The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-07-09
1T IS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

tend-ls to be present at the BURIAL"
1T IS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
The Ignorance Prevalent at
the North in Regard to the
South.
Mr.. VIM p. Calhoun, of Greenville,
s. c., contributes the following timely
article TO the Augusta Chronicle:
1t is very annoying to the people Of
the South to see how little our North
ern and Western people know about
us.
1t is not strange that men living in
the backwoods of the North and West
should show ignorance of the South
and its people; but, it surpasses hui
man understanding to account for the
want of knowledge, In some cases.
amounting to actual ignorance, among
well informed Northern and Western
men and newspapers. The Southern
press and Southern men know more of
the North and West, as a rule, than
the latter know of the former, anil a
write and speak more intelligently of
Northern and Western men and mat
tiers. Yet, our we'll informed friends
and neighbors of the North ami West
assume a superiority over us that is
very amusing. They interfere in u
affairs and actually dictate to us. In
80 doing they only too often show
their want of knowledge of the South.
Some of our Northern men and papers
can give about as good @ description
of the South and its people as the lit
tie boy did in his composition about
the horse, which in substance was that
the horse was a very useful animal
with one leg at each corner, a tail on
one end aud a head ON the other.
We are a useful people In some re-
spects, it is admitted, but generally
speaking we are a lot of ignolamuses
that have no idea how to conduct our
own affairs. The foregoing has been
recently emphasized in the matter. Of
the status of the negro at the South
and how we ought to treat and man
age him, and in which great ignorance
as to the facts in the case are shown.
Our superior fellow citizens are at
times dogmatlc and intolerant and
know the facts better than we 40; and
they ask us to " toe" their mark. L
have come to the conclusion that most
Northern men and newspapers are in
need of a Southern ma to direct
them, and each paper should provide
itself with an intelligent Southern man
in its sanctum to tell it something
about the South when it's editor. de-
sires to direct or criticise us. In that
way 30 many evidences of want of
knowledge would not appear.
1t seems incredible that an inteili-
gent man in New York, twent, -four
hours from G~reenville, should be 30
little informed about matters in South
Carolina and in the South generally as
is some times the case. Last winter,
an intelligent man from Providence,
q. L., came to Greenville on his first
visit South. He came with O friend
who had been South many times and
knew our people and our climate. He
stated to the writer that he had had
trouble to make his friend bring au
Overcoat with him, he claiming that he
knew all about the Southern climate
and that an OVercoat would not be
needed. On reaching G%reenville, that
wlse men found the weather very cold,
and he was surprised beyond measure.
He thought that it was all "summer''
here. lie had never dreamed that the
thermometer some times went down
to zero and even below. He wrote
that news back home as q great dis.
covery just made by him in advance Of
all other explorers. The fact that we
had deep snow here was a wonderful
revelation to him.
All along the line you will find the
same unaccountable Ignorance ON the
part of Northern and Western men
about the South.
Before the North and West under
take to criticise and direct the South
and in order that they may write in
diligently of US, they must Danish an
Gent and preconceived ideas about the
South. A email amount of research
would put the North in possession of
the real truth. Now comes the Ogden
Educational league, full of good in
tentions and philanthropy, with a
scheme to spread education among the
benighted masses of the South regard
less of rae and color. The league
means we'll but it's movements show
that 1t has no intelligent idea of the
situation as regards the two races. The
efforts Of The league will do far more
harm than good by reason OF the fact
that 1t doeB not know how TO direct
It's movements and efforts. The league
should come here and study the situa-
ton and consult with men %conversant
with it,-men who would tell IL plainly
that the Southern people will stomach
no scheme, however plausible, that
contempiates mixing tho Caucasian
and the negro in any way. III the
league understood the situation, it
would not have held q love feast at the
University of Georgia and then
straightway held another at Tuskegee,
the school of Booker Washington. In
stance after instance could be shown
on the above linas showing how little
our Northern and Western friends and
neighbors know of us and our affairs,
81 $50 f--If-- N... ~ II