The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1909-01-23
Two WAYS of Looking at 1t.

The New Orleans Pjeayune clings
+ persistently TO the avowed conviction
that the presence of the negro in the
south and the existence of the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments to the
national constitution offer an in
superable barrier to the acceptance of
President-elect Taft's patriotic invita-.
ton to the white people of the southern
states TO divide in their political al
legiance and affiliations.
Although the negro is virtually elm
mated as a political factor in every
southern state, and Republicans as
we'll as Democrats in those states are
i in accord with the educatiopa al and prop
erty holding suffrage qualifications
which effected this elimination and
assure its continuance, the Picayupe
coniures up a vision of the day not
far distant when the negroes will all
read and write, and they can no longer
be DISTINGUISHED on the score of Hit
eracy:" aud our esteemed eontempo-
rary insists that this contingency not
only justifes but renders neees sary
the maintenance of "a solid white
party, no matter what its political
policy may be. "
It ought not to require serious argu-
ment to convince sensible and thinking
minds that number of generations
must eIapse ere anywhere near "all
the negroes will read ana write, y and
that The improvement and Increase OF
/ the white population meanwhile will
more than keep pace with those Of the
negro element in the south. At best
the Picayune's lugubrious forecast in
wolves a very remote possibility. To
the light OF sober reason and common
sense it must be regarded as lntangi,
bic and ephemeral.
10 striking contrast to The ohdurata
and diScougaging opinf0Gs OF our
Louisiana Democratic contemporary
are the following views OF the Atlanta
Constitution, also Leading southern
! Democratic new spaper:
/ N Tuesday S election thesouthern states began
the writing of their political history OF naepend-
ence The result means that the time has passed
when a resident Of one OF these states must buy
has social security, often perhaps at the price OF
his political convictions. Many business men he
south oye~, most of them adherents OF the Dem
ocracy all their lives, dared to support hopefully
! and openly the candidates OF the Republican
party because their conviction led them that way.
/ The Constitution is endorsing their action only
10 the extent ofsaying they were right in giving
5rf fpTE FT5NtT.
That southern vote which in firm belief WTenched
/ itself away from sectional political tradition
! and it was large one yFas significant. 1t means
1 that the time has come &vhen the voter OF the
south is going to demonstrate his faith by works
! and not let convictions wait upon a cobWehbed
tradition which new nationalism has decTeed
must be brought up to date. In national affairs
/ there remains no longer reason why the people
! of the south should not follow men and princi-
/ pies " hitch TO them seem best and promise most
TO national growth and national prosperity. The
south viii not continue longer q mere voting
machine.
The Chief does not presume to de-
eide which is the ADLER or wiser of
these distinguished Democratic south
ern newspapers, or which is better
qualified TO lead and direct southern
political sentiment. but it must appear
/ from even the most cursory examina
! ton of the returns of the recent cleo
/ ton that there is more basis for the
Constitution assertion of the immi
hence of a period of political independ-
euce in the south, than can be found
for the Pieayuae' S declaration to the
contrary
At all events, these conflicting views
show that there are at least two way S
of looking at the situation from a
Democratic standpoint, and that Is a
consolling and hopeful fact.