The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-22
Education and civilization.

worried themselves ABOUT the AFFAIRS OF
/ the south and have worried others with
/ their uusought advice rendered with phar-
isaical JUNCTION. At present the south Is
causing the north a great deal of uneasi-
ness; but, as usual. our self-constituted
guardians and mentors know precisely
what the matter is and the remedy TO be
applied. Harpers Weekly of recent date
says.
It is through the teaching of its youth
that the south will eventually resume its
place in the politics of the country. It is
through the influence of schools and coll
leges of the best character that southern
men who are now assailing the standard
Of value and practising violence will be
succeeded by a new generation that Will
know that wealth and prosperity can be
attained only through honest industry and
with honest money. and that community
which permits passion to take the place OF
| law, and murder to usurp the functions oil
! courts of Justice not only Kills the saw
age victims of its wrath but the very
seed Of personal liberty, self-government,
| and civilization in the community itself.
We freely admit that we need schools
and colleges. and more education, and
broadening of our civilization. But We
may bee pardoned for seriously doubling if
We desire or would accept the standard Of
civilization Of the north, which, it seems,
is based upon education and money, and
not a great deal else The alpha and
| omega Of the northern idea appears TO be,
money.
Get place and wealth-if possible, with
grace;
! II not. by any means get wealth and place.
Of e
this "higher civilization" of the north
which sets itself up as a standard for us
to measure by, is to be seen in every
northern city. in the extremes of wealth
and poverty, and culture and vice. one
hundred men become millionaires and one
hundred thousand become grOveling pau
| pers one thousand persons become
| wealthy and one million must grub and
| struggle on starvation wages to keep body
| and soul together. In New York city with
| IN the past few weeks there have been
| cases of death of honest white men and
women from starvation. almost within
the shadow of the offices of millionaires
who have exerted themselves to dodge the
payment Of taxes levied by the common
wealth upon their more than princely es-
tates! This. presumably. is the 'civiliza-
| ton" which education has given the north.
! Presumably, also, those geniuses who
wreck railroads, and banks and other cor
porations and rake off, millions with
which they build palaces up the Hudson
and buy steam yachts. and are taken into
| the bosom of society" are opponents OF
that civilizat ton which we are desired to
emulate.
The south appreciates education In the
| fullest sense of the word, and is spending
] millions of dollars a year to acquire it.
| 1t would probably not be erroneous to
say that the state of Georgia pays more
for schools, per capita of actual taXpay-
ers, than the state of New York The
lsouth being ambitious, also appreciates
wealth. But it does not believe that ed
ucation makes character. nor that book
learning" and money constitute civiliza-
ton.
In so far as the negro in the south is
i-concerned our northern critics are per
sistently blind to the facts as they are.
Al the conclusion of the war the south
ern people accepted the situation forced
upon them by the defeat of their armies,
and since that time have been trying to
work out a problem, the solution Of which
is apparently sun far in the future;
namely. the civilization of a black popu-
lation which, as individuals. is friendly,
but which, as a whole, is hostile.
When a northern man comes south and
from personal observation informs him
self as to conditions, he either accepts
the southern idea or becomes more radi-
cal than the southern man in his views
But il is the critics who have never Wis
tied the south and whose information
consists almost wholly of sensational
newspaper dispatches, that are always
carping and advising. 1t seems needless
10 tell such persons that the white peo-
pie Of the south, who pay 80 per cent. Of
the taxes are paying out millions of
/ dollars every year for the education and
| advancement of the negro. and are other
wise helping him to make something Of
himself. The white people of the south
never receive credit from their northern
neighbors, or indeed from the
banehcianes OF their largess,
for benefits and favors con-
ferred; but let there be a lynching OF
a criminal brute by a few justly enraged
men. and howl Of indignation goes up
from their Journals of civilization"
IL is but just 10 Harper's Weekly to
say that OF recent years it has become
! conservative, and has in the main treat
ed the south fairly At present it main
tains many opinions on public affairs
with which We and other southerners
agree. But It cannot be forgotten that
in years gone by Harper's Weekly illus
| trated by Mast, was one Of the bittcrost
| enemies Of the south, and that it did as
much as any other publication to bring
about the devastating war and the turn
/ ing loose upon the south OF A50000 blacks
| totally unit for the duties and response
hilities of citizenship. The comforting Of
/ citizenship upon these blacks IS tho
cause OF great deal OF the trouble OF
] the prpsput Harnarfa Nysrtt. h.t,.4 a.,