The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-14

k
 there Is no longer reasons why south
 ern men should not become Republt- cans. In other words. the effort Of the RepubIIcans to convert the South Into another Haiti having been defeated by the Democratic party, there IS no moved, why the South should not aban- don the Democratic party and Join the Republican party. Indeed a curious logic thlsl Especially is it an interest ing proposition when 1t is recalled that the last republican national conven> ton said in its platform.
 ssWe declare once more and without reservation for tine enforcement Of the thirteenth, fourteenth and fiiteenth amendment to the constitution"
 The present complete enforcement or the fifteenth amendment, as originally designed by the framers of 1t, would still convert the South into another
 Haiti. I repeat what have said upon former occasion. that there was never in all history, blacker or more l infamous crime attempted against civilization than the effort which the Republican party made Tn ths yesrs the rule and power of the intelligence, and virtue of the South, and to place them under ahe enforced dominaticn of the utterly ignorant and deoased m It was crime against civilization. unsurpassed unequaled and unprece- dented in all the ages to endeavor by legislative enactment to take millions of black men, the most nniefior in race, utterly wanting in the equipment for governing themselves or others, and to place them in governmental
 power and control over , sne Wnlse na,,s cation, culture and refinement--a people who, not only by their own character, attainments and acnieve-
 ments. but by the character altAln- ments and achievements of an ances- 1 try of q thousand years. justly rank ed as a not inferior part of the lore. most and most iilustrious race or all l the earth.
 day another Haiti. 1t is because the Republican party failed In desperate effort to make 1t so. And the rt tpublt- | can party in It's latest utterance says
 that 1t is in favor of the the, presend+ ,,s.t sn I the chief agency by which that de- gradation and destruction of the sonth was attempted. , i Let those forget 1t who WILL put ! the. men who In that darkest day by | heroic effort and unatinted saeriglco saved the civilization of the south, never will forget it; and their sons 70 whom has been hequeathed that ctvlli-
 zation thus preserved. never shouln toE- l get it.
 take no pleasure in recalling the horrors and animositIes of that fright | ful period in our history. l would prefer that that dead past snoala ,se- Ie- of the reward of political favor and | newer. the people of the South are 1 conjured to ally themselves with tne party that thus sought to destroy tnen , 1 there is( presented again the time TOT niain sueaking When the time comes for n change of political parties at the south, her people may well say to the Republican party:
 @Take any shape but thatr
 The political solidarity of the south
 does not bring 1t to political isolatlon' as has been suggested. me DeHao
 cratic party Is not sectional peIty' The Southern Democrats gre m p0n.,1 a1 inc north, who constitute majority m some of the northern states. anu nearly half of the voters Tn most ot the other states or the iao,sI:a noIsH secs & fioi,al party which exists only at the north. and which practically has no
 membership at the south, except ID hold federal. offices and tuFnisn oeie- gates to the national repuHlican oon-
 Nor it is true that the work of the government is carried on by the nortn and west alone. Every member oi Congress from all sections knoMs os anu will testify that southern senators ana representatives have well and tully borne their part in the work of legis- Iafton An examination of the record of fine regular routine. and of all the great debates in both houses Of con Vress for the past forty years VIII at- test this beyond dispute.
 It is true that the patronage or tns Is limited to the north ana west. but 1t Is a well recognised I xscI that any Democrat, however snAii may be his merit, can secure a shsre of executive patronage, If, while bear, ing a Democratic commission he VIII | hold himself In readiness to do te- nublican presidents bidding.
 With some Republicans there does not seem to be a realization or tne fact that the southern people, in tnetr long and painful vigil of forty years have been influenced and susIaAneu Dy a higher purpose than that which ani- mates .the spoilsman. For the republic can either at the north or south, who bel1eyes in the principles and policies of fhe republican party, have no critt- | cism further than for what I conceive to he fine error of his political tudg- ment. but to the suggestion, now as freely made that those men Of the south who believe in the principles or the democratic party and who revere its great past, should, for political mower ana the spells of office. aban- don fhese principles and dishonor the self sacrificing record Of forty years I would recall the example of the Master when He was shown the wealth and noUer of all the eaRth, and was told that 1t should be His if He would how down to that which he knew to be
 Yours very truly,