The Hartwell sun. (Hartwell, GA.) 1879-current, November 26, 1879, Image 1

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HON. W. H. FELTON'S LETTER. lie Cemlnmi'a Ite Itntlrv I’ullr; of the IK-mocrutlp I’nrly. WASTnsr.ToT, November It—Rep resentative Felton, of Georgia, who id an independent democrat, and was elect* ed to the forty-fifth and forty-sixth Con gresses against the regular democratic Candidate, lias written the following let ter to a Friend in this city : Cartersville, Ga., November 4tli, 1870 .—Dear Sir: I received your letter requesting for publication my views on the situation and future outlook for the democratic,the extent aud prob able future of the independent move ment in this slate; if the South would he satisfied with the nomination of Mr. Tilden ; also, what effect w ill the spirit of repudiation iu several of the southern states have on the commercial relations of the south? Each of these questions would require a long article to answer them satisfactorily; but I must content myself with a brief reply to your entire letter. First —The present and future of the democratic party. I am a democrat, and sincerely believe that the principles of democracy as enunciated by Jeffer son and illustrated in the pa.-t by the teachings and example of distinguished statesmen are essential to the perpetuity of our form of government. To establish and preserve those principles should command the untiring attention and la bor of every citizen, whether in public or private life. In doing this we must carefully separate the true from the false. We must remember that men and or ganizations may grow corrupt, and that sometimes by a blind allegiance to both, ye may sacrifice the very principles we cherish. We must remember that after the late civil war the democratic party was placed by its opponents in the atti tude of defending the south against the stalwart element of the republican par ty ; or, more plainly, the democratic party was unjustly represented as antag onizing the union sentiments of the north. We have lost the confidence of the north and we can never regain con trol of the government until we convince the citizens of the United States that we are more conservative,, more observant of the constitution and the laws, more honest and economical, more cnpable and better fitted to guard the integrity of the union and the rights of the citizen than the republican party, We must recover the confidence of the people be fore we can recover political power. Da rina: the extra session of the forty-sixth Congress, I privately aud publicly ex pressed the opinion that the proceedings of that session would result in the defeat of the democratic party- It was mani fest to me that the passions and preju dices of partisanship, rather than reason aud wise statesmanship, were guiding the councils of democratic leaders; that they were making capital for their op ponents, instead of strengthening their own party, and that they were ingthe north against an already solid south. I need not recapitulate tbc mistakes and criminal blunders of that session— our threat to withhold the appropriations until certain repeal measures were ap proved by the President; our indirect announcement to the world that we in tend to ignore the executive branch of the government and to make Congress with its factious turbulence the absolute dictator of this country ; our unsuccess ful effort to repeal the election laws, not upon the ground of inexpediency, but upon the ground of their unconstitu tioualitv, and vehemently pressing that in the face of the following section of the constitution : “ The time, places and : manner of holding elections for senators | and representatives shall he prescribed j in each state by the legislature thereof, but the congress may at any time, by ' law, make or alter such regulations, ex cept as to the places of choosing sena tors.” The discussion upon these vari ous questions made the impression upon the northern mind, that democracy was nothing but state rights run mad ; that that we would sweep from the statute book the last war measure if we, as a party, were in power ; thatsecession and rebellion would again follow as neces sary sequences of the extreme view of state rights. Thus that most wholesome axiom, “ Support the state governments in all their rights as the most competent administration of our domestic concerns, and the surest bulwarks against auti-re republican tendencies,” was perverted by the impolitic speeches of our unwise leaders into the rock upon which our party weut to pieces. Then we had the wild effort to create exeitenieut about the use of the artny at the polls. Had there been an army at the polls there would have been some sense in this the* The Hartwell Sm. By BENSON & McGILL. VOL. IV—NO. 13. ntrical display, this rehearsal of provid ing an imaginary foe. There should be no army at the polls, and our country men, while they enjoy their liberties, will never again permit an armed soldier at the ballot-box. His presence there is a symbol of despotism, but one of the first nets of President Hayes after his inauguration was to withdraw the army from evety southern stnte where they had been stationed in violation of law, aud during the entire war of politicians there was not a single soldier interfering with the ballot-box in any of the states, and we had the direct assurance of this patriotic president that during his term of office no soldier should approach the ballot-box to interfere with the freedom of elections. Yet we received his pro testations with ribald jest aud biting sar casm, and “ his frauduleucy ” was the mildest epithet we applied to the president, who for this patriotic work, should receive the respect and gratitude of every southern nmn. I need not continue these recitals, these demonstrations of incapacity, of blind passion. Suffice it to say that our dem ocratic congress has alarmed the north ern people. They arc afraid to intrust the administration of the government to the hands of violent men. They would rather risk the perils of centralization than again endure the horrors of rev olution. They would as soon see the government “shot to death ” as to have it “starved to death.” All this has been the work of our self-constituted leaders. The great mass of the democratic party arc conservative in their opinion, and as true to the constitution and the union. Yet tlie toiling millions, partic ularly in the south, are unjustly held re sponsible for thg vaporing follies of these hot-heads. In addition to these blunders of the extra session, there have been iu some southern localities outrages upon law and the freedom of the ballot box, which, though they may riot exceed in violence similar outrages in the north, yet they have served to influence the northern mind against the southern peo ple, who, as a whole, condemn such out rages as heartily as any man iu tlie north —the Dixon murder, the Chisolm mur der, the frequent acts of intimidation, and tlie efforts of the advocates of “caucus dictation ” to drive, nolens vo lens, all men into the support of their nominees. I repeat, these acts of vio lence and attempted violence, while not confined to the south, and many of them greatly exaggerated, have 'contribuled largely to tiie present and pro-pective defeat of the democratic party, and if we fail next year in electing a democrat ic president, which now seems inevita ble, I can only say : “ Democracy has been slaughtered in the house of its friends.” You ask me to what extent the inde pendent movement is spreading in this state. I answer, it promises to sweep the state from the mountains to the sea board next year. I believe our next j governor and a majority of our next congress and our state legislature will be elected as independents. The honest and intelligent citizens of this state have determined to throttle and overthrow j that organized bourbonisin, which has well nigh destroyed the very bulwarks of genuine democracy, that never learns and never forgets ; that stands as a bar rier to our material progress, narrow, selfish, and liberal, in its only bond of union a struggle of spoils, its only hope of success the tricks of the caucus and the lash of the party. Its fruit has turned to ashes iu the hands of our countrymen, and Georgia democrats are resolved to rescue the demo cratic party from its destructive grasp. ludependeutism does not rely upon par ty machinery; confides in principles; enthrones country; and trusts the peo ple rather than party leaders. You ask if Tildeu’s nomination would be satisfactory to the people of this state, and if the south would give him a solid and cordial support. The people of Georgia would not be satisfied with Mr. Tildeu’s nomination. He might, and I think he would carry the state, but it would be by the “ skin of his teeth.” The people of Georgia are con vinced that he loves his money more than the democratic party. They be | Hove that had Mr. Tildcn never been HARTWELL, GA., WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26.‘ 1870. heard of, democracy would to-day he triumphant iu the union. They are tired of his grievance, and hundreds of the best democrats in the state w ill not vote if he is nominated. There is no use in talking about Mr. Tilden. I im agine that to-day’s work 1n Now York will quietly lay him away among the other relics of antiquated bourbonism, and hereafter men will study Idm as a rich specimen of Hie “ ways that are dark and the tricks that are vain.” I believe there is but one man in the United States who, as a democrat, can win tlie presidency next year. That man is David Davis, of Illinois. Mr. Bayard is an honest, incorruptible man ; but lira position on the driver bill at the last session of congress, and his financial view generally, will array tlnj whole greenback party against him. And here let me say, that party is not dead nor does it sleep. The people believe that if Mr. Bayard's views on finance are correct, then General Grant and Secretary Sherman and other republi cans are entitled to all the credit of their establishment, and should enjoy all the honors which may accrue from their successful advocacy. In addition to this objection, his candidacy would fail to quiet the north. The scarecrows that republican leaders, sided aud abetted by bourbou fanatics, have erected umong the people, would not down at Mr. Bay ard's bidding. David Davis would bo acceptable to conservative meu in all sections—to green backers, to working men, to capitalists, to democrats and to thousands of republicans. Ilis candi dacy would reassure the north. It would give assurance that tho democrat ic party would be conservative, and that the party would not starve or shoot the government. But he will not be nominated. He is not the sort of man who is popular with the manipulators of state and national conventions. Yonr last question is: What effect will the spirit of repudiation have on the commercial relations of the south? Let me say that I do not believe the spirit of repudiation exists to any con siderable extent in the south, certainly uot in Georgia. We favor the payment of every dollar of the public indebted ness, state and federal. In the midst of our poverty we are willing to labor and to be taxed for the preservation of the honor and credit of the government. I am sorry if there are any states or indi viduals who advocate repudiation as a remedy for the financial ills we are suf fering. The remedy would increase our poverty a hundred fold. We also insist on paying this indebtedness in good money, jnst such money as our farmers, merchants and mechanics are compelled to receive every day—silver and green backs. Business is reviving. Thestim ulant of a large influx of gold into the country from Europe, good crops here and bad crops there, has brought it about, because the volume of money has been increased by a favorable balance of trade. This revival of business is now blessing the country ; but when the gold takes the hack track, as it is liable to do at any time, then comes the crash. Let us have free and unlimited coinage of silver; let us increase our greenback circulation pro rata witli the increase of silver and gold, and thus by keeping up the volume of money, make the present “ business boom ” permanent. Then, my word for it, repudiation, and the very spirit of repudiation, would perish in the land. In conclusion, whatever party shall be in power, may the different sections of the union reap the benefits of a wise and liberal policy, growing in wealth and population, in virture and intelli gence. May the liberties of our coun trymen be perpetual. Very respect fully, W. H. Felton. A learned German doctor lias dis covered a means of dyeing the eyes of animals in general and of men in par ticular any color he pleases. He is ac companied on his travels of propaga tion by a dog with a rose-colored eye, a cat with an orange-red eye, and a monkey with a chrome-yellow eye. But the most curious specimen of his art are a negro with one black eye and the other silver-white. The doctor says the process of ocular transformation, far from injuring the sight, strengthens and improves it. Devoted to Hart County. T HE I‘AK.tIH)XICAIi PARADOX. EH. 1 Only three short y'ears 'since we furnished this parlor together,” stud Mrs. Paradox, “ tVrid now—” “ Yes, now !” echoed Mr. Paradox, resolutely thrusting his hands deep down into his pockets. “ Things are altered rtow, Abby Jane 1” “ Only three years,” said Mrs. Para dox, sorrowfully. •‘Three years of cat-and-dog quar reling,” commented her Husband, grirtily. “ You said the pink damask window curtains were just the color of tfiv cheeks!” faltered Mrs. Paradox. “ And even then, if you’ll be good enough to recall the fact to your mem ory, Mrs. P.,” remarked her husband, “ we couldn’t agree as to the pattern of the carpet, nor whether the walls should be Ualsooiiued or papered !” •• We never have agreed,” assented Mrs. Paradox, with pufsed-np lips. ,4 .Ad never shall!” said Mr. Para dox. “ Perhaps it’s better, on the whole, that wc are to separate,” said the lady. “ Oh, altogether,” acquiesced the gentleman, rattling the money indiffer ently iu his pocket. •• Wc never were suited to one an other,” sighed Mrs. Paradox. “Couldn't, have been worse matched if we had tried for it,” remarked the husband. “ It’s a pity we hadn’t found it out before we were married,” said Mrs. Paradox. “ Better late than never,” said Mr. Paradox. “ You said you loved me,” said Mrs. Paradox. “ Well, I tliought I did.” “ I might have known that ‘ men were deceivers ever,’ ”, quoted the wife. “ Oh, come now, Abby Jp.ne, that isn't fair," said Mr. Paradox. “Our first quarrel was when you turned Ro ver out of the parlor—the old New foundland that had saved my life.” “No, it wasn’t,” said Abby, witli spirit; “it was when you called my aunt Anastasia ‘ an old bore,’ and said you wouldn’t take her to the Wednes day evening prayer meeting! My aunt Anastasia, with property, and a temper like an angel’s !” “ That’s all very well,” said Mr. Paradox, “ but you seem to have for gotten that you treated my friend Dick ens as if he had been a housebreaker, when I brought him unexpectedly to dinner.” “ You refused to take me to the sea side when Dr. Dobkins said that the waters were essential to my health,” Hashed out the lady. 4 “ Y'ou wouldn’t consent to have my mother come and live with ns,” retort ed Mr. Paradox, twitching his mustache. “If your mother's temper was half as had as yours—” began Mrs. Para dox, flushing up to the very roots of her hair. “ There you go again,” said Mr. Paradox, beginning to pace savagely lip and down the room. “ Who on earth could be expected to put up witli this sort of thing ?” “ You’ll not have to put up with it much longer,” said Mrs. Paradox, drawing herself up. “ Thank goodness, no,” said Mr. Paradox. “ The lawyers will arrange all that,” enunciated the lady. “ The sooner the better,” said her husband. “Of course it will make a dreadful scandal, me going home to mamma, and all!” faltered Mrs. Paradox. “ Not at all,” said Mr. Paradox; “ separations are common things now adays.” “ And I dare say,” cried out the wife, " that as soon as you get to the horrid place that you’re going to, you’ll be making love to some other woman.” “ Not I,” said Mr. Paradox, quite enough ot that sort of thing, thank you.” “Here’s the lawyer, coining to draw up the papers,” said Mrs. Paradox looking out from between the rose col ored damask curtains, "and I'm glad of it.” “So am I,” said Mr. Paradox, with flinty-hearted callousness. “ You’re a brute !” cried the wife. 81.50 Per Annum. ;a kf >Hn'i nnt .ii t * WHOLE NO. fe “So ybn have often bfcfbre,'’ said (he husband, biting off the end of a dgnr. “ That’s no reason you should insult me by smoking in my presence.” “ I)o not he afraid, niadum—you i have already taken quite sufficient op portunity to inform me of your aver sion to my habits,” And only the entrance of the law yer sufficed to arrest impending hostil ities. Ittras quite true. Mr. and Mrs. Paradox, after a union of three years, had agreed that they couldn’t agree, and were to sign a legal separation, It was altogether the best thing—in fact, the only one, they mutually de cided. Tt had been scold, scold, carp, carp, fret, fret, ever since they had walked out of thfc church poroli. Domestic peace hlul long ago foldejl her wings and floated ortt of the win dow ; love and tender sympathy had shrunk, startled, away. And at the end of these three years friends had been called in council, a solemn session of relatives hail been held, and Mr. and Mrs. Paradox were going to separate. “ You're sure you don’t care for her, Louis ?” Paradox’s dearest friend and college chum had said to him. “ Oh, that’s quite a thing of the past,” said Paradox with a shrug of the shoulders. “You have ceased to love him, dear?” Mrs. Paradox’s mother questioned her child. “ Oh, mamma, long ago J” declared poor little Abb}', with streaming eyes. So the papers were signed, and Mr. and Mrs. Paradox separated in good earnest. n Abby Jane went back to the mater nal home, and Mr. Paradox took up his quarters in a hotel, until he could arrange for his final departure. But the night before ho was to sail the waiter came up to his room and an nounced, “ A lady.” “ It’s my mother,” thought Mr. Par adox, who was sitting staring into the red coals of the grate as if they were a riddle that he was trying to read. But it was not his mother. It was his wife ! “ It’s only me, Louis,” said Abby, trembling all over. “I—l wanted to speak just a word or two to you before you went away—forever !” “ Are you not satisfied with the al lowance ?” said Mr. Paradox, gloomily. “ Oh, quite, it’s more than generous,” said Abby, hurriedly. “Only, I could not help telling yon one or two tilings before we part. I was wrong about Rover. He was a noble dog. I should have let him stay, only—only I was a little out of temper that day. And I’ve asked your mother's pardon for refus ing to let her live with us. 1 think, now, that she would have been a great help and comfort to me. And I think, Louis, that I should feel better if you would say you forgave me for scolding so much about your cigars ! And—” “Stop!” said Mr. Paradox. “It isn’t right, Abby, that all the apologies should be on your side. I’ve been wrong myself!” “Oh, no, I/mis, no!” cried out the little wife, bursting into tears. “ Yes, I was—about your aunt,” de clared Paradox. “ She was a dreadfull y trying old creature,” owned Abby. “ and I knew it all the time.” “But I should have treated her civ illy !” persisted Mr. Paradox. “And I shall always regret, Abby, that I did not give you that season at the seaside.” “ Dear Louis, don't talk so ! All I ask of you is to forget and forgive ray horrid temper,” besought Mrs. Paradox, “If there is any forgiveness,” said the husband, with softening eyes, “it is I that need it. I have acted like a fool.” “ We have both been foolish,” tim idly suggested the wife. “ But because we have been idiots, it don’t follow that we need be for the future,” said Mr. Paradox, holding out both his hands. “Abby, shall 1 go, or shall I stay ? Speak quickly ; it is for you to decide.” “Stay,” whispered Mrs. Paradox. He folded her close to lii* breast. “ Little wife,” he said, * let us go dowa to old Parchment's office and tear up those papers of 'Wparatlon.” “ l don't care bow soon j’ou do it,” saM Mrs. Paradox, laughing and cry in the same breath. ” And then ?” “ And then,” Mrs. Paradox, twisting the second button of ber bus hand's coat round and round, “wo will begin life over again— on an altogether new platform." ~ u , t And that was the cud uC the legal separation. —* • Of coursotbflrfl was a general 1 gust of gossip about itpeople said that “it was very str&ugc that the Para duxes didn't know their own minds.” Hut Mr. and Mrs. Paradox were suited, and, after all, that was the main thing. i Strange Experiments A writer in Blsrlrwood’s Magazine, thus describes strange physical experi ments which he witnessed at Damascus : After the usual preliminary politeness of pipe*, sherbet, and coffee, the sldek went into an inner room and reappear ed with a bundle of iron skewers, very much resembling those used by cooks for trussing meat. Beckoning to a wild* looking dervish stripped t* tlie waist, whose wandering ejre bad an evil look in it which the rest of his countenance did not bolie—ln fact it was only re deemed from being villainous by a sort of glare of insanity—he made lun open bis mouth, and proceed’ed with the utmost coolness to pass a skewer from the inside through each check, so that tlie points could be seen plainly protruding, lit then performed a like operation on a remarkably Immlsom® youth of about 10, whom I afterwards found was his son, and whose large, clear lmzel eye was calmly fixed on mine while his cheeks were being pierced, nor did a line of his counten ance indicate that he was conscious of the slightest pain. Not a drop of blood flowed in either ease. The two victims stood before us witli their mouths pressed back, and the projecting skewers showing the points through their checks witli as much apparent comfort as if it was the normal condi tion of their being. Leaving them in this attitude the sheik again disappear ed into his room. This time he return ed with a small square box, drawing back the sliding lid of which lie ex tracted a scorpion of unusual size, its vicious tail curling and striking its own back as it writhed between bis fingers. This lie banded to another dervish, clothed and looking more in his right mind than his skewers comrade, who instantly dropped the lively reptile into his mouth and crunched it with great apparent gusto. As he was as large as an ordinary land-crab, it was a big mouthful, and seemed to whip up into a sort of lather as he chewed it. Ilis countenance as lie went on munching was so impassive that 1 could not judge whether live scorpion is nice or not, probably it is an acquired taste. An other dervish joined in the repast, and disposed of a smaller one with equal equanimity. He Wanted “ He ’Lowance.” The Columbus (Mis*.) Index, says a colored man who had contracted a debt some years ago with one of our mer chants came to town yesterday and called on his old creditor. “ Didn't you 'splain to me dat if I settled up dat account you would give me a 'lowance ? said the darkey to the merchant. “ Yes, I did say so, Sam,” said the merchant. “If you are ready to settle your bill now I will make a good allow ance,” and the merchant waited for the colored individual to pull out his poc ket-book. “ Well, sir, I hasen’t got de money jes’ now, but I thought I’d come in and get de 'lowance; my wife wants a shawl.” Athens Chronicle : A young lady on emerging from one of our churches a few nights ago, cast a look at the gathered around the door, and elairned: “I wonder where my beau is ? I guess I’ll have to put a bell on him, so that I can hereafter be better able to distinguish him from the crowd of calves in front of a church.” The New York Express says that the Okolona idiot and Bob Toombs would make an excellent couple for some vigilance committee. Says the New York Mail: “Keep the young men at home.” Oh, fudge, J give the girls a chance. Keep the old ! men at home, brother, that’s more to purpose.