The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-03-09

To-day conditions are reversed, as
we have thousands of millionaires and
few who are willing to sacrifice their
personal benefits for the general good.
The sincerely patriotic and public
spirited man is not only great rarity,
but when people do learn he is work
ing from the highest motives without
aspirations for public office or more
wealth or power, he is relegated to
the rank of the crank.
I dollar blindness threatens to be-
come national curse, whitening many
desirable traits of character and warp
ing others. Gold is rapidly becoming
the God of the nation, and, by many,
wealth is held above character.
Were our ancestors of 100 years
ago able to pay us visit today, they
would be amazed at our luxury, the life
of ease and idleness many rich young
men lead and the rapidly-growing class
distinction which was undreamt of
when that wise provision in our
Declaration of independence, declar-
ing all men equal, drew to this coun-
try those lovers of liberty whose de-
scendants, irrespective iof the uni
form they wore, were at all times
ready to fight for their convictions
and, If necessary, to die battling for
principle.
l "The decadence of all nations dotes
; from the period of their idleness,
luxury, extravaganza and wild excess
es, and we are now getting periously
close to the danger mark.
"The time is ripe when the great
! thinkers of the United States should
work out some equitable basis of taxa
ton by which vast fortunes may not
be transmitted to some future genera
ton, when the fool or the knave may
use it to the misery of humanity, and
a large part at least should be used
for public purposes for the benefit OF
the people from whom it was taken.
we nave ITO lOy ally III thiS Couh
try, and should tolerate no class dis.
I tinction or snobbery, but throughout
the length and breadth of our land, In
every church and in every school, we
should impress upon our younger gen
q Grafton that we have a nobility tc
I which all can aspire, and that nobility
n INf he 10Th &c tn6
r young men not afraid to do any kind
n of honest work, and the earnest ant
efficient workman should be held vi
+ as the true class of American nobility
d False pride is the greatest curse
d. under which the South has ever la
o bored, and many have been deterre'
o from pursuing congenial avocation
e for fear of the loss of cast socially
That sentiment is now rapidly disaI
C pearing, and the man of honor, intee
: rity and ability, whatever his walk 4
! life, is being accepted for what he Il
. for what he has made himself, and n
longer wishes to lean on an honore
name as his sole asset
For nearly forty years the trend {
the brainiest and best of our youn
: men has been to the great cities of tn
East and the West, where ability an
worth were instantly recognized an
Il productive of large financial rewards
Now it turns to the sunny Southland.
n And today is as much as ever tn
4 young mans day, and from the Ea'
and the West and the Middle State
we are receiving steady influx of tn
N best class of citizens in the worl
4 whose coming will transform many
our idle lands into profitable farm
and attractive homes, with the certai
ty that with out immensely ferti
soil, our luxuriant grasses, our balm
and healthful climate, our splendi
facilities for stock raising, are to
properly utilized and developed, &
that we will be able to feed and clotf
the entire nation, it is small wond'
" that our opportunities and advantage
:. are being advertised to the world.
ic organized, as 1t was, by the cor
ty mercial secretaries throughout Il
ST South, the Southern Commercial Co
T. gress has been largely an organizatic
ne of young men looking ahead wit
y hope, not only to that marvellous pro
perity which we believe a truthf
ii knowledge of our possibilities is bour
to bring, but imbibed with the dete
On mination of making of our sectic
III Gods garden spot, where characte
integrity and ability stand ahead
r. all other requirements.
"Since its beginning the Southei
TAI Gid BECT