The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-27
REBUILDING or OLD COMMON
wEAITHS.

rebuilding OF Old Commonwealth Is
.ies title OF an article in the Atlantic
{ Monthly for May, by Mr.. Walter II. Page.
El,o spoke at the Governors Mansion last
wednesday night.
This article 10 the mature conclusions
of man who has had extraordinary
opportunities for knowing both TIE South
and the North and who has carried into
his opportunities clear perception and
. large sympathy with the aspirations
: of-his own people M Page is In touch
with the trend OF the world to-day. for
he Is the EDITOR Of tho Worlds Work. :"
= magazine that IS devoted solely to
ohronicling the advances In the realm OF
material and intellectual endeavor And
30 Mr.. Pages conclusions may be taken
confidently a those Of a rounded and cap
able intellect and not the vain imagtnings
Sf . doctrfnaire.
Tho srticle in the Atlantic Monthly be-
GINS by discussing tho restricting In
duences under which the South has lab
cred for century. These Influences Mr..
wars third tbs poverty left by the war.
He believes. az we do. that the Southern
people are ':as capable as any people
under the sun and are better neighbors
than most"
But these intrinsic qualities are not
enough 20 give the South that power and
future that It I1ghtfuliy deserves. unless
IA Mr.. Pages Judgment It can free itself
from the belief that is SO sedulously fos-
tered by those whose interest it Is to
keep things as they are-nanely, that
the South lives under tho best possible
system and that everything Is being done
under the best possible way.
We do not agree with Mr.. Page that
The politicians Of the South are trying
to prevent any marked change in our
school system. We feel that the politi-
clans have rather failed to grasp the true
ton. When they do. none will be more
ready. according to their lights, to bring
about the condition that is already being
realized In some communities and is ear
nestly wished Cor the South by all pat
riotic and earnest citizens
Mr.. Page gives some very striking ex-
ampies of the deadeninG touch of con-
servatism in some Southern educational
centres. but the very fact that Mr.. Page
was in Richmond last Wednesday with
party of people gathered from the North
and the South. who were together bound
for Athens. Ga, with the single and sole
purpose of breaking away from all con-
servatism that has been proven to be
outworn, was Of itself a proof that the
South was able and willing to grasp the
her own benefit.
Mr.. Page points out that some have
doubted whether the South was truly
Democratic community. For his own
part, he says ''the country people have
described are passionate Democrats-men
of the ideal temperament to make free
Commonwealth. The old Common
wealths were stopped in their develop
ment by slavery and by war and by the
double burden Of a. sparse population and
1n.iGnorant alien race. When the weight
OF these burdens is considered, the prog
ress made these thirty years in Demo
cratic Development Is without parallel in
OUT history
One who is able to see so clearly what
fhe South has borne and the odds against
which It has contended may vel: be
able to Judge Of the future that lies be-
fore the South. when It shall have I'M
dertsken to give to its people that class
OF education which 10 enlightening and
elevatins. The deld OF the three RS
Is too narrow. for an idle and unproduc-
tive man is no less useless because he can
read ana write. But that training OF
the mind and hand together. which sup
plies crying and natural need and
which Is therefore seized with the avidIty
OF natural desire by every community In
which it has been tried, IS what we wish
for the South.
1.-THE old notion says Mr.. Page, ''of
education was tina. it meant the training
of q few. It is now understood that
few cannot be prontably educated unless
eli are trained
It Is the conviction OF the truth Of this
statement that is driving preachers to
stop preaching, that they may teach, and
experts to stop their professions. that
they may proseiyte. The future field for
development OF publlc spirit lies not, as
in the beginning of Democratic strife, In
widening the rights OF the Individual
To-day the political seer seeks to place
the opportunity before the individual.
which will enable him. by the develop
raent Of his inner powers, to come into
the fun measure OF Intelligent. self-re-
.recting. self-schooled and self-secure
manhood. 1.-THE men, says mr.. Page.
who are doing this work. are In their
essence. cons.ructice statesmen. They are
the servants Of Democracy in a sense that
no other public servants now are, for tn >y
are the rebuilders OF old Common
wcalths."
We know the burdens that ne have and