The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-10-18
I'LL MEN Of THE HILLS
1cuF Mountaineer has Plenty of
Horse Sense

rom the Pioneers He Absorbed a TIE.
h"'t'y OF Purpose and Vigorous
Morality Which Serves 20 Keen
Him Strong and Clean to Nicer The
Advancing World Half way.
(Rfchmond EirginianD
somebody on the Columbia state
has Recently been taking a vacation in
the North Carolina Mountains and
easing himself periodically since his
Ietufn or what he saw and heard in
mat graRdly beautiful section. which
- typlGal OF the Appalachian range in
general. It appears, however, that
uncover this editorial somebody is.
vacation trip was comprised by
"hat one may learn in a summer re-
sort hotel. with addition Of foray into
the mountains in search OF the abor-
lslnal and the picturesque. Making
polltlcal application of its discoveries,
ne state recently ayeTred that prob
adj nowhere in America ARE the
results OF ignorance SO painfully illus
trated as among the Republicans Of
the Western North Carolina noun
taIns,' n it goes on to particular
ize:
The North Carolina noun
taineer when Il Republican is a
Republican because his grand
father was a Wing In nine cases
out Of ten he is poor-much
poorer than the Southern Demo-
cratic farmer. Only in q few, if
any, small areas in his State are
such poverty and Indebtedness
to be found as in Western North
Carolina. The mOuntaineers re
ceiye no benefit whatever from
the protection system. They are
not a manufacturing people, and
they sell nothing at a t~ariT-made
price. On the little that they are
able to buy. the ugar. the coffee,
the farming tools and household
articles they pay the usual tariff
tax"
While the political diagnosis is
probably correct. the tenor Of the evil
dence is distinctly misleading. Per
hans it is true that the Republican ele-
ment in the mountains not only OF
North Carolina, but in other States
through which the Appalachian rang
extends, holds its political cOnVic-
tons from inheritance rather thar
from reason. But the Inference tina
the m~ountaineers Of today Is th<
densely ignorant, foolishly suspicious
abjectly poor individual met with II
the pages Of mountain "literature' Is
well nigh a libel. Even Such 1gn0r-
ance as existed in the mountains II
the days when they had not beer
nierced in every direction by railroads
was more a lack Of information thar
a want Of intellect. Your mountain
Ger, even in the pages which opened
for their interest on showing him rs
a ~viciously uncanny being, IS neFel
called fool. Since he has come into
contact with the world, his native
Qualities have lent him a progress II
both a material and a menta way
which cannot be equalled elsewhere
From the old pioneers and early set
Tiers absorbed q ~tenacity of purpose
and a vigorous if homely. morality
which has stood him in good stead
and served to keep him strong anc
clean to meet the Worlc
halfway. While it is true that an IN
herited st~ubbornness has preserved C
some extent a Republican tradition IT
. people who cannot hope remotely te
benefit by the success of the party
even the steadfastness or purpose
serves to show q virtue superior to It's
faults. -
cover that for which he searches
Here and there in the mountains SUI
wives the typical cabin Of the pioneer
oo,inned with antlers and long bar
relad rifle, with slattern wife anc
eku1kine children. 1t is, however. but
fhe uuaint memento of a vanquished
nast: and it is not remotely the mus
tration Of a type. In the bustllls
ro7,ntain towns, on the Well-kep'
monntain farms. in the modern de-
~zo,onnant of mountain the
men of the big hills are actors III
stead of o~n-lOokerS.
Pen11blican or Democrat. the aver
age man Of the mountains hoids aiohs
with an equal intellectual aphlt1 WI
the average man OF the lo"iallus, -. -,
IaIe mysterious history. n that Is
a11 Whatever his politics. let us DC
fair to the nlountaineer.
VIRGINIA PRIMARY.