The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-01-17
@THE souTH IN THE SADDLE"

because the South is in the saddle"
and despite the glad tidings that are
heard ringing around the world, re-
fuse to pack up their troubles" and
at least act half way like patriots
At the late meeting of the republi-
| can executive committee in Chicago
the country was notified by wire that
the national democratic administra-
ton was denounced for placing the
control Of the government in the
hands of the minority of the South
while majority of the North paid
80 per cent of the taxes.
The correctness of that statement
we are quite sure is subject to chal
lenge, but admitting it to be true
what of it?
If it be true that the North pays
80 per cent Of the taxes, she receives
in return 80 per cent of the protec
ton, favors, and bounties of govern
ment. as was recently so ably and
Iconvincingly shown by Senator
Fletcher of Florida and Senator Hoke
Smith of Georgia. so why these lam
entations?
! Is the country to understand that
money-the cold, sordid dollar-rath-
er than brains, patriotism. executive
and judicial fitness, is to dictate and
control the policy of our great nationi
that has been rebaptized and recon,
| secrated to carry the blessings of
free government to the ends of the
earth?
If. with the South in the saddle. y
the nation had been disdirected; i'll
it had conducted affairs so as to have
brought c0ntUmeIy. humiliation, dis
grace and adversely upon us. there
would have been some excuse for
this gnashing of teeth and bitter
mourning. but when its affairs have
been so conducted as to battle the
nation in a perfect halo of glory. max.
ing her as never before the veryj
symbol Of 'the statue of liberty en-.
Tightening the world" those tears
and bitter lamentations should be
changed into ordinations of jov and
thanksgiving,
The national democratic admins.
tration, with "the South in the sad.
de-" has made the United States
the most beloved of all the nations
OF the earth, and all peoples Of the
world. except few political malcon.
tents at home, are paying it fitting
and magnificent tributes.
The homage paid it is both beauti.
full and inspiring.
But why this prolonged hatred If
the South OF the part of these money
worshippers?
1t has been shown time and time
again that the South is patriotic in
every fibre.
Joe Wheeler, Fitzhugh Lee. and
the rank and file of the Confederacv
made that fact memorable in the
Spanish-American war and in the war
just ended, its vast and successful
operations were directed with "the
South il the saddle"
In ITS completeness and the gran.
deur OF its achievements it has no.
parallel in history.
Except among "slackers" and
"alien sympathizers," there should
be no cause for lamentations and
tears
Permit US to ask, What has been
the South's part all along the line of
our national history"
Was not the South in the saddle"
during the revolutionary war?
Was not Patrick Henry and his col.
leagues in the Virginia house of Bur.
gesses. the ones who kindled the pa.
triotic ares that led to the final erup-
ton AID combustion?
Were the vestal virgins more faith.
full?
Was not George Washington. the
commemorative of the Continen.
tai armies the south's contribution?
Was not the voice of Thomas lief.
ferson the most potential in the cou7.
ell chambers, and was not he the
author of the Declaration of Indeuen.
dence? and was he not the South's
contribution?
Is 1t not historically true that
largely, through the potential influ.
e1ce of the South the constitution.
forming more perfect union" was
adopted?
Was not the South in the saddle"