The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-12-03

ship is desirable or safe The changes in
thought, the changes Of problems, new
necessities, new ideas, have made new III
spirations necessary. They did well in
their youth-so well, that we may be
proud To initiate them-but now they are
thrashing the old straw; and Yet they do
not know 1t.
1t may not be unnatural that they should
regard such an opinion as presumptuou>
That they take good hammered criticism
SO i'll is proof Of their in6rmlty. Their
loss of temper and fairness as we'll As their
dimness of sight that darhens their view
of the world the constant looking back
ward and their constant encouragement
IN consequence of enthusiasm, of advance
ment, of growth, Of truth-this is unfor
tunate for North Carolina.
1t is the story of old King Lear over
again. The old KING had been mighty
monarch III his day; but when he got old
and feeble he was unwilling for anybody
else TO have authority or to have ideas: he
noaned; he cursed his own children; he
went about with all the pomp he could
carry and Gf the legend had given Us par
ticulars) | have no doubt the people of the
kingdom lost trade and suffered many of
the evils of bad rule. But they could not
tell the old King. There is no king in
-NOItu 1dIOllud, Dul II the IuDIlc opinion
that finds EXPIRE ssion in the Star and in the
News and Observer lacks the royalty Of
Lear it lacks nothing of his anachronism 1t
no more represents the bounding and am
bilious sentiment of North Carolina than
the Homerc oX-yoke hints Of the steam
locomotive 1t Is not contempt" that
anybody has for them as the Star says,
but pity. The pity of ii, gentlemen, the
pity of it, that in the full light of so broad
a day our heavens are lighted only by set
ting stars
Every youthful man in North Carolina
whether his age be 80 or 10, knows all
this as well as | know it They talk it
privately from one end of the State to the
other They tolerate poor old Lear, be
cause he Is poor and old and because of
his past. Bat Lear does not know that he
is on.y tolerated and he has impressive
kingly fits at times.
Just SO soon as the thought and public
sentiment of North Carolina gets relief
from all this and really has command of
itself, as the great industrial movement
now has command of itself and gives its
attention to present problems, then the
public opinion of North Carolina will be
as conSplcuOusly progressive as her splcn-
did material status now is. This move
mcnt for civil service reform following
Gle Gland instead of kingsbury, Lamar in
stead of the News and Observer, Garland
instead of the Charlotte Democrat, Bay
ard instead of my little man who has 50
demolished the President-this is as good
a fire by night and cloud by day to follow
out of Egypt as any other.
I'd give good deal to know just how
many of your readers believe that the
strongest moral and intellectual forces in
the State are not accurately represented
by such journals and such men as | have
mentioned. But, | must add, nothing is
to be gained by controversy with them 1t
is not d pleasant talk to criticise those to
whom We owe so much and whom we love
so sincerely; and it makes their declining
years unhappy, when, for my part, | wish
them serene decline and happy passage.
They love the old land as we'll as we love it
and they think they are serving it. But what
seems sunset to them We know is the dawn;
and the North Carolina and the North
Carolinians that are coming-it may be a
long time off-;,re greater than all that
have passed away
1t is no greater duty than it is a pleasure
for me to add that | have the profoundest
respect for these cOurtiers of our old Lear:
and | sincerely trust that they likewise
| have the manllnesS to accept a candid
| opinion of forces and tendencies in North
Carolina in the same spirit in which it is
| given. Above all let US be charitable
love them but | am profoundly grieved at
their teachings. If they do not like my
doctrine, | have at least to beg that they
regard my youth with the same kindness
that l show them in their feebleness,
whether their feebleness be the result OF
age, disappointment, ignorance or simply
| the unkindness of nature.
WALTER H. PAGE.
44S Fifth St, Brooklyn, Nov. 27.