Georgia Historic Newspapers

    PHILOSOPHER SAYS WE ARE “PRO
RRESSISO” BACKWARD.
HE TALKS OF THE OLD SOUTH.
Cln»‘>K°‘ l Conditions Find Women Fast
Taking tile Flares of
tlie Men.
■\Ve were talking about the old south
b:u 1 the new south, and some said
there was no new south; that we were
the same people aud have the same
principles, the same religion and the
same politics that our fathers had, but
like-the rest of the civilized world, we
have advanced in education and gen
eral intelligence and in the enjoyment
of the comforts of life.
Well, I am no pessimist, but I am
grieved to say that in many things we
have advanced backward. We have
more books and more newspapers and
more schools, but that crime is on the
iucrease is known and admitted by all
who study the records of the courts.
There are more idle young men than
there need to be—yes, five times as
many, according to population, and
Ben Franklin said that idleness is the
parent of vice. I can pick out a score
of young men in every town who are
doing nothing—young men of good
families—aud they are living on the
old man or the old woman and seem
to be content. They haven’t been
reared to -work aud they won’t hunt for
it now. Fifty years ago we had no
vagabonds; every young man worked
at something, and it -was considered
disreputable to lie around in idleness.
In fact, we had a vagrant law that
compelled the lazy, trifling fellows to
earn a living. I reckon that law is
still in the code, but it is a dead let
ter. When a young mUn married a
girl it was expected by both sides that
he could and would support her, but
nowadays about half of them are
supported by their wives or by the
old folks.
Then we got to talking abemt tba
new woman—the female doctors and
lawyers and editors and preachers and
teachers aud bookkeepers and sales
women, and how woman was forging
ahead and taking the places and occu
pations of the men, and my friend,
Mr. Williams, of California, surprised
us by saying that there was a tribe of
Indians in the northwest who were
already far in advance on this line;
that he had known of them ever since
he moved to California, in 1849. Iu
this tribe the women dominate the
men in the family and the field and
forest. They rule them absolutely,
make them cook and wash and nurse,
and actually hire them out and collect
the pay. Their principal business is
trapping for furs. The women do this
and sell the furs and pocket the money,
and many of them have a good bank
account in San Francisco. The men
are not known in any business trans
actions. So it seems that our new wo
man has a savage precedent. Have
we got to come to this? Will I live to
see the day when my wife will hire me
out as a nurse or a cook and pocket
the money? She knows that I can do
both, and I never dodged it at home
on an emergency, but I reckon she
will let me stay at home and work in
the garden and cultivate her flowers
the remainder of my terrestial days.
She knows that I never hid my
money from her; when I got any I
kept it for her, that’s all. It was
hers just as much as mine, but I
kept it—sorter like the old fellow who
had a thousand dollars in gold and
when the confederate government
passed a law taxing gold 20 per cent
he swore lie wouldn’t pay it, and so he
got out the hag one night and put it
on the middle of the table and called
up his wife and four children aud
divided it into five piles and gave them
$200 each and said, “Now, the gold is
ub yours and I can swear I haven’t
got a dollar in the world; but I reckon
I had better keep it for you,” and lie
raked it all into the bag again and
locked it, up in his trunk.
E here is no greater contrast between
Ehe old south snd the new south than
1H R ho\vn in the advancement and the
humiliation of woman. They are now
011 the two extremes. Before the war
there were no female doctors or law
yers or lecturers or editors—not one—
aod there were no bookkepers or type
writers or shop girls or clerks. The
average woman officiated as a rvife and
mother, or a daughter cherished by
,ier parents and her brother. The
wife was the lady of the house, be it
*‘ 'ith v <u- so her humble, and slie was content
' , lot. It was even considered
a-ueath her pride and dignity to teach
school, and hence there was an annual
importation of New England spinsters
” teach the children. I and my sis
(>rs went to four of them in quick suc
cc.ssion, for our widowers married them
about as fast, as they came, aud they
• o-iule g;:od wives aud good stepmoth
! ‘ s ’ an d were the most economical
\' >ers in the world. They
<!e raised that way and neither the
< nor the little niggers got more
St 1 than any
’ they could eat.
But now the new woman is either
With her brams r;z
ami her ambition and
wrestles boldly with the men as editor,
writer lecturer, professor in schools
aiKl colleges,and even as office seeker,
am undertakes; generally succeeds in what she
or else she takes au hum
bler place behind the counter or in the
pressrooms, or perhaps in the facto
i ies, for a pittance just enough to keep
soul and body together, and every
year grows paler and sadder from her
work. Most of them are working to
maintain ^ somebody
who is near and
deal to them, but their wages are
rarely raised, for they are Women.
^ can almost weep for some I Know.
r I hey keep their
sorrows to themselves
and let concealment like a worm in
the bud feed on their damask cheeks.”
Ah, woman! how great is thy peril!
how hard is thy lot! Not long ago I
received a tearful, pitiful letter from
over the border. It was from a wife
and mother who was an exile from her
state and country, and had not heard
from her parents in three long years,
nor did they know where she was.
Sho did not dare to let them know,
for fear a letter might betray her
and the sleuth-hounds would get
on the track of her husband for the
reward that was offered, aud so she
ventured to write to me and to in
close a letter to her father, which I
must address in my own handwriting
and mail from Cartersville. “I saw
you once,” she wrote, “when I was a
happy child and you took tea at my
father’s house, and I know that I cau
trust you. I have kept my secret from
them as long as I can bear aud it
seems to me that I will die if I do not
hear from them, for they love me, and
my heart is almost breaking.” They
are happier now—the child and 8 the
parents—for they communicate through
me.
I know of other cases where the wife
has followed her unfortunate husband
into voluntary exile and left behind
her all her kindred and the endearing
scenes of her childhood. Wlio knows
the silent grief of woman—of wives
and mothers—wives whose husbands
have broken their marriage vows and
gone to the bad; mothers whose sons
are afar off in prison for some crime,
or at home a drunkard. Oh, the pity
of to it, the pity of it! Is there no way
rtrfc^«> this world and make it bet
ter? If I w**, a young woman and
longed for a mate -voung man, some
ideal of my thoughts ana i reams, one
who would love me and cheiv.r, me
and protect me all my life—I woiw
hesitate and ponder long before I took
the leap. A misfit, a mistake is misery.
Matrimony is environed with perils,
even when the husband and wife are
mated as well as married, for the chil
dren may bring grief and sorrow. St.
Paul enumerated aud boasted of his
trials and tribulations, but lie was an
old bachelor and knew nothing of the
perils of woman.
But this is the dark side—the shadow
—and I only ruminate over it now and
then .vhensome pitiful case is recorded
in the daily papers. There is a brighter
side, a sunshine that illuminates and
warms the heart, for marriage is the
natural state of man and woman, and
there is nothing more beautiful upon
earth than the marriage altar, where
the bride is good and pure aud the
groom is manly, devoted and honora
ble. Love is the best thing upon this
sin-cursed earth. In fact, it is the
only thing worth living for. The love
of wife and husband, parents and
children. I heard an aged mother say
the other day that her son—her baby
boy, as slie called him—was away out
west somewhere and she had not had
a letter from him for three long years.
There were tears in her eyes and some
came into mine. Oh, you boys, young
men , mercantile travelers, don’t forget
your mothers.— Bill Abp, in Atlanta
Constitution.
COURTMARTIAL FOR CARTER.
He Will He Tried In Savannah on the 5th
of January.
A "Washington special says: The
secretary of war Thursday ordered a
courtmartial for the trial of Captain
O. M. Carter, corps of engineers, on
charges of unofficer-like conduct in
the disbursement of government funds
for the improvement of Savannah river
and harbor.
The court will meet at Savannah
Wednesday, January 5. In order to
avoid possible criticism, it was ar
ranged that the court should be equal
ly divided between graduates of the
military academy and officers appoint
ed from civil life.
Subscribe for this paper and keep
posted «u affairs in general.
TARHEEL DEMOCRATS
Reaffirm tlie Chicago and State Platform
of Last Year.
A special from Raleigh, N. C., states
that the democratic state committee
there Friday and issued ,
was in session
an address to the voters of the state
declaring that the democratic party is
the party of the people, reaffirming
the Chicago and state platforms of
last year, declaring that W illiam J.
Bryan is the great leader of the party,
denouncing republican misrule and in
viting all populists to unite with the
democrats iu regainiug control of the
state.
dCHLE V COUNT Y N K W a.
HOUSE AXl) SENATE ORGANIZES
WITH USUAL FORMALITIES.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE IS READ.
Speaker Heed is Presented With nn Elab
orate and Handsome Cavel From
Tennessee Kepubiieans.
At noon Monday the first regular
session of the fifty-fifth congress was
begun at Washington. Simultaneous
ly at both ends of the capitol, Speaker
lteed in the house, aud Vice President
Hobart in the senate, dropped their
gavels and called to order the respect
ive bodies over which they preside.
The senate chamber was a veritable
conservatory. The floral display was
unusually beautiful, aud the odor, of
flowers was heavy in the hall. The
republican members were particularly
well remembered with floral presents.
Half an hour before the senate con
vened the public and executives’ re
served galleries were tilled with spec
tators to witness the opening of the
session. The handsome costumes of
the ladies added much to the bright
ness of the scene.
Precisely at 12 o’clock the gavel of
Vice-President Hobart fell and the
senate was called to order. Tlie invo
cation was delivered by Rev. W. H.
Milburn, the blind chaplain, He
made a beautiful and touching refer
ence to “Our dear beloved president,”
who awaited news from the bedside of
the mother to whom he is devoted,and
prayed that she might have a peaceful
passage to the celestial shore.
Seventy senators responded to their
names on the roll call.
The venerable Mr. Morrill of Ver
mont was first recognized by the vice
president. He offered a resolution,
which was passed in the usual form,
that the secretary inform the house
that the senate wau in session and
ready to proceed to business.
Committees were appointed to in
form the president that congress was
in session and prepared to receive any
communication which he might desire
to make to it.
***. resolution the time of daily
™ ee ni “" of the senate was fixed at 12
o clock noon. l/l ""notion a recess was
taken until 1 o’clock.
At the afternoon session the mes
sage was read.
In tlie House.
The hall of the house representatives
presented an animated appearance
long before the hour of noon arrived.
The surrounding corridors were filled
with jostling, moving crowds and be
fore 11 o’clock the encircling galleries
which overlooked the floor were black
with people. floor
At 15 minutes before noon the
was cleared of all persons except mem
bers and officers. Promptly at 12
o’clock Speaker Reed ascended the
rostrum and rapped for order. The
invocation was made by Rev. Charles
A.Berry, an eminent divine of Wolver
hampton, England.
The speaker then directed the clerk
to call the roll, and this consumed a
half hour.
The gavel with which the speaker
called the house to order was present
ed to him by the sheriff of Knox
county, Tenn , who sent it in the
name of the “stalwart republicans of
East Tennessee.” It was formally
presented to the speaker through H.
Clay Evans, the commissioner of pen
sions.
On motion the clerk was directed to
notify the senate that the house was
ready for. business. A resolution was
adopted for the appointment of a com
mittee of tliree to join the committee
of tlie senate to wait on the president
and inform him that congress was
ready to receive any communication
he desired to make.
The rule at the extra session for
three-dav adjournments was vacated,
and daily sessions to begin at noon
each day were ordered. There being
nothing to do but await the reception
of the president’s message, the house
then recessed until 1.20 p. m.
As in the senate, the afternoon ses
sion was consumed in reading the
message. It was listened to with
marked attention.
A GIGANTIC POOL THIS.
Wire, Wire Nail. an«l Steel Rod Men liar*.
Formed a Combination.
It is reported that the proposed im
mense combination of wire, wire nail
aud steel rod manufacturers in Cleve
land, O., overshadowing anything of
the kind ever before planned, has ad
vanced to the point where the concerns
interested have decided to go in, and
all that remains to be done is to reach
an agreemeut on the value of the dif
ferent mills.
The statement is made by Cleveland
iron men who are interested that the
control of the big company will rest
in the hands of J. Fierpont Morgan
and his associates, they having arrang
ed to obtain that control by purchase.
ENGLISH PRESS COMMENT
On President McKinley's Message and
8»v It 1* Unsatisfactory.
The London Daily Telegraph, com
menting editorially on President Mc
Kinley’s message Monday morning,
says:
“It has been America’s proud boast
that she had no foreign policy. Judg
ing from the president’s message, the
new world is no more free from the
burdens of diplomatic negotiations
than the old.
“In a document of pretentious
length, mostly intended for Spanish
consumption, President McKinley de
vised a spacious pretext for gaining
time.
The Daily Mail says it is “very sat
isfactory that President McKinley
comes out so strong against the jiu
goes.”
The Daily Chronicle describes the
message as “weak and colorless.” It
says: “The president’s comments on
the currency issue are positively child
like iu their simplicity. It is safe to
prophesy that his treatment of the
Cuban question will be received with
a storm. The annexation of Cuba
would be a deplorable mistake, but
the reasons for refraining from that
course are not the milk and water ones
Mr. McKinley advances.”
The Times says: “Its tone of pat
ronizing tolerance will make the mes
sage not wholly agreeable to Spain.
Probably the president calculates that
if be can satisfy the jingoes for a time
with eloquent denunciations and warn
ings, he will find it easier to pursue a
moderate policy.
The Standard says: “If Mr. McKin
ley represents anything so far it is the
new tariff, which is confessedly a pal
pable failure. The whole currency
plan hangs upon the condition of an
exchequer surplus; but when will that
happy day arrive?”
The Daily News says the message is
characterized by a desire to displease
nobody.
SOUTHERN PROGRESS.
Many Now Industrie* Reported as Estab
lished tlie Past Week.
Among the most important new in
dustries reported for the past week are
the following: The Southern Bridge
and Construction Co., capital $25,000,
Houston, Tex.; electric light plants at
Thomastoif, Ga , Donaldsonville, La.,
and Marion, Vn.; large flouring mills
at Sweet Home, N. C., Clover, S. C.,
and Lebanon and Roxana, Tenn.; the
Carolina Ice Co., capital, $10,000, Wil
mington, N. C., and the Dallas Ice
Factory,Light and Power Co., capital,
$199,000, at Dallas, Texas. The Chat
tanooga Roofing and Paving Co. will
he -La Mi?.. $12,000 ’; plant * at Alania,
tal, $15,000, will
build an oil min —V, olum bi», S. C.,
and W. F. Thompson aiiow..,, j) e .
vine, Texas. The Southern Sugar
Refining Co., capital, $1,000,000, has
been chartered at Richmond, Va., and
the Southeastern Extension Cotton
Mill Co., capital, $10,000, at Ports
mouth. Va. Two extensive cotton mill
plants will be put in near Thomaston,
Ga., and a $10,000 tobacco manufact
uring company lias been organized at
Lynchburg, Va. A $20,000 box and
package factory will be built at Mem
phis, Tenn., a $5,000 furniture factory
at Winston-Salem, N. C., and other
woodworking plants will be establish
ed at Hartselle and Woodstock, Ala.,
Liberty, Ky., Dillton, Tenn., Corsi
cana, Texas, and Big Stone Gap, Va.
—Tradesman (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
SECRETARY GAGE’S REPORT.
His Estimate of Appropriations Needed
For Next Fiscal Year.
Secretary Gage transmitted to con
gress Monday the estimates of appro
priations required for the service of
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899,
as furnished by the several executive
departments.
The total amount called for by the
estimates is $462,647,885, which is
about $32,000,000 in excess of the ap
propriations for 1898, including defi
ciencies and miscellaneous, aud about
$41,000,000 more than the estimates
for 1898. The recapitulation by titles
is as follows, cents omitted:
Estimates for 1899—Legislative es
tablishments $4,465,532, executive es
tablishment $20,025,484, judicial es
tablishment $687,620, foreign inter
course $1,850,428, military establish
ment $24,620,043, naval establishment
$29,929,539, Indian affairs $7,375,617,
pensions $141,257,750, public works
$73,364,134, postal service $6,048,112,
miscellaneous $35,187,402, permanent
annual appropriations $117,836,220.
Grand total $462,647,885.
BOHEMIAN RIOTS CONTINUE.
More Boys are Now Carrying on the Work
of Mol).
Tlie Vienna correspondent of The
London Daily Telegraph says: “The
disturbance in Bohemia still continues.
Boys under fifteen years of age, who
are exempt from the operation of the
standrecht, are now carrying on the
former criminal work of the mob.
< ( The German theaters in Prague
are under military protection. Sev
eral express trains have been stoned
on reaching the city. Among the
persons arrested there is an actress at
tached to the Czech National theater,
who from the balcony of the theater
incited the rioters with encouraging
cries.”
REPORT THAT NEW JERSEY GOV
ERNOR SUCCEEDS M'KENN’A.
POSITION TENDERED AND ACCEPTED
Selection of Jersey Man Said to Have lieen
Urged Upon MeKiniey by Vice
President Hobart.
A Washington special says: From
sources, the authority of which should
not be doubted, it is learned that the
position of attorney general, to suc
ceed Mr. McKenna, who will be nomi
nated To the supreme bench to suc
ceed Justice Field, lias been offered
to Governor Griggs, of New Jersey,
and that he has consented to accept.
It is understood his appointment
was urged by Vice President Hobart.
Owing to the absence of the presi
dent, who was in Canton Friday, it
was impossible to confirm this state
ment absolutely.
A special from Patterson,N.J., says:
Governor John W. Griggs arrived
home Friday night from Washington.
He was seen soon after he reached his
residence, but refused to talk about
the report that he was to be the next
attorney general.
He would not say that the office has
been offered to him, neither would he
deny it.
Close friends of the governor aud of
Hobart, who were seen later, expressed
the belief that the cabinet position has
been tendered the governor,and added
that he would probably accept it.
THORN RECEIVES SENTENCE.
Will Bo Electrocuted In tlie Week Begin
ning January lOtli Next.
A New York dispatch says: Martin
Thorn, or Torcezwisky, convicted of
the murder of William Guldemsuppe,
was sententeneed Friday to be electro
cuted in the week beginning January
10, 1898.
When Thorn was brought into court
in Long Island City he preserved the
same calm, imperturbable expression of
countenance that he has worn at every
crisis in the working out of his fate
during the trial, and when, as a pre
liminary to the passing of sentence of
death, Justice Maddox put the cus
tomary [jl’UUlpiJi------ questions to him lie responded 1
-
of emotion. .
ward evidence
“My name,” said the murderer, “is
Torcezwisky. I was born in Germany
and am 35 years old. I am a barber;
liaro uever been in prison before. I
was brought up in tlie religious belief
of the Roman Catholic church. I can
read and write. My father is living.
I am not married.”
In passing sentence, Judge Maddox
said:
“The judgment of the court is that
you shall be taken hence to the state
prison at Sing-Sing within a reasona
ble time, and that you shall be exe
cuted iu the form prescribed by law in
the week beginning January 10, 1898.”
Thorn listened without moving a
muscle, and when the judge had fin
ished he inclined his head slightly
forward, as if bowing to the court.
The prisoner’s lawyers then handed up
an affidavit applying for an appeal.
Justice Maddox took the affidavit and
will pass on it later, Thorn was then
led to the jail below.
LEFT HIS DUMMY.
A Condemned Murderer Plays a Sharp
Trick on Jailer.
John Morgan,who was to be hanged
December 16th, playod a sharp trick
on the jailer at Ripley, W. Ya., Friday
night by walking out of jail and taking
tc the woods. A short time ago he
sold a confession for $25. With the
money he bought a new suit of clothes
to wear on the gallows. Thursday
night he made a dummy of his old
suit and put it to bed in his cell.
Donning his new suit he climbed on
top of the cell and lay there till it was
locked for the night. Then he escaped
and was not missed till morning. A
reward of $500 is offered for his ar
rest.
His crime, tlie murder of Mrs. Green,
her son and daughter, was committed
November 3d, just a month ago, near
Grass Lick county.
TOBACCO EXPORTERS ANXIOUS.
A Barge Delegation Calls on Special Com
missioner Sonor Canalejas.
A delegation from the city of Pinar
del Rio, consisting of the mayor of
that place and 200 merchants, planters
and agriculturists of all parties, called
upon Senor Jose Canalejas, the special
commissioner of Spain, Thursday and
represented to him the necessity for
the exportation of leaf tobacco, of
which, they addqd, there were 60,000
bales in warehouse.
The delegation requested the com
missioner to use his influence with ,
Captain General Blanco.
benor Canalejas promised he would
make proper representations.