The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-17
WHERE WI. WILL. BALk.


section approve and ADOPT everything that Is
stamped with Progressive approval merely he.
cause it Is Sc stamped We here stood with Mr.
Bryan and for Democratic principles while
nobody else did. The Democratic party was
born in Virginia and il was nourished in the
bosom OF the South when the North North
west West and Pacific States had abandoned it
IN its weakness 10 the death generally predicted
for it. VIC do not need 10 be taught democracy
by representatives Of States recently and sud
denly converted to it, People who during the
greater part Of forty-eight years endured political
ostraoism because Of their loyalty to the Demo,
cratic party and faced the hostility Of domi
mating force Of Overwhelming strength will not
consent 10 he dragged to the support Of policies
against their own instincts and interests, They
will not he frightened by the threat that they
viii be called "reactionary' If they reject such
policies They are accustomed to epithets and
taunts far more severe from Republicans.
A movement has been organized In the senate,
under the name of "progressiveness" to submit a
constitutional amendment to provide for woman
suffrage The United States government has
not the right to say who shall or shall not vote
fanatcal radical Repuhlicanism. no Attempts was
made to deprive the States of the constitutional
right 10 determine the qualifications of their
own electors. The South never will vote to
permit the federal authority to,usuyp that right
That is a question of foundation principle in
yolving the stability Of the republic. in this
special instance. the immediate result OF such
an amendment as is proposed would be to en-
franchise hundreds OF thousands of colored wo-
men All the work that has been done to
secure for these States safe and established gov
ernments would be undone. We would be com
PEELED to deal with conditions of political con
fusion and danger worse than those from which
We have extricated ourselves at dear cost
1t is douhtfoul whether the South will vote
for election of United States senators by direct
vote of the people. We do not need the innova-
ton. In Virginia the only result would be to
give negroes and Republicans weight and voice
in the choice of senators now denied to them.
Our senators are chosen by direct vote Of the
white Democrats, in open party primaries. Most
Of the Southern States have the same system.
All can have It, There is no reason with us
for change. every reason against it,
SO with the initiative, referendum and recall.
IT is opposed to the principles of democracy as
we understand them. One of those principles
in to put on the people the responsibility Of
selecting fit representatives and executives and
To provide fixed terms Of Office Part of the
philosophy of that principle is that if the people
may remove an official at their within or will they
win he more than ever careless in selecting;
hat nh on3r iafe
ever they 20 against the popular impulse of the
it will be impossible presently to secure
fit men candidates for Office and manly and
honest men will be debarred. States whose peo-
pie have permitted them TO fall under corporate
corrupt influences must find their own way
to cleanse themselves We have worked out
problems more complicated. dangerous and diff
cult than any Of these States face, We did it
not only without the help of federal legislation
but against all the obstacles congress and the
administrations could put in our way. The initia-
tive, referendum and recall. like the direct vote
for senators. would bring the negro back into
our politics, from which we have excluded him,
for his good and ours.
Conditions in the States differ and vary. There
are differences of climate. situation, population
and history. The South has received none Of
the lavish gifts bestowed by the general govern
nent, through tagf protection to the East and
free virgin land to the West We have been
compelled TO help pay for all these, We win
not submit without very sturdy resistance to
have put upon us laws and changes fanced by
the West or, perhaps, good for it, but disturb
ing and dangerous to us We will not submit
ia
our Threats under the label of tprogressiveness"
measures which while pleasing TO some other
people are .distasteful 10 us and make against
our hardly won peace and prosperity.
The South is progressive She has proved it
by the internal legislation of her States the
course of her people and the development of her
4 resources, She has been forced to take care Of
herself so far, and now that she is strong enough
TO do II successfully viii continue TO do 1t. She
has solved and overcome her troubles Let
other people do likewise and forbear from forcing