The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-08-01
Level.Headed Southern emoerats.

Hon. j. Burruss Mech of Louis
lana is by no means lonesome in the
position he has taken with reference to
the pending presidential contest. On
the contrary, his declaration that it is
to the interest of the southern states
TO break loose from the domination of
the Bry anized Democracy and support
Taft is manifestly the expression of a
sentiment that is widespread and
growing among Democrats of the south
who take no stock in the vagaries and
heresies that the erratic Nebraskan
nominee forces upon their party.
L. r. Collins OF Hattiesburg, Miss,
addressed a letter to the New Orleans
Picayune which appears in tina papeE's
issue Of July II, indorsing the views
of MIR. McGehee very empatically, as
follows:
l wish to add my voice to the suggestion made
by J. Burruss McGehee in the Picayune of today,
and to say that this sentiment is taking fast
among the voters of our section of the country.
The south will never assume its place in the
councils of the nation till it shows its ndepend-
ence of the Democratic party as it is now man.
aged. You say in your reply that Mr.. Bryan has
forsWorn his most radical doctrines What
assurances have we that this is the case? Mr..
Bryan Is just as much in favor OF the government
ownership OF railroads now as he was when he
returned from his trip around the world, and
nowhere have we seen where he has renowned
the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the
ratio of 16 to l. Instead OF having forssyorn
anything, it appears that he has only been TRIM
ming mis- sails to enable him to land in the White
House as president. Then you say that Mr..
Bryan has great prospects OF being elected, and
then he will be bound to the party that elects
him. History teaches us that the best presidents
we ever had were the presidents that did not fol-
low the policy of the party as it existed at the
time they were elected. Mr.. Bryan wrote the
platform adopted at Denver with view of gek
ting votes. What assurances have we that he
will not again become the Bryan of the past as
soon as the election is over? Mr.. McGehee is
right, in my judgment, when he says it is time
for the south to smash party shackles and send
the politicians to limbo"
An Associated Press despatch from
Hot Springs, Va, dated July II, says:
Democrats of many southern states
are writing to W. FL. Taft declaring
their purpose to vote for him and to
do whatever may be in their power to
secure his election. Letters of this
kind form one of the most interesting
features of Mr.. Taft's daily increasing
mail. From Democrats in aryland,
Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina
and Georgia he has letters assuring
him that in the belief of the writer's
those states viii give their electoral
votes to the Republican ticket in the
coming election
Admitting the extreme improbability
OF the full realization of these opti-
mistic assurances, the fact rem aims that
a large body of southern Democrats
share the opinions SO clearly enun-
ciated by Messrs. McGehee. of Louisi- I
ana and Collins of Mississippi, and |
there is reason to believe that the
and influence of these dissent.
ers from what Mr.. McGehee terms
'tthe populistic masquerade Of Democ-
racy" win increase as the campaign
advances.