St. Landry democrat., 1880-11-27
The Young Mem Of the South


IS. Q. Times.l
i correspondent of the Louisville
ConrierJonrDai complains of the in
difference Of Southern young men with
regard to politics That paper, com
nleu'!ne upon this complaint, declares
that during the last ten years it has lost
no opportunity to impress upon The
young men Of the South the necessity
OF taking deeper interest in political
matters. Dfconrse, neither the Courier
Journal nor its correspondent wants
the young men, who are gradually tax
ing control OF the business and politica!
interests Of he South, to become pro
! fessional politicians. What we under
stand them to mean is that the young
Elen shall make themselves acquainted
with the leading political questions Of
OF tie day, 50 that they may act intelli-
gently IN all matters pertaining not
Only to the interests OF the whole cOun-
try, but particularly, Of the South,
/ There was Il time when all the educated
/ young men Of tho South took an active
interest in politics. In no other section
OF the country were young men so wei.
! informed on political matters. The re-
! suit was that many, it not Il majority, of
/ the leading statesman of the country
We're ionnd in the South. This is no
/ longer the case. The South, it is tru;,,
has some eminent and talented men in
! public lille, but they nave very little in
! tiuence IN the direction of national at
fairs. They do not leave the impress
of their character upon our institutions
and laws. The majority OF them belong
I" period that is past, and which was
wholly different from the present. The
tone Of their thought and their opinions
are in harmony with that periUu. They
cannot comprehend thata great change
has taken place, and they fail to grasp
the progressive spiiit of to-day. They
ATE therefore, not the men to direct the
dest;nies of the new South. New men
must come to the front, earnest, liberal,
progressive men, who. with unwarped
minds and judgments, can graphic
with the problems of the future. These
new lenders must come from among
the young men. The past and its issues
have no particular hold upon them.
They are identified with the present,
and are prepared for what the present
offers. 1t IS clear that if the South is to
secure again leading place in national
affairs it must be upon new issues. The
issues OF the last campaign, if indeed
they are entitled to be called issues. in
support Of winch the South gave her
one hundred and thlrty-eight electoral
votes, are practically dead. Should
nothing new and important be sub.
mitted for the consideration Of the neo.
: pie, i may DC regarded as certain tina,
. the North will remain as so!idly Re.
publican AS the South is solidly Demo.
) cratic. This will be satisfactory to the
: North because that section will have
full control of the government. The
: South, therefore, must make the issues
and they must be made by Statesman
E drawn from the ranks OF young men
, Southern young men have taken bu
: little interest in politics siuce the war
and why? Because all the wealth. ed
,, ucation and ability Of the South has
,, been on one side. There has been moth
! ing to induce young men of talent ant
9 education to enter the political arena
, There was nobody to convince of thei
:. own class. and they disdaned to discus
: political issues with carpet baggers ant
= negroes. The result was that the man
! :tgement OF political affairs fell into th
: hands OF second and third rate men
= whose soul effort was to capture tn
- spoils of office. The talent whic]
:, makes statesman remaiped dormant
: Had the educated and wealthy elias
been divided Ill politics since the wa
4 the South would be exertins fa
greater lnhucnte IN national affair
than she is now. Her young me
would have thoroughly informed them
q selves ou politica! matters. and woul
i have We'd viii, each other for poltica
! honors. The issues, instead Of bein
q q sectional, as they have been, would hav
. been OF economic character and woul
o nave heen Of benefit to the whole coun
:, try. There is little good in referring t
IL the past however. va barn r, 80.
. with the future. Let the Young me
!, OF the South study the political situatio
:. carefully and determine for tllemselve
:, what it Is that the South needs. Havin
;, made decision, let them act boldl
!, and fearlesslly. The South is beginin
- to throb with new life. The evidence
: OF her progress are beginin. to be ar
y parent. Her dcslinics are in the hand
:, Of her young men. Let them act {
" they think best from the standpoint .
- the present.