Evening star., 1909-06-13
The South and the New Party.

There is here and there in the south
bit of talk about a new party 10 super
sede the Bryanized democracy. Bat little
OF II is serious, and none is weighty. Some
of the jokes on the subject are very
frank
correspondent of the New York Even
ing Post reports conversations he has
had with southern men. An unnamed
manufacturer at Augusta. Ga, is quoted
as follows as 10 the proposition:
1T might have been put more terscly:
Mr.. Taft, call yourself a democrat and
no matter what your principles are We IL
follow YOU I'm sorry to say that don't
think that the south is worrying much
over principles these days. our senators
have been making money recently, ana
you'd be surprised if you knew how pop
uiar Aldrich is personally among the poll
ticianS of the south. What does mat
mean? Merely that the south knows on
which side it's bread is buttered. If the
interests. as they are called, are begin
ming TO look with kindly eye Oh the
south. you don't suppose the south IS GO
ing to be foolish enough 10 misbehaNe?
No, sir: the south today is conservatives,
the south is protectionlst, the south is
looking for business and not worrying
much about principles.
1t is names only that worry southern
politicians. Republican will always be
abhorred and democrat will always he
loved. | don't think that Mr.. Taft will
get out of his republican automobile To
console the democratic donkey. 1t
will be the name that will count, and as
long as the platform will stand for the
south getting its share of the protection
graft, and the negro not getting more
than 80 cents a day, the other principles
of the new party will not make much diff
ference in the south. +"
There Is no danger to the democracy
in talk like this. from men OF this
stamp. Republican principles are 1auded,
but the name under which they are pro-
mulgated and act Is abhorred. Demo-
cratic policies are abhorred, but the name
under which they are promulgated is
loved.
The south is not just beginning to get
her share of the protection swag." She
has been sitting tight in the game from
the first. Her whole mining and manu-
featuring development, which has been
extraordinary, has proceeded from the
policy of protection.
And, of course these conditions will
continue as long as the republican party
remains in power. II has never legis,
lated in the matter of the tariff expressly
for the south, and is not doing SO today
The policy or protection must in the very
nature of things, be national, giving rec
oenition to all sections according to their
needs and industries. So that as the
south has abundant raw materials, and is
steadily and rapidly increasing the
amount and variety of her finished prod
ucts, she is certain of her share of pro-
lection as long as the policy controls
The old party names will persist This
Georgia manufacturer will continue to
ENJOY the benefits of republican policies
and to abhor the name under which ne
receives them. Men of that stamp do not
afford foundation upon which TO build
new party. They are not the stuff of
which political revolutions are made.
Principles?' repeated Artemus Ward.
My friends. I'm in the show business >
Principles?' confesses this Georgian.
My friends, I'm in the manufacturing
business"