The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-10
DEMOCRATIC on PRINCIPLE.

Somebody calling himself Rich
| nond Na.) Democrat" has sent The
/ Iimes-pispatch an editorial article
i from the indianapolis star in which
I this statement is made
~ pitiful spectacle in lugratitude is
| presented by those Northern Demo-
Gratis who object TO Southern members
4 of Congress for their high tariff votes
lin Congress. as Governor Marshall and
MIR Join NVKern arc doing To-day
Why shouldn't they? That is what
we have all been doing. That is what
we say we believe. That is what our
IplatfcrmG have declared to he the right
/ thing for us to do, and the Democratic
thing and the loyal thing The Star.
which is a Republican newspaper, Is
| interested in the situation natural
/ ly, and maliciously, because it would
| like TO make trouble in the Democratic
Zion. and it cxcogitates in this
fashion:
The brains and character of our
Southern States are divided on public
questions just as they are divided in
| the North. All through the South
| there ere gold standard men who
| swallowed Bryan with n wry face; cx-
| pansionists who look joyously forward
| to Oriental markets, secured through
the War with Spain. and the Panama
Canal; protectionists >who cooperate
I in every tariff bill so as to get high
! duties on sugar. cotton goods, lumber,
| iron and coal
These men are Republicans in
| everything but in name. Excepting on
| the negro issue with which they are
afflicted, they support Republican poll
cies Yet tsEey deliver without hesita-
| ton to the Democratic party their
| electoral votes every presidential year
and afford it whatever hopes it may
entertain of electing Democratic
| House tc the Sixty-second Congress.
! If 1t had not been for this free will
Offering Of the South to the Democratic
cause, Mr.. Bryan's vote in the last
electoral college would have been
| % instead of 162. and the Democrats
! in the present Congress would be 90
/ instead OF IT,.
We nave been hearing that sort of
4 talk for a great many years. Tho
South is Democratic because it can't
help it: the South would be Repubii-
can but for the negro. We don't be-
lieve 1t. We believe that the South Is
! Democratic on principle. That is what
Governor Marshall and Mr.. Kern doubt
less believe, and they are wholly With
in their rights in expressing their
opinions freely about the Southern
Democrats in Congress who have been
trying TO get. in passing, what an emf
nent member of the Senate from the
South described, their share of steal
Iing,' On the question of tariff reform
they would vote solidly for any plat
form or candidate declaring for it,
There is no doubt that the fear of
the negro as political factor may
have held some men to their Demo-
cratic allegiance; but at bottom the
Southern people are for the political
party which assures to them the right
of local lf-g9Sernment. which stands
against the encroachments OF Federal
power, which protests against making
fish of one set OF people and one sec
ton of the country and flesh of the
other. The tariff question is of the
! first Importance, but 1t is not by any
means the only point of difference be-
tween the Democratic and Republican
parties. The people of the South know
this. and if they could ever have a
fair chance they would prove 1t at the
polls. The South, moreover. is not re-
i ~. ~