New-York tribune., 1909-03-10
THE PRESIDENTS sOUTHERy POLICY.

The satisfaction expressed throughout the
South with the portion of President Tafts in
augIIral address dealing with federal appoint
mentS in that section is welcome evidence OF
the passing Of old grievances and misunder-
standings As President-elect Mr.. Taft had
outlined his Southern policy in speeches at An
glIsta and New Orleans. and the inaugural ad-
dress only amplifed well known views. Those
views have been accepted by the North and by
the South alike as sound and helpful.
The President hopes to break down the
South'S habit of Judging national policies not
on their merits but by the partisan labels which
they bear. He would like to have the Southern
people consider first Of all whether a given
policy is advantageous to them and to the
nation as a whole, and then accept 1t or reject
it. being Influenced only to a minor extent by
the fact that such a policy passes Repub-
lican or Democratic. Blind partisanship has dis
appeared at the North. II should he equally
discouraged at the South for II is just as much
10 the interest of the Southern people that free
dom of opinion should he tolerated and parties
Judged by their works. and not by their family
trees or their professions.
The tendency OF the people of most Of the
Southern states TO waive the right of division
and free discussion has been due largely to the
lack IN those states of a genuine opposition
party. With a Republican national administra-
tion in power the task of representing that ad-
mnistration locally has fallen TO party organi
cations not capable Of compelling the respect of
the communities in which they controlled the
distribution of federal Offices. The South looked
upon the appointses of the federal administra-
ton as agents of an alien power exercising
alien functions 1t is President Tafts purpose
TO remove as far as possible the causes Of that
estranged and hostile feeling and to encourage
a belief on the part Of the people of the South
that this government IS their government and
that its officers in their states are their Of
"fcers"
The new President will try TO make federal
appointments in the Democratic states Of the
South as representative in character as appoint
ments made in Republican states by Demo
cratic administration would he.
To do this it will not be necessary TO abandon
the idea of party government. In many South
crn states-Virginia North Carolina. Tennes-
see. Arkansas and Oklahoma, for instance
there is an efficient Republican organization able
TO supply men of standing 20 fill the federal
offices In some of the Gulf states there are
also many representative Republicans. But the
Republican organizations in states like South
Carolina. Mississippi and Louisiana are little
than federal patronage clubs. They per
form normal party functions and are merely
a burden on the national party. which would
ne stFehSlHeneu Dy geIilng Flu or thenl- IN
these three states. and in lesser degree in
Florida. Georgia Alabama and Texas. the ap-
plication Of the party test in making appoint
ments should be waived whenever il is neces-
sary 10 secure an officeholder acceptable to his
own community and capable of reflecting credit
the administration under which he serves
AS regards appointments of colored men 10
office. II seems wise to recognize the negro
voters in states In which they exercise political
power rather than In states in which they are
politically negligible President Taft justly saws
that ANY recognition of their distinguished
men, any appointment to Office from nolg