The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-05-13
VOTING TO RETARD SOUTHERN
PROGRESS.
However. Democracy 10 Losing It's
Grip on s.,e Southern Voter.

Et0WEtIEs DGkk&oSAo~s - A0esHk Ats
Grip on s.,e Southern Voter.
In the April number OF South At
lantic Quarterly there il an article
By Mr.. Enoch Marvin Banks entitled,
The Passing OF the Solid South. ''
This article Is well written and de-
serves to be read by the whole people
OF the South for IL is thoughtful pa
per and discloses how. In spite OF
their business interests. the men OF
the South have been kept voting
against those conditions that were
working for our commercial progress
This thought and this condition Is
eoncisely expressed In a paragraph of
that paper. mot long ago the Presi-
dent OF one Of these cotton mills told
the writer that, il the protective du-
ties were removed from his grade of
goods. the enterprise would be ruin
ed: and, although he consistently
voted the Democratic ticket In the
national as well as the local election,
he did not hesitate to express the
view that II would be best for the
country for Mr.. Taft to be elected"
This means that all the time this man
had been voting against his political
convictions. We see and have long
seen the same thing here. Take the
duty of OF knit goods and you will
close every knitting mill not only In
our city but in the United States.
General Carr. Of Durham, who is the
largest knit goods manufacturer In
the South, went before the ways and
means committee and said this much,
yet General Carr just as almost all
our Southern manufacturers has been
voting the Democratic ticket all the
time. But the figures OF the last
election show that this condition is
fast changing. This country. for in
stance. was very close on the local
ticket, electing a part of both and
some by a majority of one. Two be-
ing tie, yet it gave the Republican
candidate for Congress a good major
ity Of over three hundred and Mr..
Taft still larger majority. This
feeling Is growing and growing fast,
so fast that I feel warranted In say
ing these majorities would be largely
increased were the election to be
held today.
But with the passing of the cry of
negro domination" SO long used to
hold the white voters in the Demo
cratic party, the leaders OF the Dem
ocracy have found that they are los
ing their grip on the voters, that
party ties are sitting lightly on them,
and that a spirit Of independence Is
growing all over the South as this
paper indicates. They realize that
this condition must be met and stop
ped, therefore they have adopted the
legalized primary, by which means
the Republicans and the independent
voter are entirely excluded from all
participation in the election of the
officers. This trick has become 80
apparent that men are refusing to
vote in the primaries so that they
may be free to vote as they please at
the election. This was fully demon
strated here on last Monday where
out of 1900 or 1900 voters, who
usually vote the Democratic ticket,
less than 500 voted for the Demo-
cratic candidate for mayor. II this
indicates anything it means that the
nominee OF the primary will not get
the party vote in the coming election.
1t also means that the vote Of the
Republicans and Of the Independents
will count just as much as that of
the most rigid machine Democrat. All
this means good for the county.
When reason rules then there Is no
danger.-Justice, in Union Repubn-
can.