Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-10-30
Watterson on the South.


Hon. Henry Watterson, editor of the
Couriey-JOwnal, addressing the Bankers
Convention in that city said: clam told to-
day you are considering the problem which
has so disturbed the politicians of the South.
and that you wish me to talk to you about
the South. The South, the South 1t is
no problem at all. I thank God that at last
we can say with truth it is simply geograph-
ical expression. [Applause.] The whole
story of the South may be summed up in a
sentence. She was rich, and she lost her
riches; she was poor and in bondage; she
was set free, and she had to go to work; she
went to work, and she is richer than ever
before.
''The curse of slavery was here God
passed rod across the land and smote the
people. Then in His goodness and mercy.
He waved the wand of enchantment. and
10! like a flower, His blessing burst forth.
Applause Indeed may the South say,
as, in the experience of men it is rare for
any to say with perfect sincerity, Sweet are
the uses of adversely Applause The
South never knew what independence meant
until she was taught by subsection to sub
due herself. We lived from hand to mouth;
we had our debts and our 'niggers.' Under
the old system we paid our debts and wal
loped our 'niggers,' but under the new we
pay our 'niggers' and wallop our debts
Laughter and applause We have no
longer any slaves, but we have no longer
any debts, and can exclaim with the old
darkey at camp-meeting, who, whenever he
got happy, went about shouting: BLESS the
Lord; I'm gittin' fatter and fatter. Laugh
ter. The truth is that behind the great
ruff1e the South wore 10 its shirt there lay a
l. Ii L,
perverted there is no doubt; that it wasted
its energies upon trifles is beyond dispute;
that it took a pride in cultivating what is
called the vice of gentlemen 1 am afraid
must be admitted. But at heart it was
sound. From that heart flowed honest
Anglo Saxon blood, and when it had to lay
aside its broadcloth and put on its jeans it
was equal to the emergency great ap-
plause, and the women of the South took
their place by the side of the men Of the
South, and with the spinning wheel and the
ploughshare together they made q stand
against the wolf at the door, That was
fifteen years ago, and to-day there is not a
reward offered in single Southern State
for wolf-slSins. The facti is, the very wolves
have got ashamed of themselves and gone
to work. Laughter and applause
''The future of the South is. not whit
less assured than the future of the Vest
Why should money which is freely loaned
to Iowa and Illinois be refused to Alabama
and Mississippi? You have great coun-
try to develop. I know that capital is pro-
verbally timid, but what are you afraid of?
Is it our cotton that alarms you, or our corn,
or our sugar? Perhaps it is our coal and
iron? Without you, in truth, many of
these products must make slow progress,
while others will continue to lie hidden in
the bowels of the earth. With you the
South will bloom as a garden and sparkle
as gold NINE; for whether you tickle her
fertile fields with straw or apply more
violent Utilization to her fat mountain sides,
she is ready to laugh harvest Of untold
riches. [Applause."]
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Watterson's
speech the unusual compliment Of a unani-
nous rising vote of thanks was accorded
him.