Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-23
Sane Spots in the South.

Tho other day we published In this
column editorial comments from many
OF the best newspapers OF the ""o'n
taking sensible and patriotic views u
the results Of the election and OF the
personality and policies Of President
Roosevelt. These southern editors are
not the only men in their section VINO
are seeking to make the rest OF the
country forget the utterances ana per-
formances Of such tigoted- ignorant
and yulger specimens Of humanity as
vardaman OF Mississippi. Helm OF
Alabama, Tillman IT South Carohhd
and Jeff Davis Of Arkansas. There are
many men In the South. less frequent
" heard from to be sure than those
,ncn,,oned but nevertheless much bet
ter qualified to speak the real senti-
ments OF that section. One Of them s
Thomas Nelson Page OF virginia
claimed by Maine in the summer TO De
s,re but vet a yirginian born and bred
and as loyal a son Of the South as ever
lived. He was interviewed this week
by Richmond paper and after depior-
ing the wretched conditions in southe'h
schools which do 50 much to hold back
the South. he spoke "a follows or the
President:
ct believe that the President wishes
TO be friendly to the South. ana l thihK
we should meet him. Those VINO kh'"
the President, know that he never IN
tended any injury to the South, now
ever he may have Offended her by a
few acts, which We're certainly very
far-rcarhing In thei- consequences
His intentions have always been most
friendly, and he wa3 clearly taken
aback by the general hostility which
those acts aroused among us. stated
mt the University of Virginia after IN"
President had visited that seat Of learn
ing that ne said. IL the South would
wait for two years Oeforr passing Jude-
mcnt on him, he believed she would be-
satisfied "a to his good intentiorS. ms
first act the night OF his election. when
In the moment OF triumph he declared
that ne would not again accept nolni-
nation. was worthy OF the best man
who ever sat In the Presidential chair.
However. no may be assailed, Mr..
Ronaevclt Is by blood half Southern
and BY Temperament. more than half.
His very obstinacy Is not wholly un-
known In Southern characters. He has
cut himself loose from the leadership Of
politicians, and | look fer re-eStab-
iIahment rf cordial relations between
him and the South. On his part. I fe"l
sure. there has nev"r been anything but
a desire for friendship
Such testimony from a man Of Mr..
Pages standing cannot fail to have
weight In the South. He knows what
he Is talking about and will b. listened
to-. Another cheerful ray from tho
South appears in letter recently writ
ten by professor in Southern college
tn School Supcrinten lent Of a North
crn state. We quote from it this para
graph.
II am filed with optimism as I look
out upon the future. The conditions
are hard: It will still take much to
nerve all our people tn do their utmost
for the education OF blacks as we'll as
whites. some reactionary tendencies
have to be lived down. But after ali
tho brGcing spirit felt in this state
promises good and only good. Thar
last national election startled us int1
conscious effort to release ourselves
from an isolation that has become we'll
nigh unbearable. National alignment
becomes patent necessity. In all this
transition to a nobler order on the par:
of the South we are under highest obl;-
cation to the men and the women.
patriots and prophets truly. who have
acted With the Southern and general
Education Boards. You brought US
again the sane and sympathetic forces
for which these Boards stand. We are
profoundly grateful to you for this
vital impulse"