The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-19
That Shall Gid the Old
North State.
THE SINGERS AWAKE
They Have Been With Us Ever But
Chill Perjury Repressed Their
Noble Rage" Now However
With Increasing Wealth Their
Songs will Broaden and
Deepen.

USeFSH.
The following paper on "Our State
Literature" by Mr.. Jno. Chas Mcneil,
of Charlotte, was read at the meeting
Of the State Historical and Literary
Society, which convened in olivia
Raney Library Hall last night.
Ladies and Gentlemen:- is an old
story how the Merry Monarch charged
his philosophers to explain why it is
that if an S pound fish is put into
80 pound vessel of water, the whole
will weigh but 80 pounds. They spent
much time and language on this in
quiry, of course in vain. But a new
man came to court. The question was
put to him. Het set a 80 pound YES
sci of water on the scales, put into it
an pound fish, and, 10, it registered
IS pounds. 1t is a common thing to
beg the question by assuming things
to be SO which are not so.
l stand here tonight to fill 20 min
utes full of words about North Caro-
lima literature. At other meetings of
your association good speakers have
discussed this subject entertainingly
and profitably-for any talk about
literature is profitable. Some have
treated it in general terms; others
have taken up by name the North
CarolinianS who write or have written
we'll. That North Carolinians have
Writterr@ literature we all know. But
let us be frank with one another and
admit that in the usual acceptation
of the term a literature, we have none,
and that my subject tonight is beg
ging the question. We have great and
Well-grOunded hopes of one; and so, II
YOU please, l am going to shift my
course and play in the role of a
prophet.
suppose we look first at the gloomy
side as the noVelists do, and then
close with smiles
The notorious J. Gordon COogler, of
the Palmetto State, gives us a couplet
on the South, the last line of which
is certainly true of North Carolina.
"Alas, for the South! her bards are
fewer and fewer.
She is not much given to literature
Mr.. Coogler told on US when he
said that. We are, indeed, not much
given to literature. We are brave and
virtuous and conservative, but litera-
ture is not in our line. There prob
ably was never a less emotional peO-
pie than we. We have always set
more store by labor than by thought.
We have at times been stirred by
politics: but, rs a county chairman
said the other day. it takes hurrying
horsemen and something red to create
interest even in that field. Even now
when the voice of the stump speaker
is heard throughout our borders and
when the newspapers are playing
them Il lively second there is general
complaint of apathy. The people re-
fuse to be excited or enthuSed.
And yet, as Mr. Bailey said last
year, speaking on this subject and in
general terms, the only ambition which
is set before our youth is political
Congress is the standard Of measure
ment, and however far above or below
this level a man attains, so is he
rated. If, then. we are apathetic as
to politics, in what condition must we
be as to literature!
AS to State pride, We are justly
proud of our soldiers and the battles
they have fought. and we boast of
our conservatism: that is all. We are,
as whole, profoundly unimpressed
with our mental achievement. either in
the past or for the future. State pride
may be here, but it is not thrilling.
You may hear it proclaimed from the
stump to acres of listeners that this is
the greatest State in the Union, but the
acres of people do not believe 1T, or
40 not care about it; anyhow they do
not applaud it. Assertion is not eitec-
tive with them.
"ChiIl Perjury Represscd.''
The trouble with us is our poverty.
We haven't been able to get enough
ahead to give us time to think. Hosts
of our farmers have sold their crops
for the years provision before they
are planted. With the increase of
mills hundreds of them have left off
the struggle with the soil to enter a
more hopeless struggle for wages.
'"Fheir daily needs in the words of
Col. Bennett, follow hard upon the
heels of their daily earnings" This
is not said in self-disparagement nor
with any want of patriotism. Ii is
true. We long to acquire wealth that
we may 10 longer be time servers and
may have leisure for literature and art
but how heavily have we toiled to
that end and how nearly is our vocab-
uary restricted to the words of the
mart
Some one was driving in Massachu-
sets not long since and wrote back
to our papers that at almost every
other turn in the highway there
stood shafts and statues to comment
crate the men of mark who had lived
there and hallowed the soil. The
youth of that country must have ever
before their eyes these testimonials to
greatness. But here in North Carolina
battles have been fought and hun
dreds slain the memory of which is
but n fading tradition. Yes; there
is the seat of our mental apathy, our
ignorance, and the dearth of COM
handing thinkers and artists which
we so mnch deplore If we change
the final word to thoughtful" we
might quote Josh Billings: THE first
thing | intend to do, after l get rich.
is to become respectable"
So let us not be impatient of the
emphasis which is being placed upon
Industrial education. That must come
first The plant must grope with its
roots in the soil before it may brag
of the bloom. The classical educa-
ton which limited number of our
people have enjoyed has fitted them
for q life which is not consistent
with their poverty Though it would
be deplorable to cultivate either of
these CLASSES of education to the ex-
the other, it is in the order
that we should acquire