The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-06-09
AFTER THE SOLID SOUTH.
Plans i'm the Making for Building Up
Strong Republican Party III
Dixie.


a party is slow process anywhere.
ana particularly 50 IN territory in
which the conditions have been ad-
verse for two generations. How long
iit Will take the Republican organi-
zation TO get on even terms with the
Democrats in the South if the wisest
possible policy of rebuilding is adop-
ted and consistently followed is a,
question. 1t would take good deal
longer even under that ideal assump-
tion than the average observer out
side of the South imagines
However, il is just as we'll to take
note of the fact that President Hard
ing's administration is proceeding. at
the start at any rate. along rational
well considered and systematic lines
towards such reorganization OF
southern Republicanism. The plan is
the best laid. and thus far the most
lsagaciously administered. that has yet
characterized Republican national
regime.
President Harding is working for
the establishment of an EZRA of good
feeling" similar to that which came
in the days of Monroe and HE ap-
parently possesses in a high degree
the Personal qualifications requisite
lfor this Executive achievement. With
Secretary Hughes as his wheel horse
in diplomatic matters. aided to a very
| important degree by Secretary Hoo
|vor's actual knowledge of present day
foreign conditions, the President is
encouraging Secretary Hoover to win
the confidence and appreciation OF
the business community for the ad-
Iministration, while its political
agents in the various sections seek
to strengthen the Republican fences
wherever they are weak or defective.
Utilizing Credit Issue.
While the plan for reconstruction
OF Southern Republican organiZa-
tions where they have been most wo-
fully lacking is proceeding under the
general advice of Representative C..
Bascom Slemp, OF Virginia, who is
special counselor of the Harding ad-
ministration as to party matters be-
low Mason and Dixon's Line. the
President and Secretary Hoover are
making 1t plain to the agricultural
and commercial community at large
that this administration hopes to
loosen up" credits TO a considerable
extent through the medium of the
! federal reserve system
No matter what may be the facts
as to whether or not the Wilson ad
ministration overdid the process of
Tightening up credits, the farming
and commercial communities seem to
feel as whole that this was the case.
III the Harding administration can eff
feet liberalization of credits
through the operation of the federal
reserve system without doing any
harm to the stability of the financial
foundation, there is no question that
the Republicans will have put
one over" on the Democrats This
would be true in spite of the fact
that the Democrats could themselves
il now in control of the government
loosen credits in a way that might
have been dangerous at other times
The federal reserve margin of gold
Is now far above what IT was year
ago.
But explanations aside, the present
administration is adopting shrewd
measures 10 make headway in the
South by capitalizing the dissatisfac-
tion which existed over the agricul-
tulal credit situation in the last pc
riod of the Wilson regime.
Slcmps job Difficult.
All that may be gained by the Har-
ding administration in helping and
pleasing the business community Gin
Guiding in that term the farmers and
the merchants and all who engage IN
trade or productive investment will
90 for little, however, in the South
iern States unless the race question
lnl N I. Il, n
factor of politics. In view of the pres
ence of so many fanatics on this
question who are in the Republican
party in the North and West, with
some representatives in Congress and
In the national committee, it is easy
to see that Slemp has harder task
than Hoover.
The plan OF reorganization in the
southern G.. o. p. which Seems to be
finding favor just now is to select a
few prominent citizens who are Re
publicans or willing to be Republi-
cans under new conditions, and hay
ing these persons each submit lists
| of other Republicans whom they re-
gard as representative of their COM
munities as to business and general
standing. The Republican national
committeeman of the State in ques-
ton would also submit list. From
the lists, perhaps the chairman of the
national committee. would select a
hundred or more Republicans who
should assemble and reorganize their
party in the State and recommend a
slate for federal appointments. This
would not entirely ignore the old or
ganization. but it would enable the
reorganizating forces to secure the
numerical superiority in the official