
cies like President Roosevelt's. Il is a corr
mOnplace Of politics that the Souths electoral
vote and its influence in Congress are Mt the
disposal of any man or group OF men who can
win control in a Democratic national conven-
ton. The Southern States will support any
candidate labelled Democratic, no matter what
his views or record, and Will profess any doc
trine however inimical to the South's welfare
and progress il it only bears the official Demo-
cratic hallmark Power to decide, to weigh
and consider issues and to act on them with en-
lightened selfinterest is abdicated by the ay-
erage Southern voter on the compulsion of
sentiment and prejudice his sole concern in
politics being TO escape tho stigma of sympa-
thy or association with anything which passes
under the title OF Republican.
This illogical bent Of mind is deplored by Sec
T9taTy Taft, as it must be deplOred by every
intelligent American, as a drag both on local
and on national progress. It may be fairly said
that the policies of the Mckinley and RoOse-
welt administrations have been Of as direct and
positive benefit to the Southern States as to any
other portion of the country. Yet the South
alone has beensput, through its political leaders,
in an attitude, Of stiff GntagOnism to those ad-
ministratiOns. To-day there is hardly an idea
or project Of the Presidents which, on it's
merits and dissOciated from partisan warfare
would not be approved by the Southern people,
Yet the country is asked by Democratic poll
ticians to deliver an indirect rebuke to the
President by electng a Democratic House Of
Representatives, and the South is appealed TO
to contribute twO-thirds to three-fOurths of this
prospective hostile majority. II the South had
any real complaint against the Gdministra-
ton and what it stands for such an appeal
might be ineligible. But on most of the is
sues raised in Congress during the session just
ended Southern opinion has been uniformly and
actively behind the President, and the South
cannot logically rebuke the administrations pO-
itical programme without at the same time
repudiating its own opinions and wishes.
Secretary Taft's reminder to the North Caro-
lima Republicans that the activities Of Repub-
Iican OficehOlders and offceseekers in the South
have also been drag on true political progress
In that section is also pertinent. A party main
tanned on patronage is not worth maintaining.
and the Southern people are not to be greatly
blamed for refusing to be interested in the fort
unes of an organization fulfilling no other pur-
pose than to parcel out deputy internal revenue
collectorships and pOstOffices. The Republican
party in the Further South has lost all vitality
because it has stood for no ideas beyond patron
age hunting and has exercised no vital or use
full functions as a political opposition. With
the disappearance of the race issue and the soft
ening of political prejudices and antagOnisms
there will soon be a chance for real opposition,
and Secretary Taft is right in urging those
who call themselves Republicans to take their
mission seriously and to base their appeal for
popular support on solid grounds of reason and
principle