Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-06-25
lCommunicsted.]
THE EXPATRIATR VIRGINIAN.

sAShhhhetttcsNco-l
THE RXPATRIATR VIRGINIAN.
EDITOR oP THE CITIZEN:
That subject-''Why the young men
of Virginia leave the home state and
what can be done to keep them from
leaving one that will bear profitable
discussion.
May /. speaking as one of those who
left the old state, say word? / do
not write as one who is glad he went
away; regretted to go and should be
glad to be back If conditions were as
favorable in Virginia as elsewhere.
do not boast of what have accom-
plished away from home; have done
nothing TO beast of. These are the
thoughts that occur to me;
Virginia is an agricultural state, but
] think am safe in saying that beyond
the work done in Il solitary few institu-
tions like Blacksburg (maybe Blacks
burg is alone). no steps have been taken
toward agricultural education. Fully
80 per cent of the young men never get
to college. Why not some public schooi
training to enable the young men to see
more in agriculture and to fit them for it?
Why not more industrial and manual
training in high schools and schools of
that grade? Many of my best friends
are lawyers and doctors, but it seems
too bad that Virginia's young man
unless they are fortunate enough to be
able to start a business ordinarily
choose among b coming a doctor, a
lawyer, clerking. or travelling for a
Baltimore johber.
Twelve years ago il was said that
there Was only one man ia Northumber-
land County who could erect building
from set of working drawings. Maybe
1t wasn't SO then. or If so then. isn't SO
now; bu; il it was only half truth, it
was bad enough.
The low wage rate, though not pecu-
liar to Virginia tut rather prevalent
throughout the South generally, is re-
sponsible for much of the moving out.
Why should man work in Virginia for
fifty or sixty dollars a month ii Illinois,
New York or Pennsylvania will pay him
from one hundred TO one hundred and
fifty for the same service?
Virginia is no better for its superfuity
OF political strenuosity. 1t looks odd to
one outside of the State To Z. q the long
and bitter strife within the confines of
.n 81 Al
thought and activity would mean if
devoted to better education and better
roads. Let's all get excited for about a
year on the subject of a mlcadam road
down through the Northern Neck, or a
! hospital, or something that will show
for itself when the excitement is all over.
Virginia folks are the best in the
world, but wonderif will be forgiven
if hint that not all hut some live toe
much in the past for progress to have
its perfect work. yield to no man the
right to think more of Virginia's 8 history
and principles than /, but with me the
Civil War is long time back and there s
lots of present-day things to be done.
1t seems like stepping into another
country to leave city of whirrine
wheels and putting smoke-stacls and
visit that good old Virginian's hons uI
the noble Jeems, see him content with
the barn door hanging by one hinge
and with things going to decay gener.
ally. and TO hear man tell how things
were SO different "befO' de war;, when
We had plenty of darkies." Not far
away is ''one of those Northern people
who thinks about nothing but making
money" and who has built a modern
home and barn and is making things
hum on his little forty acres. Colonel,
we honor you, but ''the war is a long
time back and there's lots of present.
day things to be done" The line OF
battle for 1909 is more important than
the line of battle in 1861. And take my
word for it. Colonel, most of the damned
Yankees are all right when you know
them. They feel the same way abou,
Southern folks when they know them.
We just need to understand each other.
| President Alderman hits the nail when
he talks about mixing up the Northern
youth and the Southern youth at school,
so that one may teach the other orderly
progress and achievement and in turn