The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-12-18
THE souTH's REoENERATioN AT
HAND

ter Things-Just What 10 DO. and
! How to Do 1.-THE Hour for Action
| Is Here, Says This Writer.
| Come with me to the heights from
whence together we may see clearly
the spiritual and material conditions
i that now pervade the south. say
| spiritual first. because the spirit II
the vital thing. IL the spirit quicken
f. eth enough to transform thought into
action, result is great deeds that shall
endure. Whereas, IL one merely Inn
AGNES vain things and fails to prac-
tice what he breaches, It availeth lit.
tie.
But look deeply into practice what
he breaches. it availeth little.
But look deeply into these millions
of southern minds! See how eager
they are to substitute efficient action
for empty talk. Observe everywhere
the desire to work out from past mis-
takes. to profit by experience. to util-
ize more fully the south's resources OF
Nature and of people. Note how
every eye alight with hope. every
will fired by determination. every
mind firm in the faith that the best
is yet to be for the south-in agri-
culture and industry. in economies
and thrift. in education and civics. an
social and religious lifel What you
behold is in truth the active soul OF a
mighty race. and you agree with me:
Endowed with splendid genius,
Imbued with noble courage.
Earnest and firm of purpose.
Eager for arts and science.
The New South will be indeed,
The glory OF AmericaI
Looking again from our heisht. you
see with birds eye clearness the mar
velous natural wealth of the south
its plains and valleys. mountains and
rivers. You see also how the soil has
been robbed. how farmers and ten.
ants have been skinned" yet how
feebly other classes have benefited
by the wasteful economies heretofore
in use.
Penetrating still further. you see
that waste has caused want. that
Nature is so provident she has made
too many Of our people improvident
They now realize this themselves. and
are ready to go forward unitedly for
greater efficiency.
So 1t is that now thrift seeks 90
supplant extravaganza. knowledge
aims at displacing ignorance. Co
operation would bind the relatively
feeble power of separate individuals
into the mighty force of associated
effort. Enable the people to make as
much real progress during 1915 az
she has during the past quarter Of a
century. Your state can leap forward
twenty-five years in one year,
Reform the system of Aarter, which
holds in subsection both landlord and
tenant, merchant and banker. Pool
your cash. credits and cooperation
through a system that will promote
thrift, pay debts and transform poor
tenants into rich yeomanry.
One trouble in many southern
states is the thousands of seasonal
loans, crop-liens and relatively short
term advances, aggregating millions
of dollars. which should be refunded
into long-term obligations secured by
mortgage on real estate.
Then, by the plan I advocate. each
$1,000 of such long-term mortgages
may be wiped out, both interest and
principal in full. by the payment of
only $35 every six months for 30
years! This seems incredible. but
it is gloriously true. and wholly feas.
ible.
To begin with. each legislature
should do these things forthwith:
1. Codify. simplify and improve
the land laws. Provide a method OF
title insurance and transfer that shall
be perfect, clear. simple-the Torrens
system, or something like II. Thus
make real estate titles incontestable
and safe without expense to owners.
borrowers or lenders. Already North
Carolina has done something OF this
kind.
2. Enact the standard bin FOR farm
finance under state law. It's part one
enables the people OF most modest
means to have their own little neigh
borhood banks in which 20 gather
their petty savings and use same a.
a basis for collective credits. thus
gradually becoming able to pay cash.
get out Of debt and accumulate a
competency. Part two OF the stand.
ard bill provides for one or more