Thomas County cat., 1890-03-06


and face to face with the solid fact that
henceforth they must work for living.
Labor had been menial; the fortunes of
the war made it necessity; Its pleasures
and its gains have now made it honora-
BILE in all. The'conditions forced upon ill
classes of people at the South. though
modified in some degree. As result of
those conditions a new social life has
been evolved, and is now quite well es-
tablished. The upper class has lost its
opportunities and means for education,
culture, refinement and luxurious living.
The lower class has gained greater op-
portunities tor acquiring education and
wealth. The children of the upper class
have manfully accepted the situation, and
by labor of hand head are working out
their own support and the support of
those dependent upon them. The descen-
dants of the lower class, working side by
side with the others, are forcing them
selves into the avenues of wealth; agri-
culture, business of all kinds and the pro-
fessions. The present generation of the
two classes associate and intermarry
without any thought of former distinc-
tions; the physical types of personal ap-
pearance are rapidly vanishing away;
and within few years it will not be
possible to find proof of the existence of
such former types. except in those dist
ricts most remote from all changing in
f1uences. Social equality exists nowhere
There are social distinctions in the South
as in the North, but they are formed in
a different manner, and rest on differ
ent basis from those of days before the
war. As was stated above, the young
man of the South today is the product of
the tremendous changes which we have
briefly described. He recognizes social
distinctions; lives with them; but not
with social classes He is doing all kinds
of manual and mechanical labor, and
pushing himself into all classes of busi
ness, into all the professions, politics and
legislative bodies. He is ready to do any
work, engage in any business, or hold
any office. Whatever he does he does
cheerfully and hopefully. Young men,
descendants of parents who were rich
before the war, may now be found
cheerfully and uncomplainingly perform
ing hard M anual labor as necessity of
living. They may sometime speak of the
former times and wish they had them
back; but seldom in that tone or manner
which constitutes complaint. The
young men of the South are courageous
in undertaking. No matter how great or
how hard the work, if they understand
its nature they will undertake it cOur
ageously and work through it patiently.
They are hopeful. AS they compare the
present condition eff the South with its
twenty years ago. they see
great gain; and they base their hopes for
the future on the promise of the past.
They are not disheartened by temporary
set backs and losses. They have been
to them and have learned
that a temporary loss is not crushing
defeat.
They have not enjoyed and do not
now enjoy the advantages for education
which the young men of the North have:
but they work more while having them,
and use them more effectually in the
practical business of life. The young
man of the South lives in the present and
hopes for the future. He cares no more
about the past than the young man of
the North, and studies the causes of the
Civil War in the same manner Our per-
sOnal experience with the young business
men of the South is that they are upright
and honorable in all their dealings. They
have just regard for the value of good
name
To sum up, the young man of the
South today presents character to be
character which promises to
build up good business and social
fabric. The young man of the South is
really the hope of his part of our common