The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-08

| Fle~s2 No, there are other reasons, perhaps only reasons of sentiment, but with the southern people who are high | strung, sensitive and outspoken, con- alterations of sentiment are frequent | ly quite as strong as those of some | political or economic character In the first place. it is now Rearly 10 | years since the south acquired it's polit- ical solidarity and the intensity of feel | Ing by which it was maintained and | the ostracism and social prescription | Imposed on these white southerners who did not sympathize with the necSs- sity for such solidarity could not but make lasting impression and create a permanent bias that would naturally out last the reason for it's original ex- | citement."
 Reconstruction Period. MT. Taft referred to the trials of the | reconstruction period which accounted for the great trials of the past and slow return of prosperity to the south following the civil war as further ! agencies that helped to keep alive the i feeling engendered by that controversy and continued:
 But times change and men change with them in any community however | fixed its thoughts or habits. and many circumstances have blessed us with their influence in this matter. The growth of the south since 1890 has been marvellous. The manufacturing capital in 1880 was $250, ,000,O ,O00, in 1S90 $650,- 000,000 and 1900 eleven hundred and fifty millions; and in 1908, twenty hundred millions; while the value of the manufactures increased from $450.- 100000 in 1880 to nine hundred millions In 1890 to $1,450,000 ,000 in 1900, and to S2,600, 100000 in 1908. The farm prod ucts in 1880 were S66o. 1000, GOO; in 1890, $770 ,Oo0 ,0OO; in 1900, $1,270, ,0OO. 900, and in 1908, $2,200,0OO, ,000. The exports from the south in 1880 were S26O, ,00O,- 900; in 1890, s306. 900 900, in 1900. $4S4,- 000,000, and in 190S s648, ,00O 900.
 Wonderful Growth.
 "In this marvellous growth the man ufaetures of the south now exceed the agricultural products, and thus a com plete change has come over the charac- ter of her industries. The south has be- come rich and only the surface of her wealth has been scratched. Her growth has exceeded that of the country, and is now sharing in its prosperity.
 Again the democratic party has not preserved inviolate it's traditional doc trines as to states rights and other is- sues and has for the time adopted new doctrines of possibly doubtful economic truth and wisdom. Southern men adher- ing 10 the party and the name find them selves through the influence of tradi- ton and the fear of restoration of condi- tions which are now improved supporting platform and candidate whose polit- ical and economic theories they distrust.
 Weight of Tradition.
 Now I am not one of those who are disposed to criticise or emphasize the in consistency of the position on which these gentlemen find themselves. can readily understand the weight and inertia of the tradition and social considerations that make them hesitate. I believe that the movement away from political solidity has started and ought to be encouraged, and I think one way to encourage it is to have the south understand that the atti- tude of the north and the republican party toward it is not one of hostility or criti- cism or opposition, political or otherwise; that they believe in the maintenance of the fifteenth amendment, but that as al- ready explained they do not deem that amendment to be inconsistent with the souths obtaining and maintaining what it regards as it's political safety from dom- ination of an ignorant electoral; that the north yearns for closer association with the south; that citizens deprecate the sub ject of politics that has so long been maintained in the otherwise delightful social relations between southerners and northerners, as they are more and more frequently thrown together.
 Change of Party.
 Tn welcoming to a change of party af- fliation many southerners who have been democrats we are brought face to face with a delicate situation which we can only meet with franlkness and justice In our anxiety to bring the democratic south erner into new political relations we should have no desire to pass by or ignore the comparatively few white southerners who from principle have constantly stood for our views in the south when it brought them social ostraeism and a loss of all prestige. Nor can we sympathize with an effort to exclude from the spirit of republication in the south or to read out of the party those colored voters who, by their education and thrift, have made themselves eligible to exercise the cleo toraI franchise
 Solution of Problem.
 "We believe that the solution of the race question in the south is largely a matter of industrial and thorough educa- tion. Some southerners who have given expression to their thoughts seem to think that the only solution of the ne- gro question is his migration to Africa, but to me such a proposition is utterly fatuous The negro Is essential to the
 
 labor. Their ancestors were brought here against their will; they have no country but this. They know no flag but ours. 1 ney wish to i've under it and are will ing to die for it. They are Americans. The proposition to increase the supply of labor in the south by emigration from Europe, 1t seems to me, instead of be- ing inimical to the cause of the negro will aid him. AS the industries of the south continue to grow in the marvel ous ratio already shown the demand for labor must increase.
 Primary and industrial education for the masses; higher education fo1 the leaders of the ngro race for their pro- fessional men, their clergymen, their physicians, their lawyers and their teach CTS will make up a system under which their improvement, which statistics show to have been noteworthy in the last 40 yeary will continue at the same rate. Union of North and South.
 ''On the whole then the best public opinion or the north and the best public opinion of the south seems to be com ing together in respect to all the economic and political questions growing out of political race conditions
 "The recent elections has made it prob- able that it shall become more or less responsible for the policy or the next presidential administration and l improve this opportunity to say that nothing would give me greater pride because nothing would give me more claim to the gratitude of my fellow citizens if could so direct that policy in respect to the southern states as to convince ,ff of ha nf