The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1903-04-23
A AHANGE Of LIVE TOPICS
Penned for Journal Readers
by a Local Scribe.
STATE PRIDE.

at the dedication of the Indiana
monument in the national park
in Mississippi said he had never
seen the state flag of Indiana, did
not know what it lie and was sure
that not a person i'll his state
would die for it, while all, men,
women and children, would die
for the flag of the union. He
wished that Indiana had no state
flag and urged that South Carolina
abandon her palmetto emblem and
Texas renounce her Lone Star
banner, all the states casting aside
their state pride and devoting all
of their patriotism to the govern
ment of the United States.
If Senator Beveridge represents
the sentiments of the northern
people generally he illustrates in
this speech what the writer has
before declared, that northerners
and southerners are radically diff
ferent peoples From the very
earliest times the people OF the
south have been home-loving
and q stay-at-home folk, devoted
to the institutions with which they
were and are in close contact-the
home, the neighborhood, the town,
the county and the state-and
looking upon other states with
which they were very little con-
cerned somewhat as though they
were foreign communities. Though
Thomas jefferson is accounted the
founder of the state-rights idea he
III fact did little more than enun-
ciate sentiment which has al
ways been inherent in the vast
majority of southern people.
Experience proves that the
southern theory of patriotism
that is beginning with the home
and Preside and then extending
it's ramlfcations to the state and
after that to the nation-is the
true one. The southern idea is
an evolution, Senator Beverldge's
an involution. The fret rests
upon the maxim that charity be-
gins at home. The other that
strangers should be the objects of
our first care. If this spirit should
be carried out practically what
sort of homes, cities, states and
even nation should we have-for
unless the parts prosper it is i'm
possible that the whole should
fare we'll The states can exist
without the United States but the
United States cannot exist with
out the states The states were
independent political commune
ties before the United States were
born. The latter is really the
child of the former. If there
were no atlanta spirit" Atlanta
would still be Marthasville and
not as large as Marietta, aid if
Marietta had more Marietta spirit
we should be very much larger
place. Chicago and nearly sill the
other great cities of the west are
what they arc through the civic
pride of their inhabitants The
states have prospered because the
homes and minor political divis-
ions of the state has prospered.
The more contracted patriotism
has produced the more expanded
one. If you do not believe that
the people of the north and west
love their homes and states 90
there and observe what energetic
efforts they put forth to attract
immigration and capital to their
borders. Suppose now that we
begin at the ontermost circumfer-
enre of the series of circles and
work inward. Suppose we devote
all our energies to building and
equipping great navies, establish
ing huge armies, waging gigantic
wars, creating post Offices aud I'M
proving the postal system, makiIM
treaties with and Sd ldlng dipl
matte representatives to forei
nations and performing all OF
acts contemplated 6W the fed Il
constitution, is it easy Zee
that we should soo ry-
rot in almost every q effort
and become tyrs as mon
strous as IS that of sia?
1t is said that S before it
would consent to le It's impe-
Brial domain woy Respite It's
stalwart DemYS be willing
for all branch the federal
governmedaa IN remain Re-
publican. Es one of the
most pros states In the
union and ID E pride has made
1T SO.
Loving TIN tates as they
i n fealinu inh j fro,, +bo;r