The sun., 1919-09-02
OLD NORTH CAROLINA
is AGITATED BY NEW
PHASES IN POLITICS

NOTtn ObfOunA VIII 30 NepupuCan as
there Is for the Tar Heel Democrat to
applaud the sentiment of this article.
And to make a final reference to
Marion Butler! Marion Butler was en-
tirely ethical and legitimate in his
prosecution Of his native State for the
100000 worth of railroad bonds that
the postwar Legislature had repudiated.
His populism was straightforward even
II later unpopular. Yet the voters are
assured every election that unless they
vote tho Democratic ticket Marion
Butler will get them. And rather than
sufier this vague misfortune they vote
against Marion Butler despite the fact
that quite few of them haven't the
most remote idea who Marion Butler
Is and of course cannot appreciate the
fact that Mr.. Butler would be most
courteous and benevolent IL they did fail
into his entirely capable clutches.
Hitch on League of Nations.
When North Carolina Democrat ad-
mits that he Is not entirely satisfied with
a national Democratic Administration Il
Is time TO watch North Carolina. The
morning after my arrival in Charlotte
Democrat ard chairman of the Mecklen-
burg County Board of Elections.
Mr.. Delaney assured me that North
Carolina would at her next elections.
November. 1890. cleave to her traditions
and elect a full Democratic State ticket
and do the same for the national ticket.
Then North Carolina is wholly salts
fed with the continuance of all war taxes
despite the fact that there is no war
now?"
Yes" he replied.
"The high cost of living is not traced
by North Carolina to the fallacious ecD
nomic theories that have obtained in
Washington.
81 hardly think so, although there is a
general impression that there's some
thing amiss."
"And are you ready to accept Mr.. VIII
sons word for Il that the covenant o.
the League Of Nations as he fetched IL
from Paris must be accepted IL Amer ca
Is to maintain her high moral position
mo, sir 7" declared the chairman Of
the Mecklenburg County Board of Elec-
tons. mot yet. am opposed to any
treaty or any covenant that jeopardizes
the Monroe Doctrine or takes away from
Congress the complete and undivided
power TO declare war and make peace"
You are not alone among Democrats
IN this view, are your"
"Not at ALL" replied Mr.. Delaney
but do not misunderstand me. There
is no possible chance OF a defeat OF the
Democratic party in North Carolina.
First, last and always we are Demo-
Gratis"
us the negro question bigger Issue In
North Carolina, then, than any otherf
viii all differences OF opinion on matters
of pol teal, economic and commercial
Importance be discarded that solidarity
on the negro question be maintained?"
WELL" he said quietly. there is al
ways TIE negro question"
1 quote Mr.. Delaney because learned
that he Is not only active In his party
but the type OF man wholly representa-
tive of the best OF North Carolina. He
IL a clever lawyer. a shrewd politician
and a keen student of Southern politics
He Is spoken of with vast respect In
such 4 Belgravian rendezvous OF wealth
and influence as the Southern Manufac-
turers Association.
Covenant Generally DisIfked.
It took me no more than a day and a
half to verify Mr.. Delaney's statement
that he was not isolated in his dislike
for Mr.. Wilson's covenant. As matter of
fact. this feeling Is SO general as to COM
pose a very definite opposition right
within the Democratic party. They are
hoping that the covenant will be adopted,
but adopted with reservations, and 10y
ally they are hoping that 1t can be adopt
ed without altering 1t as to make its final
form a statutory rebuke to the leader OF
their beloved party. Still they balk al
the piece de resistance Of the Admin
istration's menu. Democrats as they
are, they are not Democrats enough to
accept a Wilsonized Democracy In toto
They realize that President Wilson
will have to do something almost her
culean to sweep aside the more thar
slight distrust that he has scattered
through Democratic strongholds. They
know. as no one else knows. that cotton
Is the balance of power in our total OF
economic supremacy; that their fields
have produced millions of dollars worth
Of cotton this year and that from Wash
ington must come that commercial and
economic confidence that will so steady
the market as to make 1t possible to real
lze to the last dollar the value OF their
staple.
The North Carolina planter. farmer
and manufacturer hasn't done SO much
independent political thinking In years
as he is doing this minute. This is no,
deduction nor personal opinion This IL
a summary. or. better. a summation of
the statements of g dozen merchants
manufacturers. bankers and planters
And independent political thinking brings
no grist to the North Carolina Demo
cratic mill.
Hitherto the Republican party IN
North Carolina has been more or less
moribund. To-day both her Senators
and her ten Congressman are Democrats
fha RAnlfhliNa ma
gresham next year they will have
achieved something Of victory. But
to predict such a turn in affairs is to
make the statement without suitable
foundation. There is nothing more tan
gible for North Carolina Republicans Ia
be optimistic about than a very definite
unrest among the Democrats and a
growing cohesion in the ranks Of the
minority party.
But the fact is that to-day 90 per
cent. OF the Republican strength Is
found among the young men. Youths
Just arriving at legal franchise age are
aligning themselves against the old
Fashioned, doggedly inflexible Simmons
machine. They represent the new ele-
ment that is divorced by a good many
years and the tenets of a liberal era
from old political ideals that were but
narrowly divided from sheer bigotry and
race hatred. They may not be any
nearer to lowering any Of the reserve
lnat separates the whites from the
BLACKS but they are beginning to laugh
Al the preachment that the negro by his
very presence constitutes a menace that
even insurmountable legal barriers do
not nulliiy' They are beginning to lose
faith In the Butler bugaboo.
Two Factions I'm the G. O. p.