Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
Southern Delegates and 1908.

The following is taken from a Washins-
49,, ais,o.cb IN the New York Tribune re-
snecting some current popular poli'icai
speculation:
ohio Ohio publication and Secretary
Taft's statement have, however seiseu
en,nhasize the fact that the time Is rdpiu
Iy approaching when preslueh'taI 49, al,
lions are in order. For tine presel .i, "a
the men regarded as presidential possIp,ii
ties are taking to the tall TIMBER, un nn;
the impression that 1t would hamper '. ne.
purposes were they even 10 aoiiiis 60, "t an
time that they are candidates ouc, On a.,
admission would. they believe result III
their becoming Immediately the targets Iul
tbe stones which will invariably De thio"Ii
at any man who announces that ne - d
candidate for the presidential nomination
of one of the great political parties. Never .
theless there are numerous evidences ina
some of the mel who nave nediu 'iiu
listened to the siren song OF the presi-
dental bee are not idle, and. indeed, have
not been idle for several months. ma.
strenuous and largely successtul enoIle
have been put forth to capture the soutn
ern delegations to the national conVen.
tjnr is we'll known That the agitation or
the Brownsville affair Is not without It's
political significance and purpose Is re
garded as obvious. That there are seV-
eral men who never retire at night Win
ont taking a farewell glance at the pohti-
cal barometer-a glance which IS renewed
Immediately rising in the mornings
well known. and 1t Is regarded as alinost
certain that the remainder of the present
session OF Congress will witness numerous
skiIful bids for preferment by the party
which is regarded as certain to elect It's
candidate to the White House.
The point of most interest In this story
is that relating to the southern delegations
10 the republican national convention. And
by that term are meant delegations from
states like South Carolina, Mississippi,
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida
Texas. and Georgia, where practically there
le no republican party, and where cleo
toral votes for a republican presioeh'iai
ticket are impossible
In 1886 delegates from those states were
sought both by the Reed men and by the
Mckinley men, and though the Mckinley
men. there as elsewhere outgeneraled the
Reed men. the southern delegates did not
make the nomination. Mr.. Mckinley was
clearly the choice of the republicans Of
those sections where the battle was to be
fought Had he not been; had the south
ern delegates that year by combining with
other delegates succeeded in forcing on
the north and east and west a candidate
unpopular or without influence In those
sections Mr. Bryan might have won.
There was no contest for the nomination
either in 1900 or in 1904 In the former
year Mr.. Mckinley was Endorsed by &C
clamation, and in the latter year Mr..
Roosevelt. So that in both of those con-
ventions the southern delegates simply
voted with the rest.
Is it conceivable that the old order Of
things will ever be revived? 1t has been
demonstrated time and again that in the
states named the democratic label is suffi-
cient No campaign is necessary, and none
is conducted. Whether the candidate Is
Smith, Jones, or Brown, and the platform
gold. silver, or a juggle of the two metals,
democratic success there is certain. The
republicans are nowhere. Why, them per-
NIT delegates from states powerless to do
anything for a ticket when nominated to
bring a ticket into existence by combina-
ton?
Southern democrats are accustomed to
making sacrifices for their party. Some
times they go too far in that direction. 1t
might be better for them If they asserted
themselves occasionally in the matter at
least OF platform. They supply the democ-
racy with the bulk of its votes, and should
be heard. But as the ticket to win must
have other votes. those sections name 1t
whose votes are sought.