The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-10-29


the Reasons He Gives Why
the Southern States Should
Change Their Party ALI
glance Neither Flattering
Nor Convincing to Those to
Whom Addressed---W
Made the South Solid IN the
First Place?
Norfolk Virginiun- Pilot
Judge Taft's solicitude to break
the political soliditv of the South
would be more impressive if his
personal stake in the rupture were
not SO great.
The reasons he gives why the
Southern people should change their
party allegiance are neither fiatter.
ing nor convincing to those to whom
addressed
What made the South solid in the
first place? The banded unity of the
Northern and Western States, after
the war, in the effort to force upon
the South IL phase of Republicanism
OF which alien adventures were the
agents and exponents and Il mass OF
lately manumitted negroes the in
struments. There was the bloody
shirt on one side and the dire neces-
sity on the other of concentration as
the last hope OF preserving any sem
blance OF honest or capable govern
ment in the South or even of saving
the bulwarks OF civilization. We do
not wish to revive unpleasant mem
cries or to rekindle animOsities which
are better buried. But some things
ought to be said when our people
are patronizingly assured by a can
didate securing the country for votes
to place him in a high office, that
their fair share of the political and
material benefits of common
government can only accrue to them
through abandonment of the party
which proved their salvation in the
hour of imminent peril and by rally
ing to the standard OF that other
party which first thurst the South
ern people into the attitude of servi
servorum, and then exhausted par
tisan passion and sectional prejudice
i'll the persistent attempt to keep
them there.
The things which Mr.. Taft smooth
ly discusses before Southern audiences
are immaterial and insignificant
when compared with others which he
studiously ignores. What did his
party ever do to uplift the burdens
from the overladen shoulders of the
South when she was struggling to free
herself from the yoke of vice and
ignorance which that party deliber,
ately fastened on her? First univer.
sal enfranchisement under duress Of
arms, then force bills reinforced by
! bayOnets to insure to the incom
| petent elements OF the electorate 6
voice that would control.
After forty years OF struggle, years
of humiliation and makeshift, the
Southern States have relieved them
selves of the dreadful incubus. What
now? Why, the same siren voice thai
cooed and wooed so softly for South
ern perverts to Republicanism las
night is bound by solemn pledges
recently given, as its owner is by
platform obligations, to exhaus
political effort and influence tt
reopen the race problem, to undo th'
settlement under which the South ha'
begun to breathe freely and stan(
firmly, to commit the wrong o
replacing the bottom rail on top, O
to put in force the discretional powe
lodged with Congress by the NIVtl
Amendment of proportionately re
ducing the number of electors an(
congressman from each Southern
State as the illiterate and vagran
and vicious have been excluded from
the ballot box. This is-the purpos
of the Republican party if agail
returned to power. This is the pro
gram for execution OF which Ohi'
prescribed it's favorite son to tn
National Convention. This is th
friendly overture which with tn
approval of. Taft's creator and mon
itor, the New York Republicans
made to the Southern Democrats
This is the bill of fare to which th
National Republican platform invite
the white men of Virginia, Georgi
and Mississippi. This is the prospec
which Mr. Taft himself views wit
cordial approval unless he belle
himself in his speech of acceptanc
and again in numerous utterance
last week in Ohio. The deliberat
design is to emasculate the South {
voting power in the national cour
ellis, and so insure Republican supren
acy at Washington for an indefinit
period, or as an alternative to e2
tort from the Southern States
repeal of the existing suffrage sy;
TENS. Mr.. Taft shuts his eyes to th
past; he recks not that the future {
the South would produce the horror
of reconstruction were manhoO
suffrage without restrictive qualities
tions again to obtain; he does nc
shrink from reducing the South to
condition of voiceless vassalage j
case she should reject the harsh alte
native. He speaks to this prou
people as though they were spoile
and naughty children, invoking thel
to kiss the hand that has smittel
and is uplifted to smite them again
and so earn the favor and reward
lof Republicanism,-le more an
worse come upon them than the
have vet experienced.
| The Washington Post is a Repu
lican organ. 1t is an ardent adv
cate of Taft's election; and yet
realizes that the "Republican Wa
born and has lived a sectional party