The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-10-31
fAtlanta COnstitutiOn.l

fAtlanta ConstitutiOn.l
The New York WorlH says Of the
admirable Atlanta letters written by
its special correspondent, Mr.. James
Creelman:
The reports of the Atlanta exposi
ton sent the WorzH by James Creel-
man are calculated to surprise those
who look upon the South as a region
inhabited by people whose principal
industry is the handling of deadly
weapons.
1t is strange that such impression
should persist. In spite of the lapse
and changes of time, in spite of news
papers and telegraphs, there are those
who think of the gulf states as if they
still illustrated the conditions of the
earlier years of the slavery struggle,
when Mississippi was state of the far
western border. In the minds of such
people the south is place where
Bowie still carries his knife in his boot
and where it is unsafe to 60 abroad
without a weapon. Every story of
crime from the wild and almost unin-
habited region of the southern Allie
ghanies is taken as evidence that law
and order, industry and progress do
not exist at the south.
Mr.. Creelman's dispatches tell of a
south wholly different from the con-
ception of its enemies, or even Of its
lukewarm friends. 1t is region filled
with people who have shown indomi'
table energy in overcoming Difficult
ties, who are moved by a restless desire
for progress; who are keen in the
search for opportunities and quick II
improving them.
The sold south" was country o
"plantatons" and "estates.' Tht
new is developing into land Of farm:
and factories. 1t is not dwelling or
its past, but is working steadily t
achieve its future-a future in which
| it expects to be permanent factor IL
the progress and prosperity of th'
whole country.
Mr.. Creelman and the other specia
correspondents at the exposition ar
doing good work in correcting misrep
resentations, exploding false ideas ant
turing search-light upon the whole
southern situation.
The south for many years has bee
unfortunate in the character OF tn
views furnished the outside newspa
t pers. Strangers have been promptl
, notified of anything that was to ou
S disadvantage in the shape of lawless
J ness, unthrift and mistaken methods
t but it is only recently that they hav
heard the story of our industrial deve]
! opment, the building up of our sectior
economy of the people and the spread
y liberal ideas among the MASSES. Th
r correspondents at the exposition al
: STUD wing the conditions of the ne
e south and we have no doubt that the
b will very largely revolutionlze outsld
r opinion. AS The World says tn
# is developing into land Of farms an
d factories and it goes without sayin
n that in a community made up Of sue
e interests the pistol-toter is back a nun
J. Der, the shotgun is in disrepute an
Judge Lynch's rope is deservedly ur
J. popular.
It The South has left the unsettled col
u ditions Of the reconstruction perlo
! far behind her, and her citizens a
n anxious to uphold the law and mail
6 tain peace and order as any other Pc
h pie in the land. If any proof Of II
a is demanded it may be found in t
of influx of northern capital and ente
y. prise, and the fact that immigrar
le stay here and align themselves with o
S people.