The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-29
Graves and the South.


Little John Temple Graves in his
Atlanta acceptance speech lauded
the courage of the Hearst depend
ence" party for being "the first Of
the great national parties to give
the South a place upon its Presiden-
tial ticket" The Macon Telegraph
thinks the dependence" party GER
tainly showed nerve in placing a
man on its ticket Of such amazing
ignorance as this statement would
indicate. Out Of twelve Presidents
during the first half Of our life as a
constitutional democratic republic
beginning with George Wash
ington in 1889 and coming down to
Taylor in 1850, eight were South
erners. The eight Southern ,Presi-
dents in all presided over the desti-
nies Of the country in this its for
native period for forty-nine years,
half Of them being given second
terms, while four Northern, Presi-
dents served a little over twelve
years in all, being granted one term
of four years each. and one Of them.
William Henry Harrison, dying in
Office before he had enjoyed a year
Of his term.
During the same period there were
five Southern Vice-Presidents. Be
sides there were Southern candidates
galore for President and Vice Pres
ident on the tickets Of the great
national parties who failed of elec-
ton. There is also an impression
among the unlearned that Andrew
johnson, born in North, Carolina,
and elected from Tennessee. was
Vice President IN 1866, and became
the seventeenth President Of the
United States on the death by assas-
sinstion Of Abraham Lincoln. These
of course, are all historical particu-
lars with which the up-to-date
school boy is familiar. but which it
appears to be necessary to recalllfor
the information Of such aspiring
candidates for, Presidential honors
as deem a familiarity with their
country's history as no part OF, the
equipment necessary for that office.
"But thereis Thomas E. Watson.
Of Georgia, who twelve years ago
ran for Vice President on the Pop
ulist ticket, and was four years ago
and is today the nominee Of that
party for President. How could
Col. Graves have possibly overlook
ed his fellow Georgian and some
time greatly admired friend and
political co-worker and co-chaser in
the bogs and morasses of radical
politics after the ignuus fatuui Of
public Office and popularity? But
perhaps, Col. Graves will raise the
point that the Populist party is not
a great national party such as
Hearst's Dependence party the
present Democratic and Republican
parties, and the old Democratic and
Wing parties. 1t it true that the
Populist party is not incorporated
as Hearst's Dependence party is
and it is true that it consists at pres
sent chiefly of Thomas E. Watson,
but il has been through the fire of
several national elections and has
cut no mean figure as a disturbing
! element in the national field.
"But Hearst's Dependent party
consists chiefly Of William R. Hearst
and his payroll and it still has to
prove that it is equal to the other
in raising q disturbance in the nat
ional field, which appears to be its
all-absorbing ambition for the pres
ent. In the meantime if the South
could possibly be stirred to anything
but laughter at the antics Of COLI John
Temple Graves it surely would re-
sent his absurd attempt to wipe out
her entire political history and give
it beginning in the selection Of
himself by Willie Hearst to be the
tail of his ticketIput outsswith a view
knifng the Democratic party"
Hitting at Hearst.