The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-11-22
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
OS THE SOUTH.

= The Washington Star of recent o'
contained an editorial on Governor |
Hughes as a candidate for the presiden-
tia1 nomination. 1t said that the |
fr;ando of the governor were disposed
TO boom him for the presidency, bu-
complain that he gives them no ell
couragement; seems to take no inter-
cst in their activity, so they DO no.
know what to do. One of these men
has said that if he knew MS slou""
he could come south and secure forty
per cent. of the delegates of these
states for Mr.. Hughes.
The Star wants to know why MI.
Hughes should appeal with exception
.; strength to the southern republi-
cans, as the leaders Of the party there
are politicians (and he is noD ana
are often described as pie-hunters,
which they are, says The Star, as we'll
as politicians of other sections; that
from existing political conditions at
the south these politicians are inter-
ested only in national politics and,
therefore, i'll a presidential contest
they want candidate who plays ths
game and will vouchsafe to them
their share of the winnings.
The Star closes it's editorial with this
statement as to the attitude of the re-
publican party in the south toward
the party as whole:
Now the lower south is never a
battlefield iR presidential years. NOT
q dollar or a speech iS necessary 10
determine where those states wiz
stand on election day. Democrats
and independents may admire ire re-
publican candidate, and even vote tof
him, but they do not carry the day
The electoral votes when the tune
comes go to the other man.
The republicans OF the lower south
ern states, where they are wholly
without power or the early hope OF IL
will not we may all be sure, nams
the republican candidate next year
1t is not proper that they should. Ii
order to win, the candidate must nn'
his majority ia the states "nere req
elections are held, and should, there
fore. be acceptable to the voters there
And that, it is plain enough, is not
southern problem.
This is a very accurate descrlptlol
of the republican party in the soutr
It may be, however, because OF thes
conditions and Of Mr.. Hughes alooi
ness from professional politics, tina
the southern republicans may tur
IL him with the expectation of bein
recog1.ized to a greater extent by sue
q man in the office Of president tha
~ mere politician. They have SUI
fered disappointment term after teri
Of the latter kind of presidents an
they may think their only hope OF ge
ting some of the large slices Of p
lies in chosing a president OF dlnerel
disposition from those the party M
been electing.
cannot the southern democrats pro-
hv these remarks of The Star on u
situation of the southern republican:
With conditions reversed do they n
occupy the same attitude toward Il
national democracy? Cannot The Star
remarks be turned into an argume
in favor of the democrats OF the SOU
asserting their rights in the nation
convention and insisting that they sns
have full voice in the choice of the ca
didate? The democratic national pa
tv as completely ignores the southe
democracy as does the republican {
o.n;zation IT'S party friends in t
south. and the southern democra
submit as unprotesting in this m;
ter as do the republicans "nen
comes to dividing out the offices.
southern democrats are expected
have nothing to say on the subject
choosing the candidate. They are co
pletely ignored at that time; but tn
are expected to return solid electol
vote for the candidate. Both 'natioT
parties ignore their party friends
the south. The redress Of the sout
ern republicans lies IN exercising
dependence in the choice of delegat
to the convention, and of the democra
in insisting that they shall have