The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-01
TIME FOR SOUTH TO
SHOW ITS CHARACTER

For a red hot criticism of the spir
of depression which has been per-
mitted to hold sway in the South. com
mend us to the statement just is
sued by Wright willin CHAM. president
OF the Chamber of Commerce of Rome
Ga Even II Mr.. Willinghams views
are not accepted by all Of the people
who read them, they are at least cal
cuIated to provoke discussion to stimu-
late thought and make people try to
prove that they are not among the
"mollycoddles." Speaking of the fact
that we have been boasting for over
one hundred years that we could be
Independent of trade with the rest OF
the world. Mr.. wlllingham says:
For more than one hundred years
the United States have made the proud
boast that this country could live re-
CARELESS of any exigencfes that might
exist In other parts of the world: that
this country, bounded as 1t ID on the
one hand by the Pacific Ocean and on
the other by the Atlantic, separated
thousands OF miles from the yellow
perir": on the other hand separated
thousands of miles from the heterogen-
eous elements of Continental Europe
the rest of the world might go to
hell II they chose TO do so, and still
we would ge basking under the sunny
skies OF America--the land budding
over with milk and honey and hog
and hon,iny.
"And now. fe1Iow-ci,izens. we have
an opportunity to illustrate the declar-
alton made by every hfll-bfilie orator
Of the last century or more, from the
mountains OF New Hampshire to the
plains OF Florida. and yet here we are.
the avers-~e one OF us. going around
like a NANCY dog, whining about the
war You can hardly get an audience
with a man on any other subject and
nine-tenths OF the people seem to be
under the impression that somebody
has done them or their folks serious
injury"
same kind of vigorous English. he
adds
"The question at this hour is not
who hit Billie Patterson but are the
American peopie--the Southern people,
a lot of pa1e-faced rollycoddles, with
SKINNED goats milk flowing through
their veins. or have they inherited
the rich red blood OF our American
sires who left their bloody footprints
on the ffozen valleys of Virginia when
George Washington led them on to a
victorious deliverance from the yoke
of English royalty
Some OF our twentieth century lux
rnrtes 1t may bs necessary for US to
adjust ourselves to new basis OF
lftving-but should we surrender? True
II fs some OF our folks may have to
divert to some extent the stream OF
gold that has for the last ten years
flowed from our vaults and Into the
Golfers OF Mr.. Ford. Mr.. Packard. Mr..
Buick and Mr.. Saxon and other es-
teemed felIow-countrymen OF the north
Of us, but we can still raise mule
colts and Jersey bulls and get there
somehow. even though II be at . lower
rate of speed.
+ lnnuence Of Women.
True IL may be that our women folks
may have to suspend their suffragette
convocations for brief spell and re-
sumo the monotonous business of look
ing after the babies and knitting sox
for the men-but this Is the way they
used TO do, and they managed to live
through IT.
True II may be that our rich dads
won't have quits as much money to
spent on their boys In the way of Pied
mont cigarettes. patent leather shoes
and ice cream clothes. and It may even
be possible that the boy will have to
learn something about self and
physical lahor-hut this IL the way
they used to do, and several Of them
managed to live through It Take. for
instance. Abraham Lincoln and a few
other cheap skates.
"True IL may be that some Of our
farmers win be driven. against their
will. to the production OF hog and
hominy, peas and potatoes and sor-