The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1909-01-15
PROGRESS IN THE SOUTH.

me Homo magazine for January
We are 10 the midst OF sofdid and
material era. Money Is the main
thing; 1t is the hard cash that counts
The rising generation seems TO be
hopclessly out Of tune with the teach
ings Of the New Testament; and IL Is
even said In some OF the more thought.
ful periodicals that prosperity Is to be
looked for where there is material
prosperity, and the person who as.
serts TO the contrary has the Bible
knocked out OF his hands by a misin.
depreciation OF Buffers Analogy. So
let II be for the present.
In spite OF the attractions OF the
greed for gain, II may be said that the
people OF the South are reading more
books than ever before, aud every
book read, whether 1t be good, or In.
differently bad, Is o victory over the
financial pomp OF the aye. There was
time when the prosperous class In
this section we're the greatest readers,
and before the war some OF the best
and completest private libraries were
to be found Ia the homes OF the
planters. -
But war ls q great disturber OF
taste as we'll as a destroyer OF for
tunes. Many OF these private H.
brartes went up In smoke from fircs
kindled BY General Tecumseh Sher-
man, and most OF the others were dis.
persed; and for time--a good many
years In fact--the Southern people
have not been noted as great readers
--or, TO put the matter in q different
and truer shape, they have not been
greedy buyers OF books.
We have been told In the past by
more than one publisher that the
poorest book market 10 the country
was to be found 10 the South, and
even now some think 1t a practical
waste OF money to advertise their
books 10 the South. But there has
recently been change so far as this
section is concerned. The booksellers
insist that the Southern people are
buying more books than ever before,
and that, therefore, they must be
reading more.
| There is greater demand for the
books Of the hour, az well as q re-
newed interest In the .7olumes that
have stood the test Of time. Now,
this is very significant development,
and IT stands for y more substantial
form Of progress than that repre-.
sented by the Industrial expansion
over which so much unnecessary noise
is made. That this statements true,
only a moments reflection will sufice
to show.
The fact that the book market in
the South is widening and expanding
Is sign OF intellectual progress. Ia
q smaller degree II stands for spirit.
ual progress, and calls for more re.
jvicing than an increase 10 the nun.
Der Of cotton spindles 10 this section,
which often represent the number ol
traps set tc catch and smother the 10.
telIectual activities OF thousands Of
children, who are at least as Impor.
tant to the State % the amount Of
capital Invested 10 the cotton mills.
This is progress In the best and
highest sense, for the reason that Il
will inevitably lead 10 keener appre.
citation OF the finer Issues OF life
Some Of the books for which there 1,
= demand may be indiilerently bad
but co matter; even an indIiYereutly
bad book contains some good, and The
human mind win IustinctiveIy assim
Hate the good. There il no more
hopeful sign than that Of "a Increased
demand for books. among the people
Of this section.
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