Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-08
VIEW OF ROOSEVELT
denomination of Riqht and
Wrong," Southerner Says.
GOOD OPINION OF Mr.. TAFT
Discusses Negro Appointments in
White Communities.
NO ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE BOLT
Women Of Alabama Becoming Very
Active in Politics-Campaign
for Good Roads.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
MOBILE. Ala, April Z. 1909.
I asked Mr.. T. M. Stevens of the firm
OF Stevens & Lyon. who are among the
| most prominent members of the Alabama
bar. what the southern people thought of
Theodore Roosevelt.
1--WE think he is the greatest combina-
ton of right and wrong and OF wisdom
and folly that ever appeared on this
planet" was the reply He has made
| more mistakes and done more good than
any other President we have had. He
has the most righteous intentions and
the most honest motives OF any man that
ever lived. and is so confident of his own
Righteousness that he never knows when
he is wrong.
1.-THE southern people like such men.
We do not approve of everything Roose-
welt has done or attempted to do, nor do
we approve of some of his methods and
utterances; but we do approve Of the
man and admire him, right or wrong,
Roosevelt has given us all something to
think about. He has awakened the moral
consciousness of this country and every
body ought to be the better because he
has been President. We need shaking
up every now and then; we need to have
our souls stirred and o. sins pointed out
to us or thrown back into our faces. and
Roosevelt has done that with more force
and effect than was ever done before.
No rational man. no matter what his con-
nections or his politics, will dare to deny
that President Roosevelt. with all his
impetuosity and his mistakes: has left
the public service, and particularly COM
mercial and financial conditions, better
than he found them.
Opinion of Mr.. Taft.
What do you think of Taft?"
II think that President Taft is recog-
| nized by the intelligent people of the
| south as one of the biggest and best men
in the nation. That is distinctly the
opinion Of the members Of the bar, who,
1 may say, are almost unanimously mem
bers of the democratic party. They base
their Judgment principally upon Taft's
decisions on the bench and from what
we have been told Of him by our associ-
ates at the bar of the neighboring cir
cult over which President Taft presided
for several years We know him to be
big. broad-minded, brainy man, with
cool head, sound learning and an exalted
sense of justice. And therefore we antici-
pate that his administration will be Just
and fair to all Classes. We have read his
character in his decisions. and have con-
| f1dence In his ability and judgment.
do not think any man of affairs in the
may be-and practically all men of af-
fairs vote the democratic ticket-feel any
regret that Jud ge Taft is President"
VIII there be a republican party in
the SOUTH" I asked.
"There will be no split in the demo-
cratic party replied Mr.. Stevens, "but
the republican party will continue to gain
votes in this and the neighboring states
| cast for the republican ticket at the next
presidential election than were cast at the
recent election, but not enough to carry
| state. 1t is my Judgment that the re-
nually as time goes on, but the difference
between the two parties is so great that
1T cannot be overcome in single genera
ton.
Ought to Catch Democrats.
1.-THE republican party ought to catch
good many democrats by the tariff Iegis-
lation of the present Congress, if its
leaders are conservative and impartial
IL there Is too much protection i'm favor
Of New England and the north, and too
little in favor of the south, many business
men who have already left the democratic
organization will be driven back Others
who lean toward republican doctrines will
also be driven back. On the contrary, If
the republican majority in Congress is
conservative and treats the interests of
this section fairly and impartialy it will
gain IHdny VOleS. we are not free
traders. but we are not high protection
lists. We know that we must have suffi-
cient protection for our Industries to en-
able them to meet competition in foreign
products which have an advantage in
cheaper labor and cheaper raw materials
and We realize that the government must
have revenue also; but the south is just
as much as interested in both these
questions as New England or any other
part of the country, and 1t has no repre-
SentatiOn yuhi cb
frame the tariff laws.
IF the New England representatives
and senator's will look out for our inter-
ests and will show themselves to be ma
tional instead of provincial legislators,
and treat the south as we'll as they treat
their own section, the republican party
will gain many adherents down here
Generally speaking there Is little differ
ence In the opinions of the business men
of the two sections on the important
public questions of the day and matters
Of national policy, although the business
men of the north, as rule are republi-
cans. and the business men of the south,
as a rule. vote the democratic ticket
They have common interests and what
affects the prosperity of one is likely to
affect the prosperity of the other.
Federal Officials in South.
There must be no more negro appoint
ments to office in white communities and
southern representative men must be Sc
lected as federal officials in the south.
The fear ofsnegro domination and car
pet-bag rule is not acute as it was.
but it has not entirely disappeared. and
any attempt to encourage it is likely to
be vigorously resented. If we understand
Secretary Taft correctly. his intentions
are not to force colored officials upon the
white people 81 the south. and If he sticks
to that rule we will support him in any
thing he wants.
Several other prominent democrats with
whom 1 have discussed the same ques-
lions agree precisely with what Mr..
Stevens has said. although he expresses
the prevailing opiniou more terselY than