The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-04-19
BRYAN AND THE SOUTH
The Southern Revolt Against the Ma
chine.

While the Hon. William Jennings
Bryan dallies in the fruitless East,
where democratic delegates are plen-
tiful enough but democratic votes are
as scarce as rose trees On the Mer de
Glace. the southern revolt against the
party machine is gathering force with
ominous rapidity. Nothing, or az
least very little has been said so far
by way Of direct protest against Mr.
Bryan's campaign of occupation That
is quite unnecessary. Everybody
understands that a dominant machine
means instructed Bryan delegates, and
that the revolt in question has for
its object the prevention of an agree
ment which viii amount 10 democrat
ic suicide. What thoughtful and en-
lightened sOutherners have in mind.
therefore, is an arrest of Mr. Bryan'G
caVeat and the guarantee Of a free
field and an open mind for the party
convention Of next year.
Up To the present moment The most
definite and candid overtures have
emanated from North Carolina. and
it is a curious coincidence that lbosa
which really repra sent enlightened
sentiment should eluc.date a hicher-
10 much misunderstood and misrepre-
sented episode We refer t the
episode Of the disfranchise-
mont Of the negroes. Here is the
Wilmington Messengers presentation
of the attitude Of the white people If
North Carolina:
The freedom Of thought and ac-
Lion within the party is what WAS
held out to them if that constitutions
al amendment was adopted To free
themselves from boss rule they voted
for the amendment, and hardly before
the counting Of the ballots was com
pleted the bosses began to crack the
whips over their heads, and with the
old time cry OF negro domination Ito
get rid Of which they supported the
amendment) to frighten them back in
to abject submission to their dOmina-.
uOn. This factiOnal rule, instead Of
being abandoned, as was expected, has
become more and more despOtic, till
1t has become merely q question as
10 how much longer the people will
submit to it. There is a remedy for
the evil, and its application lies with
the people themselves, and the time
has come, We believe, when they will
apply that remedy. 1t can be done
within the party, and there is where it
should and will be done. 1t is for the
people to take charge Of their own
political affairs and to manage their
party for themselves.
This is not solitary, isolated ut
terance. 1t is in fact an expression
of the sentiment Of the bast uco~
pie Of North Carolina and it's neigh
boring states. Southern men Of charac
ter and influence CONSENTED every
where to the sO-calfeI franchise
amendments" not through any host1-
ty to the negro himself, hut because
they believed it would ;7,uar cipate the
7hite multitude from ring rule and
forever still the superstit:cus crJ :f
negro domination Th@y had paen
induced to think that good for both
races wuld come Of it, and they acted
in good faith according to thei-
lights
This is a larger and more compli-
Gated question than we care to exam
inc just now. What we wish to show
in these remarks is that the disfran-
chisement Of the southern negro. ad-
vantageOus as it has been for him,
has not effected the emancipation OF
the southern white. The old, ignorant
besotted and ruthless machine is still
in power, which brings us back by a
logical and easy route to the problem
of Mr.. Bryan's hold on the democratic
organization at the south, and the
likelihood Of his ability, through that
agency, to inflict a third paralysis up
on the party. 1t is really no affair
Of ours In this part of the country
We have ceased to expect wisdom or
useful achievement from the democ-
racy. Should our southern Sinbad un-
load the Old Man of the Sea, we might
harbor hope. AS it is, We content
ourselves with the chronicle of omens,
signs and possibilities.
But it is unquestionably in the pow
| er Of the south to save us from choice
between two calamities masquerading
/ under different disguises.-New York