Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-24
OUR SOCIAL WORLD


 tAll items of social interest will be gladly noted in these columns If sent 10 10 MS; MS; George C. Ball, Nineteenth street, DetWeeh Tenth and Eleventh avenues. South High- lands. Telephone 9oS)
 At a gathering of friends on Friday afternoon, a gathering made up Of pro- gressive southern men and women, eacn of whom is contributing his or her pro portion towards the improvement ana upbuilding of educational matters Tn the south, the question naturally arose as to the cause of delay in the material prosperity which rightfully belongs 10 this section. This is matter especialiy pertinent at this time when public at tention is called to the south by the At lanta exposition.
 It is not a new subject for discussion, for the press and people have been agl- tating 1t for many years. yet II IS one of too much importance to lose Its inter est for southerners who have at heart the good of our section. There are many and various opinions held, according to the environment of the individual ques- tioner, but the concensus or pupnc opih- ion tends to one and apparently the prop CT direction. The answer, simply stated, seems to be only this: A lack of self dependence and personal effort on the part of individuals. Self-reliance ana constant personal effort If property sus- tained and directed, must necessarily re- suit in success and prosperity. In dis- cussing any matter relating to. a people or a class we should never ignore the importance of climatic and hereditary in fluences for these things explain many problems. The southerners have hlther- to claimed, and naturally, too. that our semi-tropical climate enervated us, but .x. loci ffc a we are convinced by knowledge or otn- CT parts of the world that no climate of Gods green earth could be absolutely more perfect than ours.
 A man or woman who Is rendered helpless for life by few warm weeks of our summers would be unfit for the struggles of daily existence In any local ity on the globe We have also every natural and physical advantage that can be given by a generous and gracious Providence. So with climate ana re- sources there must be another ex- planation that lies deeper down than we have cared to fathom. And all observant southerners, think, are about to reach the conclusion of the matter, wh'cn points to lack of individual push ana pluck. These attributes, united to health and brains have always. in every climate and locality. resulted in positive and per manent success. AS people, the south erners are the noblest, bravest, truest race God ever created, but we have still lingering in our veins the dependence and langour of the slavery period We nave a most unfortunate tendency to wait Tor something to come to us. instead of going after that something. which. perhaps, stands within easy reach. We are in clined to wait for somebody or some for tunate circumstance to bring us pros perity, notwithstanding the examples, accommodating around us which prove arft c hr0nDhf siders, but comes of our individual mak- ing The cities. which are the most pros- porous in the south. in the main, are al- most without what are termed natural resources" except those in agricultural districts. This has come about because the citizens of the communities realized the need of personal effort. and no temp tation to spend time and energy in trying to consider the vast possibilities" of their immediate neighbors. These towns are full of small industries within the reach of modest southern capital, and while timid capital fingered hesitat- ingly in colder climes these minor and almost insignificant enterprises have grown daily fin value and importance. The south will only become rich and powerful through the exertions of it's own people, aided occasionally by foreign capital. We are wasting many valua- ble years trying to induce q condition which we can easily achieve ourselves if we make the struggle. It rests with the individual southerner how rich and how powerful our section shall become.
 Every man and woman who claims southern blood and instincts must be gratified at the hospitality extended northern visitors by many citizens of Birmingham. It Is eminently desirable that fraternal relations between the sec tions shall be established. but we do our selves an ultimate injury to expect from these Inequalities results which will bring us prosperity and progress. We expend an energy in these matters which argues the best possible future for us, and our section. if directed in other chan nels as well. And quoting trite axiom, nothing succeeds like success" we may rest assured If we make of the south what we must and shall do. with the tre- mendous opportunities all around us, we need not worry further about northern capital. for 1t will as surely and as natur- ally come to us as the waters flow to the tsea.
 It Is said. and with great truth. that we need much money to develope our resources. So we do. to buy large coal mines, build furnaces and establish steel plants, but there are hundreds of other and smaller enterprises within reach of southern money, which are just as re- munerative as these larger industries, and with this immense advantage. that the owners who will be benefited by the financial returns. will live among us and spend their money where they made 1t. hVe are often told of the good that comes to a boy from poverty and privation, and any success he achieves in after life Is attributed to his early deprivations, for getting that the good was brought about not because the boy suffered and was in