The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-08-07
THE TREND or POLITICAL Dis
CUSTOM IN SOUTH
CAROLINA


probably the most completely repre-
sentative journal Of the south. is by
no means satisfied w:ch - attitude
Mr.. Bryan has assumed a 10 the ne
gro issue. NO man can deny" it de-
clares, that there is a race question
and me people OF the south would
like 70 know now what Mr.. Bryan
proposes to do with it if he shall be
elected president. Better settle 1t
now than wait until after election.
It rather ridicules the notion that
Mr.. Bryan shall not talk about any
hing not in his platform. iC points
out that he is constantly doing that in
connection with matters other than
the negro issue. and it proposes TO him
our questions, and can conceive OF
10 reason why it should refrain from
answering them"
"First-If elected president, Mr..
Bryan, will YOU attempt any interfer-
euce with the conditions Of negro
suffrage in the southern states?
"SecOnd-WiI you make any effort
to restore the negro soldiers who
we're dismissed from the military
service Of the country because Of the
affair at Brownsville. Texas?
.'Third-Will you appoint negroes
to official places in the federal ser
vice?
"FOurth-In the selection and APP
pOintment Of United States judges for
the supreme, circuit or district bench
es would you be controlled by political
or factional considerations. or regard
these offices as rewards for assistance
given to YOU and the party you repre-
sent in the presidential election
It ill De noticed that the last qUes-
ton does not necessarily relate to
the negro issue. though it is suggest
ed by the remarks attributed TO Mr.
Bryan by Bishop Walter. It is a vars
serious question. the answer to which
may we'll have a good deal of infiU-
ence in other parts OF the country as
we'll as in the south. II deals directly
with Mr.. Bryans attitude toward the
judiciary. as TO which there are only
too many reasons that he should de
fine himself In the campaign Of
1896, aprOpOs OF the stern enforce
ment OF the law by Mr.. Cleveland in
obedience to the decisions of the fed
eral cOUrts-Mr. Taft was al that
time a federal Judge. and shared in
these decisiOns-the democratic can
didate and his supporters were far
from respectful to the judiciary In
the present campaign a cardinal point
in their platform is the allegation of
abuse in judicial processes. II Mr..
Bryan cannot, or will not answer the
questions Of the News and Courier
frankly and specifically with a mega
tive that admits of no qualification,
he is not fit to be the president of the
United States; he is not fit to be the
candidate of a great. OF once great,
party for that high office.
Now We wish to make these points.
First. The questions by the
Charleston paper are gratuitous and
impertinent Mr.. Bryan is on written
record. He is a truthful and honest
man.
Second. This position by the News
and Courier while winning praise
from such an opponent Of southern
democracy as the Times is proving
itself, can have no other practical
purpose than 70 weaken Bryan. and so
strengthen Taft. It is going out Of
its way to attempt 10 discredit the
candidate of the democratic party.
What more is Tom Watson doing2
Third. That in taking Up and tao
lilly endorsing the News and Courier's
notes of discord. the Times-now a
Taft paper-is hypocriticaI The
Times does not support the south's
attitude on the race question. The
Times supported FOraker's position
as to the Brownsville incident. On
May 4, 1908, the Times, speaking of
the possibility of negro detection
from republicans in northern states.
said:
If Mr.. Roosevelt were himself the
candidate it would not be unnatural
that his wicked blunder in the
Brownsville affair should earn for him
the seyerest punishment the race
(negrO) could infict.J
There we have the Times stoutIv
championing the negroes cause. Less
than three months later the Times
supporting Taft, quotes with approval
the suggestion by the News and Cour-
Ter that if Bryan does not approve the
dismissal Of negro troops he should
not be elected. The TimaS taci+I,, an