The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-10-08
DIR. WEBB ON THE LATE SEN
ATOR HOAR.
sie Thinks the Latter Was An Enemy
efthe South Until Late in His Life.
No Tie Free Lance

Of the South Until Late IN His LIE.
70 The Free Lance:
have read your editorial notice OF the
Heath Of Senator Hoar in your issue oi
18th instant You remark that he was
friend To the Southern people and sym
Datbzed with them in their efforts tn set
tie the YeXed political problems with
which they are confronted and that
the Southern people feel ia personal LOSE
peculiar 70 themselves. You then quote
from his Chicago speech about year
ago. ar follows
AS grow older / have learned not
only TO respect and esteem, hut 90 love
the great qualities which belong to my
ieiluw.citizens OF the Southern states.
they are noble race. We may well
take pattern from them in some of the
great virtues which make up the strength
"a they make mp the glOries oi the Tree
States. Their love OF home, their chiVal
rous respect for women, their courage,
their delicate sense of honor their con
stancy which can abide by an opinion or
a purpose or an interest Tor their StAttr
through adversity and through prosper
ity, through the years and through the
generations. are things 10y hch the peo-
pie of the more mercurisl North may take
a Lesson. And there Is another thing
coyetousnpss. corruption, the low temp
tation of money have not yet found any
place in our Southern politics
do not wish to appear as sitting IN
Judgment on the editorial utterances OF
the esteemed Free Lance. but ! sm sure
Won will pardon me If | take issue with
you right here. What senator Hoar
said in his Chicago address, az above
quoted, is true of the Southern people IN
every particular; but coming from him
AT this late day seems very much ike IA
death bed repentance. believe our
Southern people care very little Tor such
belated confessions from senator Hour,
OF any other Northern man who has had
opportunity to know and would not. lie
was not ignorant Of the fact; IT he had
been we could rejoice that ne had seen
the light even at that late day. But be
WAS a highly educated man. had heeu
long in public life aud had every oppnr
tunitv of knowing the "yeXed political
problems" aud also that the Southern
neople are a noble race Nevertheless.
a biographical sketch 0i his career writ.
ten from his home city. Worcester, Mass
and published the day after his death.
SAWS. "He WAS an ardent champion ot
the Federal election bill. known 20 his
political opponents a. the force bill.
and in 1890 strOye with all his strength
for its passage by the Senate. There ~
no doubt that the failure of the bill
caused Mr.. HOsT much chagrin, a.
He WAS. therefore, the advocate and
champion OF q measure 90 Infamous that
no language can sufficiently cenounce a..
certainly none that would he admissible
in polite society. ! don't think the
Southern people will very soon forget
that. But, again, remember that when
this same MIR HO8r was in the House Of
Representatives he made speech, IN the
course of which be took occasion - re
fer TO what he called the "iiliterary Of
the South" And Judge John Critcher in
reply challenged him 10 produce in the
whole history Of MassAchusetts a. many
distinguished names A. he could give
from one little county in his district
(Wpstmorelandi These and other eH-
amnles show the tenor OF his mlnd
towards our isiF Southern land. 10 Is
we'll that he repented AZ last, hut we
wish IL had come sooner. ] know there
Are thousands Of the common people -
the North who Arc honest In their opin
ions and who nrc not so much 10 blame
for thinking u y set of 5Arbtrinn who
are not capable Of seltgoverument, be
cause they hive been taught so 10y Just
such men ~ the late SeaAtOr HOar. Bat
the time is not long. The South is rap
idly moving 10 the front eud will a.
suredly assume her former Influence and
power in the policies Of this government.
In conclusion. let me say, ! know that
the old Roman ad8ge. Say nothing but
good OF the dead, is worthy 20 be
observed in a general way, but this does
not apply 20 q man who has been eli
trusted with official duty, certainly NOT
90 criticism or even denunciatiOn OF HE
official record.
Charles : Webb.
Bowling Green, Va, Oct ., 1904.