The National tribune., 1907-09-19


opinion of r. w. Dove, Collector of
the Port of Eagle Pass, Tex, who has
been sojourning in Washington. His
reasons for the faith that is in him are
strong.
There was time, not so long ago.
when the Republicans of the Lone Star
State were dependent upon the colored
mans vote he declares. 1--WE had
to select the most prominent negro in
the State and elect him Temporary
Chairman of our Convention. and we
had to provide for him in other ways,
always with the end in view that We
must have his vote The colored man
was the issue between the Republicans
and the Democrats.
Now it is different; the Republican
Party has become Independent of the
negro vote. If he wants to vote the
Democratic ticket, we say go and vote
it: If he wants to vote the Republican
ticket We are glad to have him. The
race question has been eliminated from
politics, so far as the Republican Party
is concerned, and if the Democrats of
the State were to speak their own
minds they would have to admit that
1t is no longer a vital issue with them.
But they have no other issue. and they
have to fall back on that. The time is
coming. however, and it is not far dis
tant, when the Democrats of Texas will
have to admit frankly that the race
question is dead, and then there will
be a change in the complexion of the
States politics, for at heart l verify
believe that many of the men who are
now classed as Democrats are Repub-
licans.
Il make this observation after a life
time spent in Texas and after a careful
study of conditions with which l be-
lieve 1 am familiar. / know, of course,
that it is for the best interests of the
,frx- hot fhnr 1,o1l he tNx-n
political parties, but it is time for the
South generally to drop the negro ques
ton, which has divided it from the
North, and take up some great National
economic question or questions. That
is desideratum which, if brought
about, will wipe away sectional lines
and unite the whole country into one
big brotherhood. There will then be
no States solidly Republican or solidly
Democratic. Every State will be COM
mon battle-ground, and the country will
be purged of much of the corruption
that is now said to exist"
The Secretary of the Navy, with the
approval of President Roosevelt, is pre-
pairing the most stupendous shakeup
in the history of the Department, it is
announced.
Only four of the present Captains of
the Is battleships that will go from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, it is said
will make the trip. The vessels will
be commanded by younger men, while
the elders are relegated to shore duty,
according to the plan as reported. thus
carrying out the long-desired change
Of advancing the young men to the
fighting line. 1t is said the shakeup
is due to take place the last of this
month.
Timber lands are undoubtedly the
best investments that can be made,
is the opinion of Marcellus Green, 4
prominent lawyer of Jackson, Miss.
I'm the Southern States the price of
yellow pine has advanced in the last
five years from so cents a thousand
feet to IS a thousand, and 1t is steadily |
climbing
I'VE have plenty of yellow pine in
the South, and there is no danger of
a scarcity of this wood for 80 years al
least. In that time reforestation will
have produced another supply. White
pine is practically gone. but 1t has been
found that yellow pine is equally as
good for the purposes for which white
pine has been used"
Here is a political guess from the
South 1T is pretty well settled among
the Democrats of the South that there
viii be no opposition to Bryan for the
tiCS1NS4ALtdi l.
Pou, a well-known attorney OF Ra-
leigh. n. G. thinks. Bryan is the
foremost Democrat of the country,
and Will make the best race of any
Ole we can name.
The real contest in the next Con-
yention will be for the Vice-Presiden-
tial nomination. w. r. Hearst, I be-
lieve, could have it if he wanted it,
but / am doubtful If he would take il
Hearst is a factor in the Democratic
party who must be reckoned with, and
/ think his presence on the ticket
would strengthen it.
Jus at this time the people of
North Carolina are too busy to think |
about politics. The State of course. |
is solidly Democratic. The vote aver
ages about 10000 Democrats anal
$4,000 Republicans. Both parties
could have a larger vote, perhaps, but
the Democrats say, What is the need
the USE? The colored man cuts little
figure in the vote of North Carolina
Very few of them vote. even those who
are qualified educationally. The negro
rather feels that neither party has any
use for him in a political way, and he
has lost whatever interest he once had
The race problem in the South is not
so big a one as it used to be, by any
means"
He thinks the Republican ticket
looks Ike Taft and Hughes.
Secretary of the Navy Victor H. Met
calf and Mrs. Metcalf left San Fran
cisco last week for Washington. Ieay-
ing undecided the question that ha
been uppermost in the minds of society
recently: Has their son, William How
ard Metcalf, made his peace with his
parents for his sudden marriage to
Mrs. Beyens?
Young Metcalf says he has, and that
his father and mother have met the
bride and approved the marriage. Mr.
Metcalf, Sr., refused to discuss the
question further. Mrs. MetcaIf. Jr, is
IL years older than her husband.
The sentencing OF First Lieut. Chas
f. Mccullough, 18th Cav, by court
martial, to dismissal, publication of his
crime and two years Imprisonment In
the military prison at Fort Leaven-
worth, Kan. has been approved by the
President. Mccullough was convicted
OF giving worthless checks. duplicating
MS pay accounts. embezzlement, deser-
ton and presentation of false claims.
In spite of his rapid advance in the
service since 1898, the sentence i'm
posed on Mccullough is the strictest
possible, being termed dismissal with
ignominy,' aud prohibiting any officer
of the Army to speak TO the officer soI