New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-24

The South is proverbially sunny but even its
sunniness shows traces OF the sun spot The
latest serious Of Southern sun spotted
ness broke out the other day in Atlanta, when
Mr. John Temple Graves discharged a blazing
solar streamer in the direction of Ithaca
y Y, and more specifically IN the direction
Of President Schurman OF Cornell University
Mr. Graves seems To he aroused by the tina
cans recommendation that the General Educa
ton Board spend its newly acquired millions
in 'cviziug the South" This prOYokeS him
to make several observations which are
unable 10 reconcile save on the sun spot theory.
Mr.. Graves declares that President SChurman's
sentiment argues an obtuseness Of observa-
"tion and a narrowness OF prejudice which In
this region of the country would unfit him
for the occupancy OF a country school Now
If the English language is used In Atlanta ac-
cOrdng 10 the rules Of grammar md expression
which try 10 observe in these less favored
regions, Mr.. Graves's utterances indicate n
mind nightly moved by wrath. In short Mr.
Graves is mad" And yet. three breaths FUR
Their on. he says: Sometimes the inS0lent IL
"norance OF these arrogant and III hammered
incidents In and out OF the Northern educa-
"tional circles make us angry. but in this In
Stance they move 10 mirth and laughter"
But here miss the symptoms Of mcrriment
and jollity which normally accompany light
heartednesS north Of Mason and Dixon's line
Indeed, III the phrase Ignorance of these ac-
cidents' we seem TO discover Il linguistic pare
SIS symptomatic Of rage. And this rage re
veals itself more nagranuy in the remark that
ito ono who is much acquainted with the per
"sOnallty and The mcouTtaous and uncultIred
manners OF Jacob Schurman. his alluSlon to
the South assumes the absurdty of comic
opera or n theatrical burlesque."
On the whole. we rather admire these phrases
Any man who can ooze words so coherentIy
while in a towering rage is surely master OF his
soul. But the phrases give away a few secrets
which we do not admire as utterances usually
do when the nozzle pressure is too high Among
other confessions, Mr.. Graves saws that "there
ARE circles Of society In the South 10 which
neither the manners nor the culture Of Tocoh
'Schurman would admit him on terms Of so.
'cial equality We had suspected as much
and yet are not glad to find our suspicious con
urmed. II is great pity that the South stiff
maintains circles Of society OF such q cbaroc-
ter that men like Mr.. Schurman are debarred
from them. The earlier the General Educo tIou
Board begins clvilzing tho South tho sooner
VIII such social Cliques be relegatpd to the
limbo OF medieval things. where they belon.,
incidentally, too, the efforts of the board may
develop a finer self-cOnsciousness among South
ern photographers whereby these gentlemen NAV
be better able to distinguish their anger from
| their mirth This is not the smallest blessing
Of civilization. 1t is often embarrassing ~ c,,ss
when you mean TO laugh. and usually very
annoying to try gigglinE when you nre vexed
That men of such culture as Mr. Graves nos
sesses should ever fail to show this highly
developed sell consciousness is a mystery IN
us, save on the sun spot theory