New-York tribune., 1909-11-18
THE SorTH AND THE president

THE SOTTH AND THE PRESIDENT.
II is almost too early 10 estimate the
effects OF President Taft's latest visit
20 the Southern States. In good will.
better understanding and increased NUT
ual respect the trip has borne abun-
dant fruits We believe that the South
has entirely convinced itself of the
sincerity of the Presidents purpose TO
treat il as in every sense an integral
lart Of the Union. 10 consider its In
tereSis symDathetically and to induce il
"a abandon the notion that il is still.
81 far as IFS participation i'm politics is
concerned. nation within nation.
When Mr.. Taft before the Inauguration
announced M Augusta. ia. tat he had
no designs upon the SOuth's electoral
vote and did not expect political sup
port i'm return for his policy Of making
Southern appointments on :he same
basis on which appointments in North
ern Republican states would ordinarily
be made by 4 Democratic President
there was not little skepticism ex-
pressed by Southern politicians and
newspapers. There must he some ul-
terror political motive behind such lib
erality. II was held. But the South to-
day has learned that Mr.. Taft's friend
illness was not calculated. IL realizes
that he expects no personal or partisan
gain from a policy pursued solely in
the national interest.
The Richmond Times Dispatch put
the matter playfully but truly the other
day when it said: There has been an
"other and higher motive for these
"amiable overtureS than conscientious
plugging for votes" Ii finds the real
reason for the Presidents friendliness
i'm the fact that every earnestly he has
desired 10 be. and To he considered.
the President of the whole United
States" To that advance. il admits.
the South has responded with n whole
Leart.
Ii is interesting 10 find THE Times
Dispatch speculating as Ia the realiZa-
tion Of what il calls the second part
Of Mr.. Taft's programme-the encOur-
sgement. namely. of states i'm the South
10 follow their own interests i'm national
affairs without regard 10 the dead
fetch OF solidarity attained by unques-
tioning fealty 10 a single national or
sanization. The President has ex-
pressed a strone desire To see the
people of the South vote according %
their own ideas and inclinations, instead
of surrendering them at the dictates
Of fictitious demand for sectional
unity and partisan regularity. He
wants 10 encourage free thought and
independent action i'm states where they
have been stifled for a generation. lie
does not look for change of which he
is 10 be the political beneficiary. know
ing that the process Of emancipation
must Ice e. gradual one. The Times
Dispatch" sees also that such a change
is inevitable and desirable. Ii says:
In the nature Of the case the South
will not remain a political unit forever.
Probably the time is not distant
when one Southern state will be found
10 have voted with Mr.. Taft's party, and
then another. and perhaps another.
The reason given for the predicted
break in solidarity is that the South is
becoming politically, socially and in
dustrially free" Its component parts
are being driven more and more to
think and act for themselves. and they
will separate when their interests be-
come sufficiently conflicting. The I'M
pulse 10 such separation must come
from within rather than from without
The President recognizes that limitation.
He would not overzealOusly foment
the process. His policy is wise and ef-
fecfive i'm that il gives the internal
forces al work free play and seeks TO
remove the distrust. suspicion and sense
Of alienation which have kept the South
from considering the possibility of in
ternal division and interSectiOnal action.
The South may not he ready la become
In part Republican. But il is ready To
cast aside the unwarranted belief that
a Republican national administration
means something antagonistic to its best
f..a,