Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-03

IN his History OF the America Feople "oOuION
Wilson has presented an admirable study of the
south's temper and attitude at the great crucial
nour Of its career. He says
-Men ,cho knetO the South only By some
casual glimpse OF Southern men, some brief
Journey through the Southern country some
grunsient sojouyR Of a single season, deemed the
Southern people as anstGble as easily sssrred to
rosh action as a GoHic popuIace. But they
csre On English folk. strengthened here aud
there 0y the sober Scots-Trjsh strain and the
ssrnest blood Of the steGdfast HH0WenOt They
AsI6 10 their principles their habits, their pre-
possessions s0ith simple, tnsHHcssVe consistency
1Aich no excitement Of the really touch
Cd or unsettled. they had been schooled, as
al fAc Has.oH aud, tn loyal allegiance to the \
Unson rhieA their otCn stofesmen had done so
rauch 10 set ap and make ilias.. cas-. W.-~scUer
their oId-foshioned Viei0 Of the rights Of the
States as members Of the great partnership, no
ordinary occasion. no sudden gust Of passion
could hoUe torn their thought from those old
no0uugs~
In material conditions. the South has changed
vondrOusly within the past nifty years and its pO-
Htical outlook. too has naturally widened. But its
people are stII Saxon folk and they hold stead
tasty now as then TO certain principles and faiths
which no excitement of the moment can really
touch or unsette" On four deeproOted questions of
government. their convictions especially clear
and tenacious: They are the rights Of the State.
che evils Of the tariff the usurpation Of executive
power and the status Of the negro. Wherever you
ind sOutherner to the manner born. you win 1 d
a man who believes in preserving the integrity Of
the individual State in reforming the tariff in beha-l
OF the common interests in safeguarding the legisa
tive and the judicial provinces of the government
against executive Entertainments and in protecting
certain vital institutions from corrupt and venal
element Of the negro vote Many. II not ALL of these
views are shared, by thinking people the country
over. but in the South they are held as legacy
and as the outgrowth Of practical needs and condi-
tons
On what ground. then, Mr.. Roosevelt who
stands at variance WIN every these peculiarly
southern beliefs appeal this section for political
support? The Journal has previously said that on
these essential matters Of' government his policies
and the south's convictions. his purposes and the
south's interests are radically opposite. This is
OF his attitude toward tariff. toward the political
status Of the negro toward the thrdterm precedent
and especially is it true Of his attitude toward the
government Of the individual States.
state rights are no mere fetch or tradition to
the people Of this section. They are. rather dis
tinctye feature of Republic that sprang from dire
abuse Of centralized power. They are a vital part
Of those ideals from which the Constitution evolved
II re wish system of government entirely different
from that under which we have thus far lived. If
we are ready to accept scheme or paternal despot
ism in place Of selfgoverning nation, then we may
lightly dismiss all questions of the rights and the
responsibilities Of the individual commonwealth But
Roosevelts policies in this regard. unless we are
ready for Just such a revolution.
We need scarcely pause to note the fact that the
entire drift Of ROOsevelts pOliticai thought and
record is toward more and more inclusive concen-
tratiOn Of power at Washington. and particularly in
the hands Of the executive department That has
been the burden his utterances and his acts ever
since he came cOnspieuously into public affairs. He
has said on occasion that the power Of the fed
eral government should be increased through cSec
AffUe action and through judicial Interpretation and
construction Of the EGW." He has said again, in pro-
pounding his socaIled New Nationalism: 1T is i'm
patient OF the confusion that results from local leg
lsatures attempting treat national issues as local
issues; il Is still more impatient OF the impotence
that proceeds from an overdivisiOn Of government
powers what Is needed IS GdministrdtfVe superUis
son and control The EeD NotiOHgasnl regards the
executive pOt0er the stet0Grd OF the public toeL
fare" In the policies and platform of his new party
be carries this theory still further, so far indeed
that he would have the federal government take the
Mace Of Providence ITSELF with Theodore the First
as the Father OF all.
II is not necessary TO ask whether such policy
Is in accord with the truths on which this nation