New-York tribune., 1909-01-17
HR TAFT At ATLANTA.

The Atlanta dinner TO Mr.. Taft, with its ac-
compartments Of 'possum and perslmmon beer
(Which must be one of the many varieties OF
near beer now in use in Georgia., testified to
the high regard felt for the Presidentelect in
Southern states which voted regretfully against
him and for Mr.. Bryan. We do not douDt Ihat
the controlling elements in Atlanta and III many
other Southern cities were at heart for 1aIt III
the last contest for the Presidency, Only the
outworn traditions of Southern politics deferred
them from voting according TO their secret con
vctions and their obvious interests
In his speech to his Atlanta hosts MIR. IatC
emphasized again his attitude toward the move
ment now under way to introduce new order
in Southern politics. His address to the BIZ
mingham delegation which visited him two weeks
ago in Augusta was misinterpreted by many OF
the old school of Southern leaders. These lead
ers who have found it advantageous TO mini
mze the intelligent discussion of politics and to
insist that the South should have no other po-
litical aim than the permanent exclusion Of the
negro from the suffrage, tried to torture Ny
Tafts words into q notice that he intended to
use his powers as President to divide the South
and to build up a Republican organization on
the old lines of antagonism TO the South's policy
of suffrage restriction What the President elect
said justified no such inference. He took oc-
cason. therefore: to amplify at Atlanta the re-
marks he na0 mdOe 10 tue DilluflSiid4L uciSSti
ton. 1t will be his policy to encourage the lib
eralization Of Southern politics, TO break the
tradition which now compes SO many Southern
men to support policies with which they have no
svmpathy simply because those policies are Ia
belled Democratic, and to help TO lift the ban
so long put on freedom of thought speech and
action.
Mr. Taft sees that outside pressure to bring
about such result would be harmful rather
than helpful. II the Southern people are to di-
vide in politics once more according to their
convictions and interests, and to support or op-
pose national policies on their merits, the intiA-
five must come from the inside The substantial
elements in Southern life must unite and work
ont their own salvation. They will have Mr..
Taft's sympathy and assistance if they do unite
TO this end But ne is too wise and tolerant 10
believe that any permanent good can come from
trying to force them TO act before the time 8
ripe for an abandonment of the old order AS
he told his Georgia hearers, any state, North or
South. suffers when ii lacks "a substantial and
..intelIigent minority which may become sue
"cessful majority in punishment Of abuses that
.are likely to grow out of the long continued and
"undisputed control of one party. Pennsyl-
yania has suffered as much from that misfortune
as any Southern state has. It is therefore
matter of serious domestic consequence TO South
ern as we'll as TO Northern states that too much
rigidity in partisan affiliations prevails and that
independent thinking and action are discouraged
and punished
The President-elect has promised to live up to
the same general standards in making appoint
1nents in the South as he accepts in making ap-
nointments in other sections. That is only fair
and lust Such promise indicates Mr.. Taft's sin
cere intention to treat the South not as section
in Itself isolated politically from the rest Of the
Union, but as q section ready to reassume its
proper role as joint factor in all national I'M
dertakingS.