The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-11
mrsnErREsEsrISa THE so 9TH.
Csricaturing Southern Character by rspkss
Psnny-s- Liners.

Caricaturing Southern Character by rspkse
Penny Liners.
Letters written during the present % m
msr from Southern watering places bv
Northern correspondents 70 Northern pa
pers describing Southern people and south
ern society have been exceptionally worth
less and mendscious, even for thsrilly sea-
son. Written without acquaintance or
sympathy with the people they profess
to depict, these letters sstonish per-
sons who are conversant with tio
facts. Their characteristic feature 10
that they represent the traditional Northern
idea of Southern people-the idea OF forty
years ago when sectional bias had tnor-
oughly distorted the truth. soutnernN l,te
that time was greatly different from Nortn-
ern life. The South was prosperous. its
agriculture its only industry. being upon
the whole exceedingly profitable. Inc mAu-
ufacturers had not then gotten controi Oh
the taxing power of the Federal GOV
eminent. The southern planter was the
wealthy man in contrast with the MIL anu
factory owners. and as respects sociai
graces. had opportunities for culture 10
which the Northern industrialist had not
then attained. The distinguishing features
of Southern life we're exhibited at the two OF
three leading summer resorts OF that tine;
notably at the White Sulphur Springs ana
Saratoga. Leaving the malaria OF the Iioe-
water region. the social and political mag
mates of the South betook themselves to the
mountains. where they spent the hot montns
in a round of gayeties. The ladies' had tneiI
parties and balls and the gentlemen talked
politics. The Capon. Orkney, Sweet ana
White Sulphur Springs in Virginia were
much frequented. The White Sulphur
Springs IN particular was the scene OF many
important political conferences, representa-
4t.,o al ~ ha
gathering there to agree upon plans OF CAM
paign. In ability, wealth. culture and polltica
influence the gatherings at The White
forty years ago we're vastly superior 10 the
company TO be seen at any other ike resort
in the United States. The White. In word.
was at that time fairly representative OF
Southern society The Southern belle
| occupied the cottages The tone and atmos-
phere of the place were created by an aris-
| tocratic element then dominant in Southern
| life. There was no railroad to Dring tue
| rough elements of the West and last 10 the
White at excursion rates. Inc VISITORS
| were people who came hundreds OF mics
with their families and servants IN tner
own carriages. Many mountains were 10 De
crossed, and If at latter time the stages
we're utilized, il took long purse TO pay
| the cost of travel IL society was select IL
was for more reasons than one. Ii u was
envied by less prosperous people in North
| ern cities il was not their fault. Inc latter
had yet to develop their hundreds or sea
side and mountain resorts ana the haoit VI
| freonenting them. 1t is not. however. to be
wondered of that roasting IN their city
| homes thew begrudged the Southern planter
the good time LIE was having IN the coun-
| try. and malgned him by way OF getting
even. 49,,
| But to assume. as correspondents OF North
ern papers do. that any particular virginia
watering place is to-day 10 any exceptional
| extent a rendezvous OF Southern society
and Southern politicians is absurd. Fer
| hans it is as much sectional bias and malice
! az Ignorance that causes these correspond
ents to make this absurd assump-
! ton. They make it. we are driven
| TO believe. mainly TO proyloe
! themselves with basis for cartcature. 1hey
want somethi ng to ridicule and they take
the first thing that comes 10 hahu. fIhu.nE
some local political blatherskite at q South
ern summer resort they represent him TO
their Northern readers as the latter-day
! type of the Southern gentleman and states
man. They thus crafty thor own sec
! tional malice and at the same time make
a picture OF Southern degradation for their
readers to gloat over. Take some OF tue
| Southern writers of the present day, tney
| create welcome food for the Northern APP
petite for evidences of the decline OF South
ern character. Southern culture and South
ern wealth To these scribblers 1t makes no
| difference that they are not depicting the
representative Southern men or women OF
to-day. They turn the exception into the
rule. and thus perpetuats the misconcep-
tions that render so many Northern people
incapable of seeing Southern people as they
are. As we'll might the correspondent OF
Southern paper represent the Northern
tramp as a fair type of Northern civiliza-
ton. The new North is not what the old
North was forty years ago. Ii it is incorrect
to take days happenings at Cony Island
as an epitome of Northern life, still more is
it incorrect for the Northern correspondent
to BLACKBOARD the whole South because at
some Southern resort he has been unfortu-
nate in his associations Baltimore SUI.