The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-21

themselves and for their time very
nearly the right thing
ABRAHAM LINCOLN's QUESTION.
The Washington correspondent Of
The Times-Di spatch appears to be Il
little surprised that out of the billion
dollars appropriated by the present
Congress. less than twenty million
dollars was voted to the South. We
are not surprised, but, on te contrary,
we are inclined to rejoice that the
South Jared so sumptuously at tho
hands of those who have been distrib-
uting the National bounty.
IF we let the South go" Abraham
Lincoln is reported to have asked his
advisers, where shall we get our
revenue?" THAT is as pertinent an in
quiry now as 1t was half century
ago, and 1t is not to be wondered at,
in all the circumstances, that the
South has gotten SO little, but that the
South has gotten SO much Some time
ago Mr.. Taft's Secretary of War. an
old Confederate soldier of Democratic
inclinations, made a speech in which
he expressed his satisfaction that the
South had been defeated in it's strug
gle for independence. because IL II had
achieved separate political existence
it would have cost immense sums OF
money to fortify and protect it's from
tier. We did not sympathize with his
view of the situation. because 1t could
not have cost the South more in dol
lars and cents to be free than it is
costing the South every year. and
year after year. to belong to the I'm
ion With the money that has been
squeezed out of the South for the sup
port of the special industries of New
England and for pensions to the SOL
diers of the victorious armies (who
are worthy of honor, not to speak of
the bummers and suffers and nom
combatants who disgrace the pension
rolls OF the Government, it would have
been possible for the South to have
built continuous fort along its en-
tire frontier.
That. however, is going too far
back, and we must consider the ques-
ton from the present point of view
| the necessities of the rest of the coun-
most fertile lands in the world down
South that ought to be reclaimed by
drainage. AS they stand to-day, they
are a menace to the public health they
were dried out they would yield enor.
nous crops. they would furnish homes
| for hundreds of thousands of desirable
! settlers but we must remember thai
! there are deserts out West to be re.
| claimed, dams to be built irrigation
| plants to be established. natural re-
| sources to be conserved, and wha
! could there be more natural than tina
the South which is rich and prosper
| Gus, should surrender any possible
claims it might have upon the Fed
eral bounty for the redemption of thu
! West and all other parts of this ant
other countries into which the Fedora
! activities have extended? Is 1t no
enough that we are back in the9Un
ION" and back to stay? Has not tn
Great White Father, alias "Uncl
SAM named number of his fghtini
craft for Southern cities and States
Are not Southern young men suffere
to enlist In the army and navy? !
not Captain Archie Butt, a native o
Georgia and Southern soldier Q
whom the South may we'll be proud
near to the throne? Are not tn
Southern railroads, which are princi
pally owned up North, permitted t
carry the United States mails? lila
not the consular service been opene
to Southern men who can pass tn
examinations? Have not Srea
many millions of dollars been investe
in Southern enterprises by New Enc
land aud Northern and Western pee
pie who were enabled to make thes
millions because of the taxes paid b
the South?
There is reason for the apparel
disparity between the appropriation
made for the South and those mao
for the rest of the country. Our Co
respondent says that the West sc
sA,414.4oo of the money that is to
spent in the forestry service, viii
the South gets only $4,000 1t mu
+, be admitted that there is consider;
Bile difference between these respecti'
sums; but our correspondent explain
i that Everybody knows the forests al
y timber lands of the South are of emo
q nous area" That's it; in the eXerci
n Of It's heavenrinspired mission OF ta
ing care of the world, the Governme
h is going to spend the South's mon
h so that other parts of the country nj
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