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The Weekly Democrat.
K. BaMcll A Jno. VI. Browa*
Editors and Proprietors-
t90.1L BROWS, : Business Manages
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THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1883.
Ma»tt Meeting Called.
A mass meeting of the Demo
cratic Party of Decatur county is
hereby called to meet at the court
house in Bainbridge at 11 o’clock
a. m.,.on Tuesday the 3rd of April,
to elect delegates to represent the
party at the Gubernatorial Con
vention which will assemble in
Atlanta on the 10th of April to
nominate a candidate for Gover
nor of the State.
Bkn E. Russell,
Chairman Dem. Ex. Com.
EDT0KIAL ROTES.
—Georgia now has eighteen
Daily newspapers.
—Mr. Boynton is Georgia’s 60th
Governor.
—The election for Governor
will come olF just 51 da vs after the
death of the lamented Stephens,
—The commissioners of Gordon
county have refused to issue
liquor licenses. The liquor men
have appealed to the Supreme
Court. We shall watch ■'or the
decision of that tribunal with
interest.
—A Washington dispatch to the
Atlanta Constitution says that
late Saturday night, by the most
adroit management, Senators
Brown and Barrow succeeded in
passing the Trevesant claim. It
gives the State of Georgia $160,000
for a claim hundred and sixty
years \old. 1 Hurrah for Turner
Brown Kand^farrow, say we !
—An fifiscopal clergyman
preached a sermon against Pro
hibition some time ago . in New
York. Said preacher has immor
talized himself with the rum deal
ers, and he is quoted everywhere.
It is funny but it is so; just let a
preacher endorse an evil and his
popularity becomes immense in a
twinkling.
—Monroe county endorsed
Prohibition only a few days be
fore last Christmas. It would
seem that the time was opportune
for the whiskey men to fasten
their traffic upon the county. But
no! Prohibition won by eighty
majority, and Monroe has a
majority of colored voters. Our
friends may stick a pin just here
—the colored man is not so unan
imous for whiskey as some sup
pose.
—The Georgia Press Association
will meet in Athens the first part
of May, with Col J. H Estill, of
the Savannah News, presiding.
The business of the meeting will
be transacted in an hour or two,
and then, if we understand the
programme, the boys will go on
an * excursion to Washington.
There is hardly a member of the
press gang but who wants to take
this trip and we hope the arrange
ments will be perfected to this
end. What do our bretheren
think of this matter.—Darien
Gazette. Speaking for ourselves
we are in for it—taking in the
mammoth cave en route—for this
wonderful maw of the universe
never yet held a bigger thing than
the Georgia Press Association.
Let the President negotiate the
arrangement by all means.
—Our friend John Triplett, of
the Thomasville Times, took us to
task week before last for copying
one of his articles without proper
credit. The failure to credit was
unintentional on our part, for the
reason that we found the article
in some other paper without credit
which had escaped our notice
when it first appeared in the
Times. Absence in Atlanta last
week prevented the writer from
giving this nutter his individual
attention then; we now make the
amende honorable. And we re
ciprocate our friend’s good wishes
by merely remarking, that the
Lord never made a more amiable
and unselfish man than John
Triplett, and if there is anything
this writer has that is worth di
viding with him he. has only to
draw at sight—the historical
“Beasley’s dog” to the con tarry
notwithstanding.
THE COLORED VOTE AND PROHI
BITION.
We understand it is claimed
that the bulk of the colored -vote
of Decatur county will be cast
against Prohibition at the coming
election. The basis of this claim
is by no means complimentary to
the colored race, viz: that they
will vote for whiskey on account
of ignorance and a want of
morality and virtue. We take it
that this is a slander upon the
intelligence of the colored people,
which we will attempt to show' in
the course of this art icle.
Now we hold that when a black
man thoroughly understands a
question he will vote’ intelligibly
thereon. Even in politics their
vote is divided, many of them
voting the Democratic ticket.
Some years ago, owing to the be
lief prevalent among them, that
they were indebted to the Repub
lican party for their freedom, they
went solid in support of the Re
publican candidates. As time
w'ore on and they began to accu
mulate property and feel the
weight of taxation they began to
vote for the party which would do
most to reduce their burdens in
this respect. Furthermore we
have seen them vote on non-politi
cal issues with judgment and pre
cision.
Again we believe the colored
people to be interested in the
prosperity of the country, socially
morally and materially. We have
conversed with many of them who
fully appreciate the elevation
their race to a higher degree
moral excellence. Among them
are ministers and teachers who
are doing much toward the accom
plishment of this good work. And
furthermore we know colored
men, without education, whose
common j sense teach them to
strive to lead their erring brothers
in the right path. Therefore
when the friends of whiskey
count upon the black man to vote
against Prohibition on the
ground of his ignorance an3 stu
pidity they are calculating with
out their host.
The question of Prohibition is
one that vitally concerns all men
without regard to color. If stop
ping the sale of liquor will bene
fit whits men it will benefit black
men just as much. Every colored
man knows that the use of liquor
brings no comfort, no increase of
property; while on the other hand
it fosters only misery, poverty
and disgrace. At the end of the
year when he finds that the little
he has made has slipped from his
hands, he knows that but for the
temptations of the bar room he
would have a pretty sum in his
pocket. He also knows that nine
tenths of his race who inhabit the
penitentiaries and chaingangs of
the state, would to-day be living
in happiness at home but for
whiskey which caused them to
eommit crime. The right-think
ing colored man is further aware
that every riot in which his race
has been involved since the war
has been started by drunken men,
We could cite many instances to
piove this but this paper Would
not hold them.
We contend, therefore, that the
colored vote ought to be cast for
Prohibition, and we believe that
a majority of it .will be. Talk
about good feeling between the
races, why the abolition of the
whiskey traffic will do more to
cement the friendship of the
whites and blacks in a year than
all the political speaking and
preaching would do in a lifetime
For many years we have heard
men of the various parties pro
claim their “friendship for; the
negro,” but let us tell it through
out this county that the true
friend to the negro is the friend of
Prohibition. The Prohibitionist
is the friend of all men, for he
advocates a cause which will
bestow nothing but blessings upon
the whole community. If the sale
of whiskey is stopped in Decatur
county, in one year’s time no man
who has any respect for himself
would vote to have it sold again.
We hear that the colored peo
ple are being told that the prohi
bition of whiskey will be taking
away their rights as freeman. It
is not so, and the man who at
tempts to palm off such an asser
tion for the truth knows nothing of
law and right. The law prohibits
mnrder; is this taking away the
rights of a freeman? The law
prohibits theft, arson, swindling,
adultery, bigamy and various
other transgressions too numerous
to mention; yet will anybody
held that a single right of a free
man is violated ? The law prohi
bits the indiscrimate sale of pois
ons ; £yet we never hear com
plaints, not even among druggists,
of their rights being curtailed.
Yet when the sale of chain-light
ning whiskey is threatened with
prohibition we are met with the
cry that if it is done “the liberty
of the freeman is placed in jeo
pardy!” Let the honest voter
heed not this specious cry; it is
the wail of the dying devil of
Alcohol, and let them remember
the old but trite adage:
“The devil wag sick, the devil a saint would be ;
The devil got well, the devil a saint was Ue.’ r
THE CONTEST FOR THE GOVERNOR*
SHIP
On the 10th of April the Democ
racy of Georgia will meet in At
lanta and nominate a candidate
for Governor. The election w ill
take place on the 24th of the same
month, the time between the two
events being just fourteen days.
Therefore the campaign will be so
short that no thorough canvass
of the State need be attempted,
It is well, for a heated political
campaign at this time would of all
things be most deplored.
The general sentiment of the
people ol the State is in favor of
a quiet election of the man to
succeed the great and distinguish
ed Alexander H. Stephens, and
the candidate who plunges head
long into a scramble for this im
portant office is very apt to be left
out when the convention meets
The writer was in Atlanta last
w r eek, and met people from every
section and their unanimous voice
is as above indicated.
In this contest The Democrat
will advocate the nomination of
no particular man. We propose
to sustain the nominee of the
Democratic party; feeling assured
that he will be one of the ablest
and best qualified men in the
State for the position. We shall
favor sending all delegates to the
convention untramelled and un
instructed, save to act for the good
of the State after a calm and
careful review of the field. By
this course bitterness and ill-feel
ing in the party ranks will be
avoided, securing to the nominee
the cordial and hearty support of
the entire Democracy.
Georgia has a host of sons
worthy to rule over her. Although
her greatest have passed away
w'ithin a year, still her galaxy of
illustrious names yet living is
bright and undimmed. Several
gentlemen are already in the
field. A. O. Bacon will submit
his name and abide the action of
the convention. Hon. James S.
Boynton, the acting Governor, is
in the field and has a very strong
backing. Hon. William E. Smith,
the gallant and intrepid opponent
of the Electoral Commission
fraud, has siguified his willingness
to accept the. nomination if ten-
dend him. Besides the gentle
men named, there are many other
good and true sons of Georgia
who will respond if the conven
tion of the party should call them
to the front.
The Democrat is not at all un
easy as - to the result of the nomina
tion. or the election. It fears no
“rings” nor “bosses.” They have
never caused us any fear in the
past, nor will their threatening
ghosts make us apprehensive of
the future. No matter who is
nominated the malcontents will
shout “rings” and “bosses ;” but
our grand old commonwealth will
go on to prosperity, under wise
and able Democratic administra
tion all the same.
—The rapid destruction of our
timber—both by the turpentine
and timbermen—makes the fol
lowing wise utterances and sug
gestion by the Macon Telegraph
peculiary appropriate : “The re
lation of forest to steam is so
intimate that, the former is
swept away, the latter dwindles
and disappears. Countries with
out forest are countries without
great streams—often without any
of any sort, great or small. Tim
ber destroyers will not think of
this, but the General Assembly
should. Something should be
done to protect the timber- inter
ests of of Georgia. Give the State
a stock law. Send, the rail-splitter
to the rear.”
BURIALOF THE GREAT COMMONER
The mortal remains of Alexan
der H. Stephens, late Governor cf
Georgia, were buried in Atlanta
on Thursday last. It was the
privilege of the writer to be
present on that sad and never to
be forgotten occasion. John D,
Harrell, Mayor of Bainbridge, and
Jesse Wilder, one of Decatur’s
Representatives in the Legisla
ture, accompanied us.
We shall not attempt a des
cription of the obsequies of the
illustrious dead, other than to say
that no Georgian’s death ever
called together so many people
or had more honois showered
upon his bier and paid- to his
memory. The body lay in state
in the Senate chamber, and at
least seventy-five thousand per
sons filed past to take a last look
at the remains.
The memorial services in the
morning before the burial in the
evening yore very impressive
Senator Colquitt presided. General
Gordon read the resolutions. The
first address was delivered by
Judge Martin J. Crawford. The
next by General Robert Toombs
Mr. Stephens had been the life-
long friend of General Toombs who
loved him like a brother. As the
great Georgian mounted the stand
he seemed weak and dejected.
He attempted to speak, but broke
completely down under the grief
which he suffered. It was
scene long to remembered. At
last the General proceeded, and
although his speech was for the
most part indistinct, on account of
his emotion, still the immense
audience hung upon every sound
that fell from his lips. All felt
that they were hearing the illns
triousToombs for the last time;
seeing the last glimmer of that
giant intellect whose light had
illuminated the world. Toombs
Stephens—Hill! Eight months ago
this great triumvirate of statesmen
and orators lived. Hill, the
youngest, went first—exit down in
the prime of his glorious man
hood. Stephens, “the great com
moner,” whose life was a miracle
and whose genius was heaven
born, has been in his grave one
week. Toombs alone remains
standing like some grand column
amid the ruins of ancient splen
dor. It will not be long ere this
old man eloquent” crosses over
the river to join the triumvirate
in, we trust, a better world. Next
to General Toombs spoke General
Henry R. Jackson, of Savannah,
a poet and an orator. His elo
quence was impassioned and thril
ling. Col. C. C. Jones, of Augusta,
followed. His address was fine
and he delivered it #rth classic
elegance. Dr. Miller, Mr. Steph
en’s faithful friend and physician,
concluded. He is a clear and
powerful speaker, and his remarks
were listened to with rapt atten
tion.
In the evening at 3 o’clock the
funeral ceremonies were held in
the capitol. Rev. John Jones,
delivered the funeral discourse •
Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage, of
Brooklyn, concluded them. Tne
procession to the cemetery was
large and imposing. The coffin
was placed^ in a magnificent
hearse, drawn by eight splendid
black horses, each led by a color
ed man. Following in carraiges
were the family of the deceased,
Gov. Boynton and staff, Speaker
of the House, and Members of the
Legislature, & c. Then came the
military 1500 strong. It is esti
mated that seventy-five thousand
people took part in the funeral.
Bishop Beckwith officiated at the
grave. Thus was our great Gov
ernor conducted to his long home.
On the subject of the Govenor-
ship the Atlanta Constitution
utters the following patriotic lan
guage:
“We have absolutely no choice
for the succession. If we had any
choice we should not urge it.
Every personal preference, or
prejudice, or ambition should be
sacrificed now, rather than force
an unseemly and heated struggle.
There is no issue in which" the
people of Georgia are divided.
There is no difference of party
policy that would suggest or justi
fy a heated canvass at this junct
ure. The people of Georgia can
select a proper man to fill the un
expired term of Mr. Stephens
without distraction and passion
ate excitement. We shall be bet
ter satisfied if the dignity of the
State and the integrity of the par
ty is preserved during the next
fifty days than we could be at the
selection of anv man, no matter
who he might be.
Another from Dr. Battle.
Messrs Editors Democrat :
By my confessing that there are
Primitive Baptists who become
intoxicated with alcoholic liquors;
do not understand me to place
upon that denomination alone
the odium of intemperance—far
from it. It is unneccesary for me
to denominate, suffice it to say
that every one is cursed with the
same evil, and to as great extent
I am aware of the fact, that when
a P. B. gets drunk it is paraded
from mouth, to mouth, and that
it is remembered from the third
to the fourth generation. On the
other hand, when men of other
denominations get drunk, it is
ratherconcealed then made public
Now I thinlFit but fair and just
that ministers of other denomina
tions raise a howl in their own
camps, make an honest confession
for I feel assured it will do their
souls good. Let every man, woman
and child, cry out against the evil
at
until the people will gather
the polls next April, and by their
ballot have the accursed drink
put away. M. L. Battle.
We would say for the benefit of
our correspondent that no man of
sense ever accused the Primitive
Baptists with being more addicted
to the use of strong drink than
any other denomination. The
only reason that the Primitives
have been referred to at all in
this connection is, that the whis
key men gave it out that their
influence would go against Prohi
bition. And they, (the whiskey
advocates) were led to this belief
because a few prominent (or so
called-prominent, is the better
term) Primitives were loud
mouthed in their opposition to
Prohibition. For our part we be-
live that there is less drunkenness
among Dr. Battle’s denomination
than any other in the county.
Eds.
—Clayton county voted on the
Prohibition question two weeks
ago. Jonesboro is the county-site,
and lies within twenty miles of
Atlanta. It is said that the whis
key men of the capital city took
great interest in this election, and
extended the altiti-prohibitionists
much aid and comfort. Notwith
standing, Clayton county went
whooping for Prohibition. In
total vote of 769 only 100 votes
were polled against it. All honor
to the noble little county of Clay
ton. The specions arguments of
the whiskyites fell harmless, and
whites and blacks alike voted for
the public good. , The whiskey
traffic is doomed in Georgia, and
when it is completely buried the
era of murder and crime will have
passed from the Empire State.
Let the friends of Prohibition take
courage, and let them see to it
that Decatur imitates Clayton’s
glorious example.
—When you are told that the
Prohibition of the whiskey traf
fic hurts the trade of any town or
county, don’t’believe it. Yes, it
does effect the whiskey trade but
no other. The writer was in At
lanta last week and conversed
with people living in prohibition
counties and towns throughout
the State, and the unanimous
sentiment was that since Prohibi
tion a marked improvement in
trade had been the result. With
in twelve months nearly every
county in Georgia will be Prohi
bition, and a few more years will
see it abolished throughout the
State. Look at the reported fail
ures throughout the country, and
you will see that a large per cent-
age of them are whiskey deal
ers. Everywhere the people are
against the incarnate devil—even
the late Republican Congress ad
ministered to him a very black
eye.
Track Farming.
Thomasville Enterprise.
Truck farming may be said just
now to be on a decided “boom” in
this section of Georgia. Our ex
changes, we believe without ex
ception, are enthusiastically ring
ing the changes on the subject,
and from them we gather that our
farmers have determined, as a
rule, to adopt for the coming year
the following programme: First,
to provide for the home and farm;
second; to produce early vege
tables for the Northern market;
and third, to make of cotton a
surplus crop.
If this programme be adopted
and adhered to, we predict that ?,t
I am now receiving my stock of
SPBII& AM SUlll
GOODS.
Ard invite the attention of buyers,
tailed list: •
When my stock is complete I will
give
WORK HARD, LIVE HARD
-AND-
SESIiL. CHEAP
COME IN AND SEE M
I Alco Buy all articles of Country Produce
iames R.
3-8-83-ly
THE BEST WAGS
ON WHEEL!
IS MANUFACTURED EX
1FEII]EE BHDS. & CO.
RACINE, WIS.
WE MAKE EVERY VARIETY OF
Farm, Freight and Spring Wagon
And by confining ourselves strictly to one class of work; by employing none but tbo T»,
of WORKMEN, using nothing but FIRST-CLASS IMPROVED MACHINERY und to
BEST of SELECTED TIMBER, and by a THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE of the business n
Justly earned the reputation of making
“THE BEST WAGON ON WHEELS
Manufacturers have abolished the warranty, but Agents may, on their owu responsibility,■
the following warranty with each wagon, if so agreed:
We Hereby Warrant the FISH BROS. WAGON No to be well made in ewj,,
nlar aDd ot good material, and that the strength of the same is sufficient for all workmd
usage. Shonld any breakage occur within one year from this date by reason of defective n
or workmanship, repairs for the same will be furnished at place of sale, free of chcrgt,
price of said repairs, as per agent’s price list, will be paid in cash by the purchaser proda
sample of the broken or defective parts an evidence.
Knowing we can suit you, we solicit patronage from every section of the United States
. _ KACiN
for Prices and Terms, and for a copy of THE
IE AGRICULTURIST, to
PISH BROS. &. C"., Racine,
the close of the present year the
farmers of South Georgia will be
glad of it. Nothing in the w'orld,
in future, hut an almost total fail
ure of the crop, can again bring
about decreased receipts of cotton
Year by year the population of
the South is increasing, and as it
increases so also is the cotton
acreage enlarged. No matter if
each individual farmer does re
duce his individual acreage, each
will still pay .some attention to
cotton, and so in the end it will
always be found that the accumu
lated production of the great sta
pie is very great. Last year a
large percentage of the farmers in
the South cut short their cotton
product, and yet it is estimated
that the crop this year will be the
largest ever grown and will reach
6,680,000 bales. If this be so it
will be folly to expect an averege
yield of less than 7,000,000 bales
in future years, and no farmer
can reasonable expect hereafter
to receive, on the average, more
than 8 cents per pound for his
cotton.
The fleecy monarch being thus
dethroned, the great question of
interest which arises is “What
shall take his place.” The most
satisfactory answer yet elicited to
this question is “vegetables.”
Here we are in easy access to the
Northern market, and our season
is a month or six weeks ahead of
that in that section. A shipment
of early vegetables from here one
day should reach Savannah the
next, and from there they can ^e
safely and promptly transported
Hew Adyeriisments.
to
Baltimore, and other points
North, where they will bring the
hest market prices. Nor is
there any danger of overstocking
the market. The whole North,
East and West are full of pur
chasers an dall the vegetables
which can be produced would not
furnish a supply greater than the
demand.
It seems, then, that a bonanza
for this favored region is to be
found in truck farming. All that
is neccessary is for the railroads
and steamship companies to pro
vide good ventilation and swift
and prompt dispatch at fair rates
to secure the success of this indus
try. Early fruit and vegetables
are princes well worthy to ascend
the almost vacant throne of King
cotton.
Lord Chesterfield Si?
“A man should dress as well u
means will allow.” If you ivouMmt
means, get precisely what 7011 *ut
dress in good taste have yonr CM
made to order. My last season’s ha
shows that the people appreciati
advantages I offer and my Spring Sac
while superior in Loth quality
designs are
Marked Down
So that none need waste money in IbU
endeavor to dress in Shoddy Clothing
P^5"“ Will have Gentleman’s Clotla
L: d es’ Silks and other dress fabricsS]
by a Philadelphia Dying Establistnsfl
a satisfactory manner.
J. x. hahs
Feb’y 22,1883.—tf
WOOD & VVYGANT
Southern Fruits and VegetaW
r-AND GENERAL—
Commission Herein
268 Washington Street, Near Wi
NEW YORK CITY.
Refers to any well established BunL®J
Editors of this paper for any infore -
concerning their reliability. Home"
itory: the People’s Bank of Neff
3-I-3m
Notice*of Election.
Office Commissioners of Decatcs
Bainbbidge, Ga„ March 12, £
In accordance with “An Act fa ™
the sale or disposal of Alcoholic, Sp*
or Malt Liquors, or Intoxicating Bus
the County of Decatur, and for
poses therein,named” approved byihejjj
ernor December 8, 1882, the h f
ConntJDCommissioners of Decatur
hereby give notice that an election*
held in the county of Decatur on 1 *.
dat OF Apbii, 1883 to determine *
intoxicating liquors shall any ip®S er ''
in said county. .
Section III, of the Act above
reads as follows; “Bait furth 6 ^
that each voter at said election sb
written or printed on his ballot t ^
“IN FAVOE OE.THS SAIF. OF L1QC0* ‘
words : “Against the saie or „ . 1
Section IV. of the act is as ,’j
it further enacted that the quau*®
the voters at said election and the
of conducting it shall he the e* .
Members of the Legislature fora* 1 ,
except that the Teturns thereof
made to the Board of County Com
of said county, who shall cobs# ^
vote in the same manner as other
are consolidated, and declare the - >
publishing the same one lime in ‘
paper of said connfcy.” y
Chairman Board County Co®
W. H. Ckawf'obd,
March 15, 1883.—fde.
day K
$5 to $2Q*<
free- Address
portlaDht