Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-09-23
SOUTHERN BUSINESS MEN
AND POLITICS.

We have seldom seen a more in
telligent presentation of the rela-
tons sustained by Southern
business men to politics, than the
following from the Springfield Re-
publican
ut has not been the fashion down
South for business men to take an in
terest in politics. Before the war the
professional class and landed aristocra-
cy were trained TO political life. Since
the war, the conservative business ele-
ments have not risen to the interest in
political affairs which the welfare of
the State demands, and to-day the
South probably has more college grad
yates and professional men in Con-
gress propOrtiOnately than New Eng
land. 1t is time that bushes men
assert themselves in Southern politics.
The lOafers in the corner groceries who
have no investment in the country
more vital than illicit whisky stills
have been allowed TO bulldOze honest
labor out of the market under the
leadership of selfish politicians who
were ready to shoot man for a petty
sheriff's office or get the whole coun-
try by the ears to cOddle q nrsiudice.
The planting class are slow 10 learn
true economy; they are always eager
to borrow, and would perhaps to-day
re~establish the fimsey State banks
Except in States where they are con-
additionally prohihited) in order to
make money more plenty" On The
other hand, they are blind to the fact
that what they want is not more
paper dollars, but more capital. They
would establish bank to set in circu-
latiOn baseless substitute for money,
but freeze out Northern enterprise
which brought in something better
than money, namely, capital and skill
of development. What the South
wants is capital, actual resources, not
mere money or banking facilities.
Between these two classes,-the con-
servative plan of always hard-up,
cOnstitutionally in debt, intensely
preiudiced and convinced that some
thing ought 10 be done about it, and
the class of small politicians ana bull
dozers,-it is time the business class,
the men OF sufficient breadth of view
to look beyond the county lines, the
men who sometimes go to Boston or
" OoAtIA1O1C VI ESLs hOQlS u DuH
who carry the railroads, who manage
the corporate interests and who have
really the greatest stake i'll the preser-
Walton of peace and the development
of prosperity, it is time for this class to
come forward and take their true place
in Southern affairs. AS rule they diss
trust the aggravation of sectional
feelings. They were alarmed rather
than gratified by the absurd course of
the Democracy during the last session
of Congress, and they were gratified
rather than alarmed, when Mr.. HAYES
finally acceded to the Presidency in
1877. 1t is not too much to cav that
they view the election of Mr.. Tilden
to the Presidency with aversion, and
Democrats, though they are, they
would as Cabinet officer recently re-.
marked, look upon the reelection of
Gen. Grant with genuine sense of
security.
1.-THE fact illustrates the timidity
and freshness of the business class of
the South in political affairs. They
never have had more prosperous era
than under Mr.. Hayes, barring the
yellow fever, and what they mead is
not SO much strong mani at Wash
ington as strong man in themselves
at home, each in his own county.