Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-02-06
The New South.

the living issues that crowd upon
public attention.
Retiring sullenly from the de-
fence of exploded dogmas, and In
sincerely from the advocacy OF
theories utterly inappIicable in our
time, special pleaders in politics
look to phrases, such as the "New
South" to excuse their OWE OPPOSE
ton to everything that would make
the South new in political or intel
lectual aspiration or achievement.
Virginia blazed the way Tor a
"New South" when in three i'm
portant elections involving state
issues mainly and national issues
incidentally, she declared for en-
larged freedom Of thought and
discussion, and proclaimed a pur-
pose to discuss practical questions
rather than perish in the rust and
must of tradition and "reminiscences.
How her grand efforts were met by
those that wanted no "New South
in any practical sense is matter OF
recent history--sO recent that Vir-
ginian readers need no refresh
mepts of their memories to recall
the substantial facts. Argument
for readjustment of the public
debt-a debt magni6ed and ex-
aggerated by every process save
those known to able, faithful and
responsible administration of pub
lie affairs, was met by epithet and
vituperatiOn. REIMBURSEMENT of the
school system of the state, or
rather of its management, was
merely reform, yet It met Oitter
antagOnism and its advocates were
assailed with coarse abuse. Re
adjustment meant merely reform OF
great abuses-mOrab social and
political. Still these reforms were
accomplished, and both parties IN
Virginia to-day, and all factions oil
both parties in Virginia are com
mitted to endorsement of what the
promoters and champions of read
iustment urged and advocated.
Yet. is there "New South IN
the sense in which men speak
when they mean departure in
public thought and in the feeling
of communities from old ruts and
from old dOgmas? Are we in Vir-
GINA emancipated from the old
passion and prejudice that swayed
our judgments through many years
of history7 We can think over
that question while we look else
where in the South, and ponder as
to how far Virginia differs from the
other Southern states. ~ .
Georgia is a prosperous Southern
State. The ATLANTA Constitution,
one of the best newspapers in the
country, advises anew York dairy
farmer, having one hundred and
sixty acres Of land and one hun
dred cows, who complains that he
can barely make a living, to move
to Georgia. "On his Georgia
FARM it says, " costing, say, 81 an
acre, the New York farmer could
grow cotton and clover in the same
field, peaches and apples in the
same orchard, rice and tobacco in
the same patch, and never see a
day in the year in which he could
not get something out Ofhis garden
for his table, And our cOntem.
porary theoretically declares that
"the miracle of the past twenty
years is the thoroughness with
which prejudice or misrepresenta.
ton has kept immigration away
from the South "a miracle, il
adds, which is wearing away.
Is there any miracle about ii
either in Virginia or Georgia ? Do
intelligent farmers seeks residence
in localities or sections where pro-
scription for sake of mere opinion
is tolerated as decent, Christian OF
manlyl Do intelligent farmers OF
mechanics, or men belonging to
any pursuit that necessitates
character and ability to make it
successful, seek localities we're the
public schools are poor and in every
way inadequate Does labor seek
residence where the conditions OF
society make labor inferior to idle.
ness and incapacity asserted by ig-
nOrance supplemented by imper-
tinencel And yet what temptations
the South offers in climate, physical
characteristic and resources to in
telligent immigrants ?
When debate shall be opened in
the South, under fair conditions
when difference of opinion shall
be tolerated, and epithet and vio-
leuce shall be considered simply
vulgar and ruilianly, thon and not
until then, shall we divert towards
this favored region the wealth
producing labor that now answers
only the call Westward, Ho."
On the I'd the desk Of Senator
D:1ltobo,.c,o,. ,,oo 1ooorofaI with a