The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-11-15
THE BROKEN SOUTH.

THE BROKEN SOUTH.
The 1928 election will be memorable
in Republican party history for the
breakup of the Solid South. The
Democratic party since 1916 has suf-
fered three tremendous reverses. In
one of these-in 1924 single South
ern State, Tennessee, departed from
the ancient Southern tradition and
cast its vote for a Republican Presi
dent This was explained at the time
as an accident due to local discussions
having no relation to the Presidential
campaign. Tennessee returned to her
allegiance in 1924 and the South ap-
parently regained its solidarity. 1t re-
manned one-party section. It's vote
was the "ace in the hole" of the Dem
ocratic party, pledged and deliverable
to any nominee whom a Democratic
national convention should choose.
Tennessee's vagary was not repeat
ed in 1924. At Houston last summer
it was again taken for granted that
the South's electoral votes could be
mortgaged to any Democratic Presi-
Dental candidate, no matter how
much his views, outlook and associ-
atoms clashed with the fundamental
beliefs of the Southern Democracy.
That theory was put unhesitatingly
to the EXTREMIST test in Tuesdays
election. This time the Southern vot
ers had to choose between being loyal
to their own convictions or being loyal
to party label. Their decision is one
of the most notable in current Ameri-
can politics.
Mr.. Hoover's candidacy has split the
old South almost exactly in two, says
the New York Herald He
has carried five of the eleven states
Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas and Florida, with siXty-two
votes. Six states are left for his OPP
ponent-South Carolina, Georgia. AL
ALBANIA, Mississippi, Louisiana and
Arkansas, with sixty-four votes. But
even in states like Alabama and in
Georgia the revolt against the Hous-
ton ticket has taken on sensational
proportions.
The real significance of the result in
the Southern states lies in the fact
that the protest was made, to a very
great extent, within the Democratic
party. It would be idle to imagine
that Virginia, North Carolina Ten
nessee, Texas and Florida have be-
come Republican states, or that they
ever intended by their votes on Tues
day to declare themselves Republican.
But that is aside from the main point.
j The people of these five states have
shown in an unmistakable man
ner that they no longer recognize the
restrictions put upon their free action
in national affairs by their traditional
confinement within the Democratic
national organization. They have
demonstrated that they feel privileg-
ed to think for themselves on national
questions and to let their ballots go
along with their judgment and their
conscience.
That is the vital meaning OF the
Southern revolt against a Democratic
candidate for President whose opin-
ions were antagonistic to their all
along the line and whose leadership
/ they could not accept without humili-
alton and qualification.
The Southern voters who turned the
states of Virginia, North Carolina
. Tennessee, Texas and Florida against
Governor Smith manifested high cour-
age and intellectual independence
They have done a good work for the
South and for the future of American
politics.