The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-18
Roanoke Shoe Co.,
Spot Cash Money Savers.
HARPER'S WEEKLY AND THE
SOUTH

Some weeks ago tnat eminent Mug
wump organ, Harper's Weekly, INDUCED
in species of rapture over letter writ
ten by Hon. William L. Wilson, in the
course of which the writer explained his
plans in accepting the Presidency of
Washington and Lee University, of Vir-
ginia. In common with number of
person and newspapers belonging to the
uninspired and unanointed rabbles the
Post found occasion to cIiticise the terms
in which Mr.. Wilson made this explana.
ton, though we found the comments and
deductions of Harper Weekly even more
offensive and distasteful. Now, in the
latest edition of the periodical! in ques.
ton, we see what purports to be review
of the original publication, together with
some fresh and more detailed analysis of
the Objectionable utterances.
Harper's Weekly now tells US that It
has been grieved chiefly by the decadence
of South Carolina, and laments the fact
that "Tillman and Irby are the success
sors of the giants of thu days before the
war" 1t also weeps over the fact that
Wade Hampton and Brawley have heen
driven out OF politics and that Butler has
had his "manliness" destroyed We are
told that at least one Southern Senator,
MIR. Gallery, of Louisiana. still remains
to show the South's capacity for produc-
IbE GlCuO IUClI, Dul Hi bilS SecUlS 10 Sink
into significance because McEnery the
other Louisiana Senator, is engaged in
vulgar scramble for II share in the spoils
of the protective policy These eXpla-
nations would have been made before.
says Harper's Weekly, bnt the writer of
the original article went abroad imm ed-
ately after is appearance in print, ami
has only now returned.
We DO rot zee that our esteemed con.
temporary has bettered it's position to
any great extent by this rambling and in
coherent declaration. What it said in
the first place Was that the moral tone of
the South was deplorable, and that Mr..
Wilson's acceptance of the presidency of
Washington and Lee University war
ranted the hope that higher civilization
would spring up in the pathway of his
activity We were given to understand
that the South had fallen into Il state of
decentralization. 1t was said, or inti-
mated, that Southern youth sadly needed
instruction IN the line of honor, integrity
and patriotism. A perusal of Harper's
Weekly article, apropos of Mr.. Wilson'S
accession tc the leadership of the Vir-
GINA college, left the impression that the
South was in desperate need of enlighten-
ment and examples of integrity. Evil
dently the Mugwump heart yearned for
ciC 'oculh ouiNdClOn anu TeCluTnnUlOn.
For our part, we do not think the occa-
sion called for demonstration of indig.
nation. Mugwumps amuse and some
times irritatc us. but we have never yet
found them worthy of serious resent
menr. Nevertheless, Harper's Weekly
has discovered anger, and is now endeav-
oring tc appease it by this laundering
and stupid utterance.
The simple truth of the matter is that
Harper's Weekly has been alarmed by the
tendency of the South toward common
sense i'll politics. The question is the old
one between the sentimental theory of
free trade and.the practical movement in
the direction of material prosperity. Ac
cording to Harper's Weekly, it is immor-
al to protect and promote domestic in
dustries ard virtue is 90 be found only in
sacrificing American Industries to the
doctrine of free trade We do not think
that the South need fly into passion
over Harper's Weekly and its impudent
vaporiDgs, and we do not believe that it
has done So The Southern people have
taken care of their political morality for
many years past, and their present and
prospective prosperity shows that
they have succeeded fairly we'll They
will, no doubt 20 to the end without aid
from Han per's Weekly or the Hon. Will
liam l.. Wilson, Washington Post.