The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-29
SOME JUST COMMENT.


 Some days ago The Memphis Conner cial Appeal came out in advocacy of Gen. Luke E. Wright for the Democrat ic presidential nomination--not on the ground that he Is a Southern man but because he is in every sense an Amer lean and well fitted for the position. The Buffalo News. one of the bitterest of our Republican contemporaries has this to say. among other comments: It is a good thing for the Republic itself in Its entirety when southern papers come to the front to demand re- cognition of Southern men not because they are Southern but because they have shown such ability as to prove their party primacy Discrimination has been against the South on senti- mental grounds. Our Memphis contem = porary does not make the mistake or pleading for recognition on similar grounds. It simply takes the position that it's party will never command na- tional respect until 1t puts sectionalism out of it's own mind and names US best men for it's highest honors, whether they come from the North pr the South or the East or the west.
 That, The News begs leave to remark, is only true Americanism. AS long as Democrats themselves go aoout n sneakers" whispering that they must avoid nominating Southern men out or fear of resentment barking back 10 the war epoch, just so long Will t"eS foster the distrust that IS utterly pass less and besides is grave natlohni fliction. Once that a campaign oh @ uAe side in politics is led by man NH. s.. Gen. wright and an immense pene.,. ~, accrues to the nation win or iose' oy destroying once for all the worn anu wasted spook that has terrified the Democracy for a generatlon
 Once in the earlier and better oays of the Republic there were no sectional preiudices connected with presidential candidates. They were taken from Vir- einia or Massachusetts, from Tennes- see or New Hampshire. They came from the old South, from New England or from the West. according to the .W'n of the great parties controlling such matters candidate was selected anu supported because of his fitness ana ava,,a bility, not because he lived on one or the other side of Mason ana Dixon's line.
 It may be that The News speaks as i. does for A partisan purpose. hoping that the nomination of Southern man would be a mistake which would en- sure the triumph of the Republican ticket. If. however. 1t is sincere Tn ''s comments 1t shows that 1t is tired or sectionalism. and believes that the North generally is willing to forget the past and look to the present in po- litical affairs.
 We wish we were as sure Of tnis as The News affects to be. No greater injustice and no greater wrong mas ever been known in the history of the Union than has come out of the oltteF sectionalism existing in the North | There has not been time within the mast one-third of a century when a Southern man might not have been se- lected who would have been as truly and thoroughly the President of all the States and all the people as the country has had, and much more so than some who have held the office.
 We are not making sn argument for any candidate. We are not advocating the nomination of any man because | he is of our own section and people, put we do contend that when the time comes for Democracy to make a choice it should not select or reject man for no better reason than that his home is in the North or the South. There is no longer any excuse for bitter prejudice and sectionaiism. even if there was reason for 1t at any time We hope The News is correct. Its com ments ought to be true. at any rate.