The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-14
Taft-RooseVelt Crusade
Against the Solid South.

Against the Solid South.
a recent statement by Represent
alive James Hay. of Virginia. is worth
reading and worth thinking ABOUT. In
fact, it is worth absorbing into the
inner consciousness and being made
the pabulum for daily cud chewing in
the minds of all good democrats. Mr..
Hay heard of rumor in Washington
the other day that what are known as
Southern Taft democrats" were to be
offered federal positions as one means
to be used to break the solid South.
Let us rather call these offices, in the
language of Bombastes: "A tub
thrown to a whale to make the fish
fool" Virginia's staunch represent
alive said this among many other
good things:
The attitude of Mr.. Taft toward
the people of the South is a surprise
and disappointment to all self-re-
speeding Southern men. Mr.. Taft
seems to think that by the promise of
political pTefeTment he can persuade
our people to desert principles which
they believe. Every Southern man
must resent this estimate of our peO-
pie by the incoming president. Is Mr..
Taft republican because he has been
able to get something by being one?
What policy does Mr.. Taft advocate
which will make for the material
prosperity of the South. The South
began to prosper when it threw off
republican rule, over % years ago; it
has prospered ever since under demo
cratic state governments, and could
not have pTOspeTed without them and
will not prosper with republican state
governments. Mr.. Taft's highest con-
ception of craftsmanship seems to De
that men can be persuaded to change
their principles by their desire for
federal office Is Mr.. Taft consistent
in his declaration that he thinks the
Southern people should be let alone
in their treatment of the suffrage ana
kindred questions? Hardly, when he
takes one position as to Alabama and
Georgia and a totally different one as
to Maryland.
They ever come thus laden with
friendly offerings. a crocodile tear in
the eye and big stick in the right
hand held gracefully behind their
backs. VIII they fool many of the
faithful? Will any of the weak kneed
be so base as to forsake honor and
accept the bride? Or will Southern
democrats acting en- masse, add q
flea in the ear to the stick" and
the tear" which the sly fellows al
ready bear around with them?
He is but poor observer of events
who will not agree with Mr.. Hay that
all reasonable men should be satisfied
with the manner in which the South
is climbing to the top of Prosperity
hill under democratic guidance and
will conclude that republicanism
would be a most doubtful experiment,
especially upon turning the vision
back to post bellum days when the
precious gang had the section a few
years under its sinister and devastat-
ing control
Moreover, prosperity does not con-
sist only in dollars, however devoutIy
they may be wOrshiped. There are
other things, better things, nobIer
things, hOlier things than money
which enter as more powerful incre-
ments in the sum total of prosperity
II is quite certain that the Roosevelt
Taft party of force and Opportunism
with all the two words signify OF po-
litical corruption has not these to Of
fer us. And The Journal agrees with
Mr. Hay: few indeed are the South
ern statesmen who will banker after
the flesh pots OF Egypt to so eonsum-
ing a degree as to permit themselves
to forget or to forego their principles
Five nor capr NJ oil tho ,,,o1o,,