The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-09

THE OLD SOITH AND THE MN.
Since the day. now eighteen years ago
when Henry Grady FIRST put into words
the feeling that lay in a semi-conscious.
ness n an mons breasts. and announced
IN an the beauty OF his rhetoric that -
new nation had been born: since the
time when the fresh-coined Dhrase-The
New South-was first On every lip, there
have been two schools OF our people The
one composed In great part OF the older
men. lived in the memory and traditions
o. the past. and that idylic life which
seems forever 10 have left our shores
the life Of the old South. was ever present
10 their yearning and rarely absent from
their hope The younger man. fred by
zeal Of competition with their Northern
neighbors. having no "cud Of sweet and
bitter" memories 10 chew in restful ease.
desired to sweep the old order away and
give room for the new.
4 large part OF the unrest which en-
sued came from the fact that ideas on
both sides were hazy. The progressionist
could not always tell by Just what road
De wished 10 go. nor could the reacuonists
declare just where they wished to stop
II this could have been done. and some
Joshua could have arisn who was inspired
with the topography OF the route that
reached the promised land. or some
"astrea redux" had ~ the darkened cor
ners O. the path which led back TO the
past. the issue might have been sharply
Joined and the ACCESSIBILITY Of either
course made clear.
Bun whether men desire 20 restore the
ancient glory and the ancient ease Of the
old Southern life. with an its pride of
exclusive superiority. or whether men de-
sire to plunge the South into active COM
petition with the outer world, TO fling
Wide her doors for foreign wealth and
foreign ideas and foreign ways Of life:
an men must Of necessity have pride and
Interest IN one Southern enterprise. which.
without compromise and without sacrifice
Of either view. looks steadfastly to both.
THE JOHNSON PUBLISHING co.
The Il. +. Johnson Publishing Company
Is an outgrowth OF the ideas Of the New
South. Not until a few years ago was
there an independence Of spirit strong
enough in the land to say to the North
ern publisher. "The time has come I'm
the eternal fitness of things when the
South should have publishing houses of
her own We have paid you willing tri-
butte now through many years until at |
last the conditions Of life have changed /
II is starvation. pure and simple for I
Southern people TO remain hewers OF wood /
and drawers OF water for their Northern f,
brethren. When the area Of production |
Of raw material was comparatively linz /
tied. we were enabled to make a compe- |
tent support-individual and communi- :
fies-by the product OF our unskiled labor.
But Western wheat has cheapened South !
ern wheat. and there must be Touring 4
mills in the South; and Indian cotton /
has cheapened Southern cotton and there I
must be cotton mills in the South that
our land may sell its products at their
highest stage and keep its wealth 1t
home. So far our books; Southern genius
and Southern learning. both past and !
present. have paid higher and more
fatal tribute 10 the North than any other
Southern product They have been denied
access 70 their market. the readers OF the !
world. and this practical denial has been
mainly because Of the lack Of sympathy
OF Northern publishers with the aims and
spirit Of the South"
II is one OF the results OF those ideas
which tended 90 the formation Of new
state OF affairs here that publishing
house has become possibility. There
has always been peculiar 90 the Southern
States. mass OF literature OF quality
which would appeal 10 the whole worlds
artistic taste and the~e have been Tor
many years cities Of size enough 90 serve
az homes for almost any enterprise and
there have been. in recent years artists
and engrayers and printers and binders
capable Of any task. But only recently l
has been born In the South that spirit of !
enterprise which was needed 20 frould /
these valuable but various particles into |
one harmonious whole. and 90 give TO
each 81 these capacities q new and higher 4,
value BY combining ~ with the Others |
Now the y. r Johnson Publishing Conn !
pany has sprung into existence Headed
by men Of r-slghted business enterprise.
confident Of themselves and confident Of
The hearty and sympathetic support OF
the whole South. surrounded by circum-
stances that encourage Il 20 build founda-
ions deep and wide for future usefulness
and fame: having already I'm its authors
register many names OF might. aud
holding out peculiar inducements 10 AN
writers who desire 20 gain the ear OF
Southern audiences. this house Is dis
inctly the most conspicuous DAUGHTER |
)F THE NEW SOUTH.
But one Of the dearest aims Of the y.
= johnson Publishing Company Is the
reservation OF the literature Of the Old
south and the encouragement Of works | ,
hat breathe IA newer phrase perhaps ! ,
he spirit Of that literature. II stands a
Ink between the living and the dead, I
he future and the past. a pTeserver and
m Interpreter OF the visions OF old seers, ,
repository Of legends and beliefs which !
ave long since passed away. the one =
,eans through which can rise monu- (
lent ~ the grandeur Of the old South
DR. the admiration OF the New. T.
ONE BOOKS-MANLY'S LITERATURE | :
A long step was taken when the John \
On Company began The publication OF ! I
Ilss Naniy's Southern Literature Few | n
oop'e were aware OF the extent and Z,
-eadih OF the territory covered by South ! o
n writing Of class sufficiently high o
rank as real literature. Even our n
bolars would exhaust their list when q
~ had named dozen Southern poets. | d
d their knowledge OF the prose writers v
oulc hardly carry them farther. The | L
saan Of ali this IL plain. A vast deal a.