Milford chronicle., 1927-07-08
NATIONAL AFFAIRS

In speaking edltOrlally about the
political situation in the South the
New York Times declared recently;
For some time the Atlanta Consti-
tuition has been making a gallant
argument that a southern man
should be the Democratic presiden-
tial candidate next year. That the
South should furnish three fifths
of the electoral votes needed to put
a Democrat in the White House
and yet that all its sons should be
automatically excluded from the
nomination seems to the Constitu-
ton to be humiliating. 1t calls for
"An end to cringing." Let the South
demand its rights. 1t has plenty of
men fit to be President. 1t should
now demand leadership. Even if it
failed to leal to victory, it could
not do so more signally than those
who have led us to defeat dozen
times" Instead of thinking of "a
few offices under the federal gov
ernment" which the South might get
if some northern or western DEM
ocrat were elected President, let
it put political cowardice aside and
assert its full right to choose the
Democratic nominee for the Presi-
dencN"
No one will dispute the conten-
ton that there are able, earnest and
patriotic men in the South, capable
of filling the office of President with
dignity. Nor can it be disputed that
the South deserves something from
the Democratic party for its faithful
sticking to the ship through thick
and thin. And yet it is the very
blind loyalty to the Democratic
party, or blind prejudice against the
Republican party, call it what you
will, which is handicapped the
Southern states in political way.
For the South is now a victim of
political eXpediency. In the gen.
eral elections, it votes for the Dem
ocratic candidates regardless of is
sue or personal opinions. And it
is because the national democratic
leaders recognize this fact that the
South fares no better in the selec-
ton of national candidate. Nobody
would expect the Republican lead
ers to go to the South for candi-
date because Republican strength
as expressed at the polls is neglig-
ible there. The Democratic leaders
feel the same way about it. "Why"
they ask themselves, should we go
to Georgia or Mississippi or Ala
bama for a Democratic candidate
for President or Vice President?
These states under their laws and
customs will vote for any set of can
didate we nominate. There is no
need to strengthen our fences in
the South. Let us therefore pick
candidate from New York, or Ohio,
or Indiana, where his personal
strength may do us some good in
a normally Republican state"
No matter how the South likes
this sort of argument, its leaders
will have to admit that it consti-
tutes good political strategy. Per-
haps the South is entitled to more
recognition nationally But it Will
only get this recognition when 1t
discards the one party system and
permits and encourages the devel-
opment of two strong political par
ties. The one party system in the
South is unique. There are, of
course, states in the North which
are regularly and reliably Republi-
can, but there is in all of them an
active Democratic minority ready
to take advantage of any Republ1-
can mistakes especially where local
issues are concerned
No part of the country has de-
veloped more rapidly since the
World War than the so-called solid
South. It's industries have sprung
up almost by magic and its agricul-
ture is almost becoming more i'm
portant. The South is no longer
basically Democratic, used the word
Democratic in its partisan sense.
The South is now interested in pro-
lection to American industries and
that interest is steadily growing.
Perhaps the Democrats in the
South are not entirely to blame, for
this one-sided political condition,
although the greater burden must
of course be placed on their shoul-
ders. 1t may be that certain Re
publican leaders in that section too,
have been more interested in "a few
cheap offices under the federal gov
ernment" than has been entirely
good for the development of oppo-
sition strength in that section OF
the country. The'two party system
is a wholesome one for members
and leaders of both political parties
and for the people in general.