The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-05
THE OLD STYLE AND THE NEW.


his adopted State.
----=--------
THE OLD STYLE AND THE NEW.
Speaking of Senator Daniel. the
Chattanooga Times says that he was
"a remnant OF the old days. when die :
ton and rhetoric were much more i'm
portant In success at Washington
than they are now" That Is an
oracular statement, even If we do not
know what II means. Surely our Ten
nessee contemporary does not prefer
the rantng of Jeffries Davis, the VIC
lenee of Tillman and the pife of
Smith to the measured eloquenoe of
men like Daniel and Lamar and Ben
Hill. What does it mean by "success?"
What greater SUCCESS was ever
achieved by any body of statesmen than
that which was won by Southern men
of the type OF Hampton and Vance
and Ransom and Daniel. who were
able by their "diction and rhetoric"
to meet successfully in debate the
Hears and Chambers and ingalls,, of
the North. in the tifie of the south's
gravest peril2 1t is true that their
speech was not as the speech Of the
vulgarians and incompetents and
demasogues Of this time; but there
were giants In those days" 1t Is
true that their language did not smell
of the stable: but It made profound
impression upon the public sentiment
OF the country It lis true that Wade
Hampton never spoke Of Mr.. Cleveland
as "a tub of CUTS but he was none
the less effective as Senator. 1t Is
true that Isham Harris could not play
the fiddle. and that he could not tell
+ a good story OF the Almanac sort:
but he was OF as much use and honor
to Tennessee as Senator Taylor. The
"diction and rhetoric" OF these men
gave the South a standing in Wash
ington and before the country 1t has
not had since they passed off the
stage.
Not. only were they effective In their
method of speaking. but they had as
much success" in doing things" as
any of their rougher- speaking success
sors. They not only saved the South
politically; but they started the South
upon It's constructive period. 1t was
through their statesmanship and cour-
age. their "diction and rhetoric" thai
the South was changed from series
! Of military districts into company
| OF independent States: 1t was to Their
| constructive ability that the true re:
construction of the South was due. anc
| it was through their "diction ane
rhetoric" that the Treasury at Wash
| ington was opened for the beneTit O
the South. 1t was when Eustis. o
Louisiana. and Harris. OF Tennessee
and Lamar. of Mississippi and Hamp
ton. Of South Carolina. and Vance, o
| North Carolina. and Daniel, of Viz
| ginia. and other men of their typ
were in the Senate from the South tina
the development of the Mississippi
River was begun, that the jettie
were built at Charleston, that tn
improvements at Hampton Roads wer
( provided for, that the Reconstruction
Of the American Navy was undertaken
and that the spirit of Industrial If
was reawakened in the Sputh. They
with their "diction and rhetoric" wer
the leaders, the pathhnders the whee
horses.
We would not speak III OF any Sen
ator from the South Of theIpresent da.
who has done anything worthy Of him
self and his people; but we would nc
slur the work that was done by tn
elder statesmen at a time when full
! grown men were of ilhmeasurabl
value to the South and its uplift. w
l do not agree. therefore, with til
Chattanooga Times in itssppinion thu
| "diction and rhetoric' are to /
{ despised even now in attaining "su
2 cess" at Washington, There is a
? ways disposition among some pc
r sons and newspapers to gather abo,
the cage in which the simian fami
r Is quartered; but we have found TIL
$ there is more strength and pow
: among the lions.
A ---------------
9 "a POLITICAL PRECEDENT."
. L ,.i, Cal