The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-08
KNOX WRITES IN
 DEFENSE OF SOUTH
Letter Written to Editor of
 New York Sun
BRINGS IN BANKHEAD
Anniston Man Thinks Recent Editorial in Sun of Bankhead's Roads Plan Is Reflection on the Whole
 Southern Country

Anniston, April 7.-(Special .)-Col. John
 R. Knox has made public the following | letter which he has written to the editor
 Of the New York Sun:
 | Anniston, Ala, April 6, 1910
 Editor New York Sun, New York, N. Y 1 Dear sir-I have head an editorial in the
 issue of your paper of April l. 1910, in
 which you severely criticise the attitude
 Of the Hon. Jonh H. Bankhead, senior
 senator from Alabama on account of his
 proposal, by the aid of the federal gov
 ernment, to build good roads through
 every town, hamlet and rural district of
 this country would like. to. quote the
 whole editorial, but will content myself
 by quoting the concluding paragrap ph,
 where you say: -1 Y e6 MT. Bsnkhead is too shrewd a man to
 imagine for one moment that his bill will ever find its way to the statute book, lbut think of the effect upon constitu- ents who believe that statesman's first
 duty to them is to loot the treasury while | they stay home and in the intervals of pot liquor howl for economy!Y It was a master stroke that will be applauded from Decatur to the Wetumpka peni-
 tentiary. They can't beat Bankhead and for that matter, why should they? Who is there in Alabama better, wiser, purer, more accomplishment"
 | Now, will not undertake to defend MT. Bankhead against your sarcastic sugges- ton that he is neither wise, pure nor
 accomplished. I will leave that for MT.
 Bankhead to. attend to, if he sees fit to
 notice your editorial. Just at present I have something more important on my
 mind than the defense of Mir Bankhead.
 even if I considered his case one which could be defended!
 You are not content, however, with as-
 sailing MT. Bsnkhead, but, in effect | condemn all of our people and all of our public men as being guilty of a spirit of absolute venality.
 So far as your criticisms apply to Mr.
 Bankhead's good roads project, to be constructed by Federal aid, is concerned,
 I find no fault with your position. and for your information enclose an interview
 which prepared and had published in the Montgomery Advertiser, and which appeared in the same paper with MT.
 Bankhead's speech, launching his cam paign, before the good roads conven- ton at that place. I also send you a copy of an editorial published in the An niston Hot Blast, my home paper. in its issue of March g, crticising this project. If you wanted to be altogether fair,
 do not see why>.you did not have some
 word of criticism for those republican
 senators from the north, who aided Mir. Bankhead in securing a favorable report
 on his alleged bill, appropriating $500, ,O0(
 for this purpose, which he (Mr Bank
 head proclaims everywhere is but an
 entering wedge through which the Fed
 eral treasury is to be raided and by
 which, if MT. Serena Payne is correct,
 the Federal treasury will be bankrupted
 l must be permitted. however, to resent
 the general accusation which your edi- | torial contains against our section an6
 against our public men. There are in ev. cry section those who are unworthy
 but for integrity. courage and high-mind-
 edness, to state 1t mildly. I think the 1 south will compare favorably with any
 section of this country
 MT. Blaine, in his Twenty Years in
 Congress pays a high tribute to the | character and patriotism of southern
 leaders, and says:
 Throughout the long period of their
 domination they guarded the treasury I with rigid and increasing vigilance against every attempt at extrava gance and
 against every form of corruption" l Dr. J. L. M. Curry, former minister to Spain, who was in Congress from this
 state before and during the war, tells of | a n arxrfa vuh hn lxal x.,;4l Elihu B. Washburn, d distinguished mem- Der of Congress, who represented this l county In France during the Franco Prus-
 sian war. In autumn. 1885, he says he went on to Washington to obtain a par don from President Johnson. While there he had an interview with MT. Wash | burn. with whom he had formerly served | in Congress. Just at this time your
 party. aided by carpet bags and scalawags | from the south, was engaged in making a great raid on the federal tresury. In | parting from him Mir. Washburn, grasp ing his hand with warmth, said: "I wish you fellows were back here again." That is singular wish," pr. Curry responded, after the last four years experiences. | Yes" he said. you gave us a great deal | of trouble, but tine fact is you wouldn t | steal" .a-
 | I will conclude this short defense of southern leaders and southern statesmen | by one more quotation from a speech
 made by Senator Hammond of South Carolina in the Senate of the United States in 1858, who says, in enumeration
 of the services of southern leaders to the | union:
 You complain of the rule of the south that has been another cause that has pre- | served you We have, kept the govern | ment conservative 10 the great purposes of the government. We have placed her
 and kept her upon the constitution. and l that has been the cause of your prosper l ity. The senator from New York says that Is about to be at an end; that you intend to take the government from us; that it will pass from our hands. Per haps what he says is true; it may be; tbut do not ferget-it can never be for gotten-it is written in the brightest page lof human history that we took our coun- 1 try in her infancy. and after ruling her | for 60 out of 70 years of her existence. we shall surrender her to you without a
 stain upon her honor boundless in her | prosperity, incalculable in her strength,
 the wonder and admiration of the world. Time will show what you will make her; but mo time can diminish our glory or your responsibility. Yours very truly. 1 -p, 5p JOHN B. KNOX. Spr0nepty Withdrayyn From Market