New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-27
SECTIONAL CONTROL.
How the Solid South Dominates the Whole
Country Politically.
To IN. Editor of The Tribune.

/ To the Editor Of The Tribune.
! Sir: Your recent editorials on sectional
controlp Of this country, whereby a small
minority absolutely controls the large ma
ioritv through Congress, meet the approval
cf many readers. From manufacturer
standpoint am impelled to observe that the
relative commercial Importance OF every part
Of this country is shown By the income taxes
paid into the Federal treasury according to
the last report Of the Internal Revenue Com
! missioner page 12), for the year ending June
! 30. 1916, which have before me. This rule
Of measurement is as certain as that three
( feet make yard or sixteen ounces pound.
/ There are thirteen states known as the
"Solid South" because for more than half
/ century they have been solidly united for free
trade free labor. and other untenable hnan-
cial theories. These states are Alabama,
Arizona, Arkansas Florida, Georgia Louisi-
ana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
| South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Nir-
| GINA.
| A brief analysis Of this official report Of the
income tax paid shows these thirteen states
as a whole paid total of s7,o46,S6s.S0. The
State of New York alone for the same period
raid $4,000 or over six and a half
times as much as the whole "Solid South
The State Of Pennsylvania paid 49, ,434.3o.
Then comes Illinois, over one and half
times as much, and Ohio, Massachusetts,, etc.
Thirteen states north of Mason and Dixons
lire largely Of the manufacturing district
of the country, show a total income tax paid
of s102,540,37543 during the same period
OF more than fourteen times much as the
solid South" paid Yet, since March 4, 1913.
this Southern section Of the nation, through
q political partisan unit called party
caucus" absolutely dominated, commanded
and dictated the policy of the Congress OF the
whole country, some parts hundreds of miles
distant where conditions are entirely diff
ferent.
Consider the relative number OF people IN
these sections. In the thirteen states men
toned there is only % per cent OF the popula-
ton, while in the remainder OF the country
there Is II per cent Internationally, the same
general relative difference between tho sec
tons will hold out.
These thirteen states have no msnufactur
ing TO speak Of, and their people cannot be
grounded with knowledge or sympathy for
the requirements OF the manufacturing dis
tricts north Of the Ohio River and New Eng
land. in this Southern section the President
was born and educated; nearly every mem
Der Of his Cabinet the same. The chairmen
Of the leading committees Of Congress and
so per cent Of their membership are from
this section.
Sectional control" is the true definition OF
the situation. This term cannot be applied to
any part Of the remainder OF tho country, be
cause no other part is or has been unit on
any political theory for any considerable
length Of time. The safeguard OF the whole
people is full representation, which was in
tended by the highest law the Constitution.
A local solid unit minority section of the
country through the dangerous party eau
Gus rule utilities this representative rule Of
the people.
The manufacturing portion Of thi. country
is the most important in both capital and
labor, and with agriculture forms the great
basis Of wealth. These should be and are
powerful elements to protect themselves when
aroused. but they were asleep at the switch |
four years ago when the power Of Congress
was wrested from them. Let them now
awake and every loyal person of tn. ma
jority work and vote for candidates of the
party which best represents their interests
and the interests Of the whole country, re
gsrdless or party names.
I deem it high duty OF citizenship that
every manufacturer IN AT educational way
inform those who have money invested |
lstockholdersl and those who are dependent
upon their employment labor OF all facts .
about the political parties and their csnd-
dates that they may be prepared to vote with .
the party which will best serve the whole |
PEOPLE and protect American industries
JESSE +. LA DOW.
Mansfield, Ohio. Sept. %, 1916.