Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-09-07
POLITICS AND PROGRESS.

General Rosser, in his speech Mt
charlottesville, as in his letter to Gov
ernor Roosevelt showed a confusion
OF ideas that would be remarkable were
IL less common and an ignorance of
what has been going forward in the
South that would be more pardonable
in citizen of some other section. AS
the Virginian-Pilot has stated pre-
viously, 1t attaches no Importance to
General Rosser's conversion to the Re
publican party, and reference is made
herein to his views only because the
same views have been recently stated
by numerous Republican newspapers
of the North whose opportunities for
observation and comparison OF condi-
lions in the South have been less
ample than those OF General Rosscr.
In his Charlottesville speech General
Rosser said in effect that the reason
the South is so far behind the Mort n
in material progress is because the
majority of the voters of the South are
Democrats. Now mans political be-
liefa might conceivably impair his use
fune5s rs Il citizen. community of
anarchists would hardly be progress
sive as we understand progress But
to say that n mans opinions as to the
ciNi. service or tariff schedules may
make of him an energetic and thrifty
citizen or an indolent and thriftless
dronc is to talk rank nonsense In the
.-y0Tth, ana IN The South, men Of every
degree of usefulness and of useless
ness are to be found in both parties.
Nor can it be contended that the
South has been retarded by the ap-
p.ication TO ii in the aggregate of Dem
cratic principles OF government. Po-
litical parties are formed on National.
rot state, lines, and economic DECLARE
tons of party platforms find their ex-
presson-if they find it at all-through
Congress rather than State Iegisla-
lures. For all save eight years of the
last thirty-ive the Republican party
has administered the National Govern
ment' and the South has been helped
or hindered, as you will, by Republi-
can policies. The Democratic marty
mas done pretty well all for the South
that a party might do through State
/ ooNe iiiiiiSiilS-it mas given the South
state administrations that We're clean.
economical and progressive, as such
things co. 1t has preserved order. adj
ministered justice fairly, and has re-
spected the rights of property. The
average State government of the
South has been, when the difficulties
and limitations are considered, quit,
as well administered by the Demo,
cratic party as the average State gov
eminent of the North has been by tho
i Republican party. The Republican
party OF the South. of course, never nd
ministers, contenting itself with steal
Ing when any mischance has commit
ted q Southern State to it's keeping.
The fatal error of General Rosscr-
and it is inexcusable in hin-is the
assumption that the South has no
made progress since the civil war rel
atiyely as fast as the North. There |.
3 no section OF the Union that has mad,
h such progress, when the difficulties ar,
considered, as the South in the las
thirty years. Naked of all resource:
save Ito soil and climate, its property
= destroyed. its labor demoralized. IT.
male population decimated by war, IT.
whole social and Industrial fabric In
.shrcds, the South had to begin at tn,
hsEtnning and the North. hinderec