The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-23

N
was taken by President Edwin
A Alderman. of the University
or Virginia. who addressed the Civic
Forum at Carnegie Hall tonight.
President Alderman's topic was "The
Growing South" and he traced the
progress of education and the i'm
pressive self-reliant effort of the
Southern States to transform the
economic and social life, to master the
weapons OF an industrial civilization
and to breathe easily tho spirit of
twentieth century Amcricanism, with
out sacrificing their deepest political
and social instincts.
In discussing the negro question the
speaker cited John Morley, who said
that the problem could not be solved,
and admitted that Morley might be
right, but insisted that 1t was problem
that practical men must face. 1t was
an American question he said. in a
very concrete sense. lie defended suf-
frage restriction, adding:
when all OF its ragged edges and
incidental injustices have been worn
away the suffrage regulations Of the
South in the last decade will be seen
10 have been wise and philosophical"
Mr.. Alderman gave six premises re-
Earding the regulation of the negro in
the South The first was that the white
man must he in control; the next. alb
soute social separation: third, the de-
termination to develop the negro in
the manual and Industrial arts, next
the determination that no form of slav-
cry shall creep into the new form of
Southern life, and fifth, that 1t having
been settled that the negro has hui
IpHnity. lie shall be trained to citizen
ship IN the best sense. and that the
l.. lii.
shall be conducted most intelligentiy
The sixth was that tho South should
Investigate the negro problem in all
its aspects with an Intelligent interest
in the development OF the Individual.
Southern History.
The speaker took Southern history
as background for his picture of
present day conditions. and rapidly
traced its development through It's
several periods OF marked charactaris-
tics--the imperial South with continen-
tai outlook, the South conscious of the
negro with provincial outlook. the
South militant for its social constitu-.
tion and ideals. the South submerged
beneath the immediate problems of de-
feat. and the South emergent in spir-
itual and Industrial triumph. having
faced and solved the problem of popn-
lar education in spite of the burden
OF large, rural and sparsely settled
territory, and the duplication of edu-
cational effort made necessary by the
presence of an alien race: having re-
covered from losses which no other
country has sustained and survived,
having passed successfully from an al
most wholly agricultural effort to one
IN which agriculture and manufacture
ing have their Just balance under the
existing conditions, and having main
tanned its sanity and integrity in spite
of the presence In large numbers of
a backward and Ignorant race suddenly
invested with citizenship and economic
free agency. He did not fail to men
tion other notable things, such as the
wise self pose which enabled South
ern Commonwealths to accept and per-
feet the provision for popular educa-
lion made by carpetbag governments,
the achievement of an Overwhelming
public sentiment, backed by society
and the politician, in favor of the edu-
cation of all people. developed to the
extent of putting As per cent of all
public revenues to school account, and
the self-taxing of communities for an
added income, the development of the
genius of school organization to meet
measurably the .eXactins demands OF
an approaching democracy, the estab-
lishment of the two greatest expert
ment stations in the world-Hampton
and, Tuskegee-for the training OF
backward race. the winning to the
educational movement OF young men
and women OF exalted character and
creative capacity--a gain to this ef-
fort of high forces which, at an
to social and political problems; and
the passing, in educational matters,
from the day of eXhortation to the
reign of constructive energy and
achievement.
Material Prosperity.
Viewing the upbuilding forces OF
ments i are taking s place I in Tlil agricnl-
ture, the largest single interest. The
plantation is giving place to the small,
farm occupied by, alert tenants, who
demand the ministry OF the latest
achievements Of progress, while plan
tatlon or extensive farming gives place
steadily to- diversity OF production un-
der intensive methods demanding the
Among the results, DR. Alderman finds
q new and advanced basis of material
prosperity a diffusion Of rural popu-
Iation. stimulation Of urban growth
manufacturing. by conditions ensuing
upon changes in the negro and peasant
population, and the modified grasp and
reach Of agricultural production.
In more spiritual values there has been
more significant, advances and tri-
umphs. Among these highest achieve
ments are to be listed the unchanged
spirit of the people, the result Of homo
geneity and fixed principles. which has
transmitted the discipline Of defeat and
suffering into strength which has gone
social and moral CONSERVATISM unsur-
rendered in an age of conquest and ac-
Quisition, and the realization of the
common man as the truest among the
assets OF a potential democracy, a con-
yiction from which results the present.
day emphasis of education, moral is
sues like prohibition and community
effort, Involving the withdrawal of
thought from national to local themes
and kind of detachment from the pa-
tional life.
Local Interests.
"The ante-bellum Southern voter was
perhaps the best informed man In
cidedly careless as to the needs of his
own township. He knew all about the
Kansas and Nebraska bill. aud did not
LContlnued on Second I,apaA(