The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-05
SELMA VETERANS PROTEST.
AGAINST "THE SOUTHERNER'

authors name as Walter Hines Page)
Whereas, because of adverse criticism
we have, by a committee, carefully ex-
amined and read the same; and,
Whereas, 1t seems almost incredible
to us that a man claiming to be south
erner by birth, lineage and residence.
should have attempted, as does this
author to befoul his own nest; and,
Whereas, the author occupies a very
important office to which he was APP
pointed by the only southern President
we have had for 45 years:
Now, therefore, De it resolved, !. That
we believe the unfavorable criticisms OF
this book, most generally published by
the southern newspaper press. are entire
ly just. (Since the above was written a
New York magazine has severely crit
icized the book along the same lines.)
''2 That in our opinion, this book
should not be placed where the youths of
our land can have easy access to it.
"(a) Because the author is scoffer as
regards the truths of the Bible and re-
ligion;
"(b) Because it casts slurs upon a large
religious denomination in the south:
"(c) Because it makes the Confederate
soldier the subject of ridicule and cen
tempt, and he speaks of them as dead
men, most of them. survived that unnat-
ural war unwittingly did us greater hurt
than the war itself 1t the war; stopped
the thought of most of them Confederate
soldiers) as an earthquake stops the
clock and their loyalties were loyaltes
not to living ideas, or duties, but to old
commanders. and to distorted traditions,
and we doled them aims, and for years
they frightened us into actions that we
did not approve, and they are almost all
gone we pity them - we did not
become ourselves until they We're buried
and they unused on their great adven-
lures, which so filed their minds that
thought on other things was impossible.
During the period written about few, ii
any, states had provided pensions for Con-
federate veterans who were indlgent.
"td) Because of a large an Influential
class of women of the south Uhe Daugh-
ters of the Confederacy) he says, This
veterans and daughters craze has struck
the land hard lie makes an ex-Confed-
crate say, they dhe, daughters) don't
want to think We want to work Up SEN
timent.'
''(e) Because he says the Daughters
OF the Confederacy hardly wished to be-
come an eleemosynary Institution, or to
engage in charitable work of helping free
schools-that was for others
20 Because In speaking of the murder
of a prominent local politician by a me-
gro who was tried by the courts and
hung for 1t, he says the sooner an old
firebrapd such as he was is taken away
the better for the community on general
principlesb tand this of a man OF good
character whose only sin was that he
persistently labored for white supremacy
as against domination.)
"te, Because in relating the Incident OF
mulatto woman marrying a white north
ern man, he seems to approve, at any
rate. there is no comment OF disapproval,
although the woman did not disclose the
real facts to her husband
"th) Because in relating an Incident that
occurred at Harvard. whe.'A he was stu
dent. he speaks of the offer of MS own
friend to take negro as his room mate
as follows. a dozen men offered to take
MN as their room mate and one Of these
generous volunteers was Cooley (the auth
or's friend) 1t was a fine spirit
"a Because the motive of the author,
although disguised, seems to have been be-