The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-02


 "HE CHICAGO TRIBUNE. a journal
 which calls itself "The Worlds A Greatest Newspaper" apropos of a lynching in Georgia, launches this dia- tribe at the entire south:
 The south is backward. It shames
 the United States by illiteracy and
 incompetence. It's hill men and
 poor whites. it's masses of feared
 and bullied blacks, its ignorant and
 violent politicians, it's rotten indus-
 trial conditions and its rotten social
 ideas exist in circumstances which
 disgrace the United States in the
 thought of Americans and in the
 opinion of foreigners.
 The south is half educated. It Is a
 region of illiteracy, blatant self
 righteousness, cruelty and violence.
 Until it Is improved by the tnva-
 sion of better blood and better ideas
 1t will remain reproach and
 danger to the American republic.
 The Tribune Is backward. As an American newspaper 1t shames the United States by it's ignorance and in competence. It's blatant self-righteous- ness pdSBe6 Oelldl 0Htil II AS AAiiPAO by the invasion of better spirit and better ideas 1t will remain a reproach and a danger to true nationalfsm. But it's sentiments with regard to the south must be typical of community opinion, since otherwise they would have met with public and concerted re- buke from Chicago's citizenship. .,
 When the civil war broke out the north was rich; the south, thanks to an industrial system which was as mis- taken economically as 1t was wrong morally, was poor. The war stimulated the north and prepared it for the con quest of the new west; 1t prostrated and bankrupted the south. After the war the north was as 1t had been be- fore; the south was land in ruins Not only its capital was gone; It's in stitutions were to rebuild, on new and better foundations. And while the south stood so bitterly in need the laws of the United States were shaped to oene- fit the protected manufacturers of the north at the expense of the agricultural south. We recall that the esteemed Tribune, in the Medill days, used to argue powerfully for a low tariff be- tween campaigns; then, when the time for action came, 1t always became regular" and fought with and for the tariff barons.
 There is no more shameful story than that of the reconstruction" at the south, for which the north was respon- sible. There is no more inspiring story nfi ho south by itself. Which is typical of the south: the shameful 5eed of mob or the steady, persistent advance of indus trial reform. of popular education, ct city making. of literature and the arts, of charity and philanthropy
 Is Chicago in a position to throw stones? Has the Windy City nothing to learn from the despised south? Look at the way in which Chicago has mud died her terminal situation and con- pare 1t with the splendid municipal ter minals of New Orleans. For Chicago to prate of ignorant and violent politic- fans" is, as a certain Venetian gentle man once remarked. hypocrisy against the dsxil." Can the south match Bath House John and Hinky Dtnk? Has the south ever equalled tho Lorimer scan dal? Yet Isorimer came from the great and good city of Chicago.
 Chicago has. through Lorimer, brought disgrace upon the politics of a nation; its municipal government has been sordid and corrupt; what did Chicago ever do in a constructive way to advance the politica: thinking of America or help forward-look- ing men to better things7 Nothing at all;