New-York tribune., 1902-08-28
STONES FROn CLASS HOUSES.

At a moment when the Presidents trip
through New-England gives that section the
undisputed centre OF the political stage. ii is
curious TO find representative Southern news
paper commenting in all seriousness on New
England's decadence as factor in American
public life To The New-0rleans TimesDemO-
crat'' il has been given 10 discover that the
standard of craftsmanship in New-EnglAnd
has in recent years been tremendously low
erred. and that the representatives Of the old
Puritan bailiwicks have come TO weigh lightly
"in the political scale" To enforce such a con-
clusion this New-Orleans critic institutes a
series of comparisons between the New-Eng-
land leaders of the period from 1870 TO 1890
and their successors of today. In the first list
it manages to crowd Sumner Fessenden.
Blaine Reed. Dingley. Morrill, and Edmunds,
and with their disappearance from the political
arena it contends that the vitality OF New-Eng-
land leadership in national politics has been
forever quenched.
To exalt the past At the expense of the pres
ent is always a specous and often a convincing
rhetorical device. But even conceding the
validity of The Times Democrats form of ar
gument. it is not easy to see, on its own show
ing what tremendous" shrinkage there has
been since 1890 in New -England's relative in
fluence in public life. Certainly a section
which is still represented in the United States
Senate by men like William T. Frye, Eugene
Hale George +. Hoar, Henry Cabot Lodge.
Nelson W. Aldrch and Orvile H. Platt need
fear no comparisons with other portions of the
Union damaging to its political foresight or
10 its political power. What other six States
North. South or West. send to Washington a
group of leaders of greater experience of
greater actual influence in shaping national
legislation and national policies:
How would the South fare if a similar com
parlson were instituted between its represen-
tation in the Senate from 1870 to 1890 and its
representation now No Southern critic could
we'll admit that the Gulf States had strength
ened themselves politically in replacing Eustis
and Gibson by McEnery and Foster Lamar
and George by Money and McLaurin, Hill and
Gordon BY Clay and Bacon Would "The
Times Democrat itself assert that Southern
craftsmanship had not deteriorated through the
substitution of Tilman for Hampton of Sim
mons for Vance of McCreary for Carlisle Of
Carmack for Harris: If, in fact, there has
been decline in the quality of national leader
ship, in the Senate or out of it, within the last
decade certainly no section has suffered from
that decline more generally or more conspicu-
ouslv than the South.
1t seems therefore neither reasonable nor
timely on the part of Southern newspaper TO
warn the people of New-England that 'politi-
"cally they are deteriorating: that industriaily
they are losing their grip: that their manu-
factories are going toward the equator, and
that the South is outstripping them in the
race" Though true, such warnings would
SAVIOR little of charity or hrotherly kindness.
Yet II no better basis for them can be found
than the comparisons which have set The
Times Democrat to pondering over New-E Eng
lands decadence they will not long disturb that
sections confidence in its capacity to impress
itself upon the nations growth and policies. or
TO maintain its useful and honorable role in na-