The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-20
ATTITUDE ON NORMAL SCHOOL
PUBLIC SCHOOL MEN EVENLY d.
VIDED ON THE QUESTION.
Three Busy Sessions Held by the Dele
gates, Who Read and Discuss
Scholarly Papers.

committee approved by the association;
President-W. II. Wiley, Terre Haute.
Vice Presidential. Lester Smith, Bloom
ington, Brookville.
Secretary-W. H. Sanders, Rensselaer,.
Treasurer-H. G. Woody. Greencastle.
Railroad Secretary-W. =. Hart, Cow
Executive Committee-W. r. Rowe, Con-
nersville, chairman: w. A. Writ Blufton;
Gsomss Ekb RS9er1 vs. F. max%e Wash
ington; T. f. FitZgibbon, Columbus and
c. NJ. Mcdaniel. Madison.
The night meeting OF the Superintendents
Association, like the session of the after
noon, was held jointly with the Indiana
State Association OF School Boards. DR..
William Goodsell Frost, president of Berea
College, Kentucky, delivered lecture on
Educational Pioneering In the Southern
Mountains" In a way, the lecture of the
Kentucky educator was novelty, dealing
as IL did with unusual conditions and
strange scenes. Much Of DR.. Frost's life
has been spent in the mountain country he
so eIoquentIy pictured and among the peo-
pie whose sterling qualities stand out in
marked relief to their barbaric roughness.
DIR. Frost gave a picture of Kentucky
mountain life that was almost startling in
it's force and frankness. He is stanch
defender of the people among whom his
life's work has been cast and champions
their cause with fiery eloquence.
THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE.
The condition of the mountain people,
Dr. Frost pointed out, their numbers and
their possible value to the Nation. all these.
are subjects on which the general public
and even our statesmen and scholars have
but slight Information. Literature, he
said, has begun to take note of this UNI
trodden field and gives more just interpre-
tations than the newspapers. The Grad
dock stories introduced the East Tennes-
seeans to our reading public, and John
Fox, jr., has made important studies in the
mountains of Kentucky and the Virginias.
William E. Barton has commemorated
mountain loyalty in his Hero in Home
spun.
Some of the more sensational mani
festations of mountain life occasionally ap-
pear on the borders of their sylvan realm
and then vanish like an apparition, and
such apparitions have been numerous or
late. Frankfort. the capital city of Ken
lucky has Just had visitation from a
horde of these highlanders. They are de-
scribed by amused and awestruck report
ers as shaggy, shutting and of more than
ordinary size. Their broad-brimmed soft
hats and homcspun trousers seemed appro-
pirate to the knives in their bootlegs and
the Winchesters in their hands
1.-The desultory warfare constantly going
on against Illicit distillers, moonshiners, as
they are styled in the poetic speech of the
mountain, occupies a small army OF reve-
nue. officers and is somewhat analogous to
the conflict with the Filipinos-
THE mountain problem In our southern
States is due to a geological accident-the
fact that the vast and rugged section ex-
tending from the Ohio river TO Birming-
ham, In Alabama, and Atlanta, in Georgia
haS N
no inland lakes. The extent or this region
has been concealed account of the fact
that it was parceled out among nine diner,
mountainous backyard, and these. punched
together, form one of the grand divisions
Of the continent. Appalachian America has
great diversities of surface and climate
from the dissected plateau of eastern Ken
lucky across the Blue ridge, down through
the lands of the sky to the knobs of
northern Georgia. But as place of human
habitation ii has one characteristic-it Is a
land of saddlebags.
FIGHTING MOUNTAINEERS.
"The fighting propensities of the noun
taineers are to be classed with the other
survivors of old-world temper and ideals.
1t is well to remember that the whole
South is still far nearer than the other
parts of the country to the age of chivalry.
when all gentlemen wore side arms and
Ielt t1dt the SONcTIiitHl WdS SlHlply u
defend them from foreign foes, while they
were to rely on their own prowess to pro-
tect their households and their honor Sc
far, then, as the backwodsmen are affected
by the example OF those who have enjoyed
superior advantages. they have been con-
tinuously taught to avenge their own
wrongs rather than TO appeal TO the law
And quite naturally they have shown less
restraint and good taste in such matters
1t is TO be added that the administration
OF justice in the mountain counties is at.
tended with even more delays and uncer-
tainties than elsewhere. Add to this the
fact that the mountaineer has the independ
ent spirit born of solitude. constant practice
in the use of firearms, and that the civi
war, in which the mountains were plum
dered by both armies, rekindled the bellig
erent spirit of their ancient blood. 1t give:
us hope for their future that the frequent
homicides are not committed wantonly
nor for purposes of robbery, but in the
spirit of an Homeric chieftain on some
point of honor
THE making of 'moonshine' whisky Il
| another example of a crime often com
mitted without the moral degradation
| which comes from violating ones con
| science. The tax on the manufacture o
/ ones own corn into whisky seems 10 then
| very arbitrary affair, and many of then
| evade IL with more excuse than can b.
/ pleaded for the tourist who eludes the Gus
! tom-house officer in New York. The max
ing of 'moonshine' Is a very simple affair
/ half-barrel, bottom upward. clapped owe
a soap kettle will make a satisfacto re
/ tort, and the only special apparatus neces
sary Is the copper tube for condensation
| The revenues always endeavOr TO destro
this tube. and the common description o
| their work Is they cut up the still.
| 1.-THE sin which does trouble the mountai
conscience is not the evasion of the tax
| but the making of the whisky at all. Tn
| evils OF drinking are fully recognized. Sew
| eral counties might be named in whiC
| 'moonshine' stills exist. but which hav
| gone dry and vigorously exclude saloons
/ IL Is more likely that the temperance orato
| will anticipate the revenue officer in sup
pressing the Illicit still.
WHY THEY ARE REPUBLICANS.
1.-THE poles of the mountains are compli
Gated. Fundamentally the people are Re
publicans, because they were fer the gov
| eminent i'm the civil war. And the NOR
pronounced policies of the Republican par
~ since the war have been understood an
| approved by the mountain folk. Their sens
OF justice made them favor sound money
| The argument which carried kentucky an
West Virginia for Mckinley was: IF len
yeou a bag o. Hour | don't allow I'm
| goin ter be paid in meal. So. too. III
| mountaineers generally favor railroads an
| other improvements. partly because the
realize that they will develop the countr
and partly because they Will not have
| pay for them.
Their conception of politics other tina
national however is very defective Lib
| other Southern men, they show the lack {
the training OF the town meeting. The
| exaggerated Individuality is only offset b