The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-08-26

RepubIicanism in the south.

Reprblicanism in the south.
Mr. Taft has been asking for more
opposition TO the Democracy in the
South than has recently been seen.
The Republicans of Virginia have
started out to furnish a little of it.
The convention in that State was
Well attended, harmonious and enthu-
siastic. 1t nominated a strong ticket
and made an orthodox party declara-
ton. We will sweep the State in
1907" is the exclamation which is at
tributed to C. B. Slemp Virginia's
only Republican Congressman. This
prediction will not be accepted seri-
ousiy by anybody. not even by the
man to whom it is ascribed Yet, so
far as the party in the rest of the
country can see, the Republicans of
Virginia are in position to make a
strong canvass. Swanson, who was
elected in 1905. has not given salts
faction to his party. Some very good
Democrats declare that he has made
many Republican votes.
The Republican President who shall
break the solid South will, by that
act, win a good deal of distinction.
Mckinley in 1896 carried Delaware,
Maryland, West Virginia and Ken
lucky, but he lost Kentucky in 1900.
Roosevelt held Delaware and West
Virginia in 1904. and carried Nilsson
ri. which. as former slave State, and
for many years Democratic state,
used TO be called part OF the solid
South. Taft in 1908 retained Missouri
as well as Delaware aud West vir-
ginia. In several other states in Dixie.
Taft made good showing. He did
this in Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and
Oklahoma Bryan's lead in 1908 was
only $4,000 in North Carolina, 5000
in Kentucky. 1900 in Tennessee and
1000 in Oklahoma. He carried many
counties in Georgia and Virginia. He.
made poor showing in louisiana, but
this is because there was no Repub-
lican organization in that state worthy
of the name. There is none now. But
the country has seen that. on the
tariff issue in the recent session,
LOuisiana's members in each branch
of Congress have voted with the Re-
publicans on most of the divisions. If
a real Republican organization were
started in Louisiana that state would
be very doubtful in presidential can
vases. Apparently, however. the Re-
publican campaign leaders have never
made any serious attempt in the past
twenty years to set up a strorg Re-
publican organization there. is cleo
toral vote is small. Except as helping
to show that the Democracy has gone
to pieces on the tariff issue the vote
of Louisiana in Congress or anyhere
else is of no interest to the country.
With Virginia. however, the case is
different. Virginia is large state.
The prospects for its growth in the
next ten years are good. The Re-
publicans have one of Virginia's ten
congressional districts. One or two
other districts are so close that the
result can not usually be foretold
with any approach to confidence. 1t
Is in the belt in which Republicans
expect to make some conquests in the
near future. The industrialism which
has made West Virginia as reliably
Republican as Massachusetts is be-
ginning to get a firm hold in Vir-
GINA The fact that the Republicans
can control congresses and elect presi-
dents without any aid from the South
has made them Indifferent as to the
vote of any of the states below Mason
and Dixon's line in recent campaigns
Republican majorities in the Southern
States would be of more advantage to
the states than they would be to the
Republican party of the nation. A
close campaign in Virginia for gov
ernor in 1909 would help Virginia
materially. 1t would make that state
an object of interest to the whole
country. through the promise which
it would give of Republican vic
tory there in 1912 The Virginian in
any party of the country in which he
should find himself. whether a Demo
crat or Republican. would be an oD-
:ect of far greater interest than he has
been in recent times. A Republican
victory in Virginia would advertise
that state farther and better than any
thing which any of its immigration
boomers could say or do.-St. Louis
Globe Democrat.