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THE GOflSTimiOfl
CLARK HOWELL Editor
ROBY ROBINSON Business Manager
****??*“* * fc »Atla«r«. Feetefflee as Seeead
Cteae Mell MStter, Nev. 11, 1873.
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The Democracy Is No Derelict.
In the current number of The Forum
is the quarterly review of politics from
the pen of Mr. Henry Litchfield West,
now tho democratic member of the
• board of commissioners of the District
of Columbia. Mr. West is a trained
and accomplished journalist who
knows Washington and the currents of
national polities that are confluent at
the capital as well as any man in the
country. He is also a careful observer
and a prudent commentator.
We are disposed, however, to disa
gree with his present characterization
of the democratic party as "an army
without a general, a ship without a
captain.” It is not difficult to imagine
that condition and, if we remember
party history accurately, it has often
been said of the democracy in times
past. But it is a thoroughly mistaken
view. The democratic party has never
had a political boss or master. Lead
ers it has had in campaigns and in ad
ministrations. Leaders it has had,
whether more or less competent, in
both houses of congress, either when
it had majorities or was the opposition
minority. One prime practice that
differentiates it from the republican
party is its steady refusal to recog
nize any man’s right, because of his
personality or opinions, to be in him
self the democratic party. It is a
party of equal citizens and not of
boss-servitors.
If it appears to others as it does to
Mr. West, "like an army without a
general,” it is because that one of
many possible generals in its ranks
has not yet been commissioned to com
mand the army. The army is all right.
The general will be on hand when lie
is needed. That time is not now, be
cause the plan of campaign must pre
cede the assignment of a commander
Tho democrats of the nation are de
termined to make a fight next year to
win. They feel that the country needs
a change of administration. Their in
spiration is not greed for office, for 1 be
democrats are accustomed to living
without offices, but they sincerely as
pire to better the government by win
ning the next fight in the interests of
all the people as against the party and
policies that have fastened upon the
nation trusts, the money power and
official corruptions of multiform ras
cality.
The present disposition of demo
crats is to find out what the republi
cans would like them to do and then
not do it. It will be lime enough after
the trend of the next congress is
learned to talk about the kind of
campaign the party will make and the
general needed for the army through
the fight. We do not think our repub
lican friends will have reason to com
plain when we reveal to them the
plan of our campaign and the man
who is to lead it.
—<
Peonage in New York.
It is really most disagreeable to suf
fer the revelations of "man’s inhu
manity to man” and of downright,
etissedness in general that continually
come to us from the north.
Just as wo were nursing the hope
that the lynching and man-burning le
ver had been extirpated from the
south the north sails into the lime
light and gives us some “Bonfires of
Belleville” and “Petroleocides of Wil
mington” that out-Herod any of tho
rank amateur performances of the
same sort ever perpetrated in the
south.
Whitecapping and redshirted parties
had grown fairly obsolete with us,
when Illinois, Ohio and Massachu
setts took tip the game and added to
It a few yankee improvements that are
clearly beyond southern inventive
genius.
Then some southern reformers and
court, officials took up the peonage
question and began to put in the way
of punishment those who hail inaugu
rated the vicious and lawless scheme.
But our northern Mark Meddles, such
as The New York Evening Post and
others wo generously refrain to name,
could not resist the temptation to raise
another Ephesian riot and charge the
south as a whole section with the es
tablishment of “a new slavery!” What
thev have done to us with their
mouths on this subject has been
aplenty!
However, the mills of the gods grind
right on and equally if one will pa
tiently wait on them. As an instance.
The New York Sun now reports the
following case of peonage in New York
state;
Some weeks ago a white boy named
William Goehring was missed irom his
home ill Buffalo. 11 was supposed that
■ been drowned or had run away.
But he u Umately turned up. virtually
BU L“ V< . at Bennington Center. ’’This
11 said The Sun recently, "the
bJw'was’ brought to Buffalo, and accord
g u> his story he practically led the
fe of a slave, bis keeper being a farmer
of that Place. The lad informed the po
qL that he was induced to go to a house
WalU avenue, beyond the city line.
» n man who represented himself to be
of his family. When he got to
h/ house he was watched closely f or
t!le >-il days- then the farmer from Ben
*?2nn Center camo to the house and
Tok him awav. On the farm the boy
tO k obliged to do all kinds of hard farm
and was -hipped repeatedly with a
mg rawhide whenever he showed ex
bJ?, was under constant aur-
ha nbnr B and could not escape. The po
flee learned of the boy’s whereabouts
THE REVIVAL OF RACE CONFLICTS AND ITS CAUSE.
The reports from various parts of the country —and especially from
the north—detailing overt acts of antagonism between the whites and
blacks, culminating in the reign of terror and bloodshed in Evansville,
Ind., are evidences of a most lamentable revival of race prejudices and
physical conflicts.
There has been a headlong Increase of the war spirit between the
races both in the north and the south, for the past year since the
death of McKinley. The Constitution has deplored each manifestation
of it and sought honestly to find the genesis of this renaissance
of racial antagonisms, and can find no other cause for it than the agita
tions that have grown out of the Crum case at Charleston, S. C.
When his life was untimely closed by an assassin’s bullet, President
McKinley had brought the people of all sections and races into the fee*
ing that human rights under the law were reasonably secure and that
the peaceful way of adjusting iocal troubles was to leave their settle
ments with the people who had to do with them at first, hand. At* that
time the races were on amicable terms and people began to believe that
the menace of race wars was a phantasm in disordered brains.
President Roosevelt came into the office of president accompanied
by the fullest confidence of the people that he would not renew old
causes of irritation and certainly not seek to revive the issues that, make
for race conflicts between the whites and blacks.
He disappointed that confidence in a 'most pronounced way in the
Crum case. He insisted upon raising the issue that a negro is entitled,
because lie is a negro, so hold high federal office over a community in
which he could not possibly be elected to such office. He forced the is
sue in the boldest and most offensive way by appointing Crum over the
unanimous protest of the best elements in Charleston and the south.
His party majority In the senate refused to confirm Crum and refused
a second time, but the president was determined to saddle Crum upon
the people of South Carolina, and gave him the present appointment.
Therein the intention of the president to force the race question to the
front was made too apparent for further debate.
It came to the front at once! The negroes took It, In connection
with other acts and words of the president, to mean that the negro was
once more to become the ward of the nation and to “put the black heel
again on the white man’s neck!" It furnished a new text and fresh song
of jubilee to every negro agitator in the land, north and south. North
ern newspapers and politicians followed on the trail and declared that
lhe president had done his patriotic duty in opening "the floor of hope"
to the negro—the hope to hold office.
From that, (’rum appointment tho arrogances and encroachments of
the negroes upon the whites have grown with visible zeal until the feel
ing between the races today is less friendly and less good for the coun
try's welfare than at. any time since the bayonet-bolstered government of
the south were dispersed.
Nearly all the race troubles of the past year can be attributed to
the authors of the agitation around the Crum case and the restless, reck
less, rebellious feelings they have stirred into fury In the breasts of the
negroes of the nation —north as well as south.
It is unfortunate that the lessons taught to them by the riots and
murders brought upon them by the whites of Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, In
diana, Delaware and New York have been forgotten in their new enthusi
asm, generated by the misconceived idea of approval of the motive that
forced (Turn upon a protesting community. It gave them false hopes and
is leading them in the way of woes and disasters incalculable.
We do not believe that President Roosevelt meant to produce these
effects. He was himself misled by a diseased sense of justice. He in
tended to do something helpful to the negro but tho blind race and the
blind leader have fallen into the ditch together. We do not believe he
would repeat ills disastrous acts if he could recall them, lie must have
now a better understanding and a better desire in these matters. But
serious damage to the cause of amity between the races has been done
and the effects will not pass until long after the president shall have be
come once more a private citizen.
The worst and mos’ pitiable feature of the situation is that the Crum
case and its consequences have set back the best interests of the ne
groes es tin* south by a whole decade. It. has disheartened those who
were rejoicing that, our race troubles had settled down to an amicable
modus vivendi. It has made it ten fold more difficult for those who de
sired to encourage and aid the negro so industrial and domestic inde
pendence to stand up and plead his cause to that end.
It will take a dozen more years of effort to undo the harm and dispel
lhe aggravatin'., race dividing effects of the Crum revival of Hostilities.
The best that can be done is to begin over again the work of reconcilia
tion and try to avoid the recurrence of present conditions and dangers.
through a Bennington storekeeper, who
hairned m-cidintally that tlie lad was
wanted in Buffalo. Tlie farmer will be
arrested."
Which case is so pertinent to all
that the northern papers have said
against peonage in the south that we
hope with every dawn to hear the
thunders of their guns against the
Bennington Centi i slave-drivers. But
will we?
The Immigration Injunction.
Speaking of floods is a reminder
that tlie greatest flood with which this
country has to deal is the tidal waves
of European immigration almost daily
washing up on our shores.
Europe is over-populated. She has
not sufficient food or work for her peo
ple. Military service is compulsory and
taxation is heavy, fi'hese pressures are
forcing millions to come to America,
where they have been taught to be
lieve lies the rediscovered Eden of
Mankind. Europe can lose to us 2,000,-
000 people each year and still keep on
increasing her own populations by
new births. The cheerful and decimat
ing custom of embryotie infanticide so
common in this country has not yet
found a welcome in the continental
countries.
New York with her 2,050,000 people
lias only 202,000 born of native Ameri
can white parents and is almost as
foreign a city today as Berlin, Paris
or London. The United States has
67,000,000 white people and 26,000,000
of them are of foreign origin—that is,
nearly two out of every five! And
the figures show such remarkable
facts as that Massachusetts has more
foreigners in her population than all
the southern states combined —Texas
alone having more than half of that
southern quota.
It is likely, also, that tho inundation
will grow greater in future years.
What the effects of it will be upon our
American civilization and government
no num can predict. But already we
see some signs in the dragging of the
public schools into politics in order
to compel the states to teach German
in the schools attended by the children
of German citizens. Soon we may
have schools for Frenchmen, schools
for Italians, Polack schools, Russian
and Greek schools. But the problem
of what may come is too much for us.
We give it up!
Editorial Mistakes as to Georgia.
Georgia Is a great state and nobody
can safely dispute her right to be call
ed the Empire State of the South. She
has gained great fame by reason of
her quick recovery from the disasters
of the civil war and the progress of
her people in ail modern ideas and
industries. We delight to be ahead of
our sister states in tnese respects,
not that we may boast over them, but
tliat we may show them the wisdom,
justice and moderation which guide
Georgia and have made her great,
prosperous and contented.
But we have a grievance against
some of the newspapers of the coun
try because of their ignorance of our
geography and othcr'Hncidents of our
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION: ATL ANTA, GA., MONDAY, JULY 13, 1903.
possessions. For Instance, the eru
dite editor of The Springfield. Mass.,
Republican speaks of a summer school
lor negro teachers opened "in Georgia"
at Tuskegee! Os course, Tuskegee is
in Alabama and Booker Washington's
summer normals are pulled off in that
state.
Then comes The San Antonio Ex
press with scare heads about "The
Georgia Militia Ordered Out to Quell
a Race Riot.” The alleged race riot
was over in South Carolina and the
Georgia militia had no more to do
with it than the Russian cossacks in
. lanchuria.
Whenever the thriving city of New
nan is mentioned in the dispatches, as
is frequently and favorably the case,
every telegraph editor from Maine to
California insists on correcting copy
and calls it “Newman.” With these in
stances at hand and several more we
could easily mention it is apparent
that a normal course in geography, or
a handy-book of the maps ci the states,
would be a valuable acquisition to
most of the newspaper sanctums of
the nation.
A Typical Case of Protection.
A millionaire shoe manufacturer in
South Boston, Mass., has shut down
his shoe factory and turned out his
1,200 employees so that he may take
his young and handsome wife to Europe
to study music. She has been taken
seriously ill of a violent operatic fe
ver since some of her soiree friends
have made her believe that she can
cultivate her voice so as to make
Melba, sound like six punched nickels
jingling on a string. Hence hubby
shuts down the brogan foundry and
turns 6,000 people, whose living de
pended on the labor of his 1,200 work
men to root, hog, or die!
The hilarious and tuneful episode is
causing some lively discussion in our
eastern contemporaries and even the
freedom shrieked” New York Evening
Post seriously asks: “Has he a right
to do this?”
■Why not? It is true, doubtless, as
stated, that the man began humbly,
worked hard, built up his business,
made millions off the capital he had
invested and the labor of his shoe
makers, and built up a settlement in
which they dwel. with ease and com
fort. Now that he has got money
enough to allow himself a vacation and
his wife unlimited vocalization in the
conservatories of Europe, why should
he hesitate because his workmen are
to face idleness, their property depre
ciate and the settlement ae founded
grow desolate? Have they not all
served the ends he had in view? Have
not. his workmen for two decades voted
him the highest protection for his
goods and made all th<y,r fellows in
other employments pay unwarranted
profits to him on every pair of shoes
he turned out? And, now, being a mil
lionaire and having a possible succes
sor to Adelina Patti to drill in Eu
ropean musical centers, what further
use has he for them? This is a free
country and no man has any right to
abuse our shoemaker friend for going
off to Hurofie indefinitely and paving
the creators of his fortune to scuffle
for work and broad. He is not likely
to be hungry for anything, unless it be
ear-muffs, for some time to come.
It is contended by our eastern news
paper friends that men of fortune owe
their first duty to the towns and the
operatives by whose help they have
made their fortunes. That is a most
far-fetched conclusion. If it were true
every millionaire almost in the coun
try would owe the south much consid
eration an! largess for the gain made
in exploiting our raw products under
their great graft of the protective tar
iff. But that is a question apart. We
only intend here to combat the idea
that millionaires made by protection
owe anything to the poor slaves of
their machinery and bounties from the
government. So long as labor fosters
and supports tho system it must ex
pect to be treated generally as this
millionaire song-bird owner is treating
the people who helped him to afflu
ence.
Hanna on the Driver’s Box.
The Constitution some time ago
warned the fresh water element in the
republican party to keep an eye on
Uncle Marcus Hanna. Perhaps they
did so and have been greatly edified
by the swift and easy way in which
he has mounted once more the driver’s
box of the republican tally-ho and
means to manage the coming presi
dential campaign in his own and only
familiar fashion.
It is all very well that the president
Is a clever rough rider, but Uncle Mar
cus is sapient enough to see that re
publican victory next year is not. to I>6
gained by the stampeding and round
ing-up methods of the cowboy cult.
He is prescient enough to know that
the road over which he has piloted
the republican chariot a couple of
times is very narrow and very treach
erous at many points, lie knows that
at certain well defined points the driv
er has got to “go slow and mighty
keerful! ”
The understanding of these things
has made him determine to take a
third term on the box and the backing
he was able to summon shows that all
others ambitious of the Job have had
to go away bac... am] sit. down. There
is Wall street, and the business world,
the trusts and monopolies, and the la
bor vote —no man desiring to be elect
ed president on the republican ticket
next year could afford to ignore them.
The president, de facto could not com
mand them and the great necessity of
not losing them has caused the whole
presidential faction in the party to
lay down to tho “full house” hand,
aces front and kings following, held by
Uncle Marcus.
Hereafter it will be only the ex
tremest politeness that will recognize
President Roosevelt as being in the
game except, as stakeholder. He will
not write the platform, name the vice
presidential runner-up. or do any other
substantive ad to win the fight other
than Boss Driver Hanna may dictate
from time to time.
It is a rather ludicrous outcome, to
be sure, of the advent and early ad
vent tires of the s’renuous president.
All those house-top proclamations of
being “a real president” and “earning
a just fame by an impartial devotion
to duty” have gon where the wood
bine twineth and the whip-poor-will
walls his lonesome lament, it Will be
all Hanna from now until the ides of
November next year aid the issue
will be clean-cut—“four years more of
Hanna, or no more!”
Abandoned Farias.
A- Boston company has taken up the
specialty of selling abandoned farms.
“Abandoned farms” is feature of
civilization with which our Georgia
and southern people are not familiar.
In the early history of New England
farming was very necessarily a prime
occupation with the pilgrim people.
In order to secure then; ■ Ives against
Indian attacks the whins built their
cabins on hills and cultivated the land
downwards. The reason for that was
to have vision all around for the dis
covery of stealthy redskins and the ad
vantage cf position in a. light.
When the Indian was reduced from
a menace to a vagabond and an era
of manufacturing set. in. the mills and
factories were located in the valleys
along water-power cour "s. The hill
farmers soon found it. earn r and cheap,
er to go down with their families and
do mill work, buying their provisions
from farmers of the west, than to re
main upon their acres and live by ag
riculture. So they moved and with
great unanimity.
The farms thus abandoned soon be
came worthless and for years a “bu
reau of abandoned fams” has been
kept open by the state in Hie capital
at Boston to effect sales of these farms
to people in other states and cities —-
not to bo used as farms any more, but
as country outing places for the sum
mer time. The new company has
taken up the work of so disposing of
these farms to Boston. New York and
other city people who wish to own a
country lodge for summit retirement
and rest. The eastern states live on
codfish and western foodstuffs and the
people, wno have swapped their farms
for factory service live between strikes
on their surplus savings or contribu
tions sent in by the laior unions of
the nation.
A Sore-Headed Bear.
Count Cassini, the handsome and
Chesterfieldian Russian ambassador to
this country, has packed his luggage
and bought a limited through ticket to
St. Petersburg. It is natural to infer
that the czar desires to see Cassini on
important business. Evidently the
Little Father of the Russians is not
pleased witli the way his ambassador
has managed matters at our state de
partment with reference to the Kish
inef massacre and the squatter sover
eignty assorted by the Bear in Man
churia.
It is clearly up to Cassini to tell his
czarship some things that the count
knows about the American people and
that, his imperial master seems not to
suspect.
If, as may happen, Cassini should
get a recall because he has failed to
wring the neck of the American Eagle
and cause it io walk erabwisc to please
the czar’s sense of humor or self-grat
ulation, it will not help to make that
royal head lie easier in its crown.
Uncle Sam mean-; to hive his opinion
of the Jewish mascacia read and un
derstood in tlie throne-room at St. Pe
tersburg and will attach an appendix
to the effect that lie Ins, in the Man
churian matter, adopted a new motto,
which reads: “No-mo Impune slam-a
door-shut in my face!”
Meekly Constitutions “£ig &hree”
&rank Stanton,
The Bells of the Morning.
Never heed the shadows
When the Night is spread:
Hear the bells of Morning-
See the light ahead!
Thunder of the tempest—
All the stars seem dead;
But blithely sing tho sailors—
See the light ahead!
St.raightly steers tho vessel
O’er the ocean’s foam;
Tho captains hail the harbor.
And all the bells ring ‘‘Home!”
Brief Billville Notes.
Wo aro under the impression that our
board bill will be considerably longer
than our stay at the seashore.
The warm weather is a great blessing.
,We don’t have to buy overcoats, and our
cooking is done in the sun. The Lord
will provide!
Our paper is only $1 a year, but some
folks think we ought to throw in a ceme
tery lot and a free obituary for good
measure.
Singing on the Way.
In de darkest shadders
Os de lonesome day,
Singin’ on de way, folks.
Singin' on de way!
Trouble is a-cornin',
But trouble never stay;
Singin’ on de way, folks,
Slngin’, on de way!
Nuggets from Georgia.
It’s dally toil that builds the world up,
but some of us were born tired.
'Die true heart goes a long way, and
sings a song of thankfulness over a crust
of bread.
Hope is a great thing in this old world,
yet if it were not for hope none of us
would evti lie disappointed.
It is possible for all of us to make
this world a little heaven, so that the
next one won’t seem strange.
In the Valley.
If you’re down in the valley,
’Taln’t no use to sigh;
It’s better than climbin'
The hot hills an’ high!
It's a good place to rest you
When sorrows oppressed you:
The good Lord has blessed you—
’Taln’t no use to sigh!
Halleluia People.
We’re tired of folks that cry their grief
To every chiming steeple:
Lord, givg. us. for a sweet relief.
The halleluia people!
The fellows that st.il I find in life
A peace that broods o’er all its strife—
That find all storms with rainbows rife—
Tiie halleluia people!
« • • • •
"De race hez got ter rise en hustel, es
ever it hopes ter git dar," said the old
colored citizen. Too many of us thinks
dat all we got ter do is go ter sleep In de
hot sun, gn rise up ter eat watermelons
In de shade!”
A Song of Summer.
This about the summertime— just let the
thunder roll!
It’s good to just be livin', with the glory
in your soul!
The light is shinin’ bright.
And the st irs are out at night.
And the rivers aro a-ripple through the
valleys of delight!
This about the summertime—the green In
all the trees;
The shadows of the. branches, the drowsy
hum of bees;
The cool and dreamy dells
Where the cattle shako their bells,
And the quiet of the twilight when the
day sighs sweet firewells!
Far sweeter is the summertime than
winter with its glooms,
For not a vale or meadow but is beau
tiful with blooms’
Thg glory of the light
In the morning and the night.
And the singing of the mockingbirds in
valleys of delight!
Why They Run.
They keep on a-runnln' fer office,
Fer fear that the fellers will say:
"He’s gone to his slumber—
A frazzled back-number—
The jolly old dog’s had his day!”
The solemn retirement's painful.—
They don’t want to be out the way:
Get hot in the collar
To hear the folks holler:
“The Jolly old dog’s had his day!”
A Lift on the Road.
You know de ole-time sayin’—
It’s good fer time en tide:
“Wait fer de wagon
En we’ll all take a rfde!”
It’s cornin’ down de valley—
It’s ci’ar’d de mountain-side;
Dey whippin’ up de bosses.
En we’ll all take a ride!
You bundle up yo’ troubles,
En sling ’em fur en wide—
Too heavy fer de wagon
Whar we’ll all take a ride!
It’s joy dat’s over yander—
En joy will sho’ abide:
lie drivin’ er de wagon
Whar we’ll all take a ride!
* • • « «
With Love Content.
With Love I walk forever
Along life’s way—content.
But Love will never toss me
Rubies, for tlie rent!
He hath a rose-rimmed dwelling-
lie prates of pearls, heaven-sent.
But will not ever pledge a pearl
Or ruby, for the rent!
For Love is still a miser,
And yet I smile, content.
Would I might catch his kisses
And coin them for the rent!
• » « » »
A Word from Br’er Williams.
Satan done quit gwine roun’ like a
roarin' lion. You don't know w’en he’s
cornin' dese days, ’twel he got you.
De wants er de vain man is few. It
only takes a lookin’ glass en a loud
hooray ter make nun happy.
Folks is always singin’ ’bout Jordan’s
stormy banks bekaze dey got dey eyes
shut, en can’t see de sunshine in do
storm.
It don’t take much ter make dis ole
worl’ happy. Look how it sings in
springtime, w’en Spring des throws It a
rose! v
No use ter sigh kase you can’t see
what’s ahead er you, kaze of you could
-see it you'd fall over yo’se'f turnin’
back.
«*♦ * ♦ V
Idle Lilies.
Lilies neither sow nor reap.
Soft winds sing ’em all to sleep;
When they wake, ’neath skies of blue,
Thirsting, free they drink the dew;
Sunshine silvers o’er their breasts.
In their hearts the honey rests.
Do I envy them? —'Twere silly!
Yet my Love’s both rose and Illy!
Still rfrp.
lam not s^k— very sick—but lam tired.
I feel like Lord Byron did when he
penned h'ia beautiful farewell to Childe
Harold:
"I am not now that which I have been
and my visions flit less palpably before
me, and the glow that In my spirit dwelt
is fluttering faint and low.”
But I will not say farewell to my read
ers. I can still feed on the happiness of
those around me and rejoice with the
children and the birds and the flowers.
Every day I visit the garden and gather
flowers for the neighbors, the sick and
the bereaved. They arc treasures of de
light and of love and every household can
have them If there Is a mother or
daughter there, and yet there are fami
lies who have none and care for none,
not even a vine over the door or a gate to
the front yard. Would a young man be
fool enough to marry a girl who was not
fond of flowers? The Bible tells of dia
monds and pearls and precious stones,
but there is no comparison so beautiful
as those concerning flowers. "I am the
rose of Sharon and the lily of tho valley.”
"Consider tho lilies, how they grow.
They toil not, neither do they spin, and
yet Solomon in all his glory was not ar
rayed like one of these.” Solomon had
them sculptured In the marblo altars of
his temple. There is nothing in all na
ture so varied in Its uses. Their beauty
and fragrance are a pleasure and com
fort to our hearts' best and purest emo
tions.
"Bring flowers, bring flowers for the bride
to wear.
They were born to blush In her shining
hair,
Bring flowers, fresh flowers o’er the bier
to shed,
A crown for the brow of the early dead;
They smile In vain for what once was
ours.
They are love's last gift, bring flowers,
pale flowers.
They speak of hope to the fainting
heart, .
With a voice of promise they come and
part.”
Almost every day we cut fresh flowers
for the grave yet green under the cod
that covers the mailden daughter of
friends dear to us and whose hearts will
not heal until time and trust shall heal
them.
“She has gone from their gaze like a
beautiful dream.”
Today Is one of no small importance
to our community. It Is the day fixed for
tho formal opening and dedication of
our public library. It Is wonderful wTi.it
these ladh'S have accomplished in this
little town. Two years ago they organ
ized a little library club which included
village improvement and now they have
a pretty park with graveled walks and
a fountain of gold fish and they rented
a room upstairs and began to solicit
money from the good people wherewith
to buy books and then they begged a
beautiful corner lot from the city fathers
and have built a two-story brick build
ing upon it and equipped it with shelves
and tables and other conveniences and
everybody Is proud of it. And one eve
ning Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who are al
ways doing something for the education
and refinement of our humble people,
gave a reception to everybody and no
body knew what it was for. but when
everybody was feeling good and generous
Mr. Granger handed an open book and
called a generous friend to head a sub
scription for the library, and he did- o
with a hundred dollars', .and others carne
up and were liberal, and the budding
was nearly paid for that night. I see
that Valdosta has done the same thing,
and two generous people fiav'e subscribed
a liberal sum for books for children.
Yes, especially for children and young
people. That is right, and 1 .hope they
will have "Georgia S<”’ni s” and “Uncle
Remus” and the "Young Marooners” and
“Arabian Nights” and mix them up with
some more solid reading. Young people
must have mixed food to make it all
digest. Just think of it, the “Young
Marooners” has been published in s-ven
different languages, and I expect "Uncle
Remus” in as many more. Rev. Frank
Goulding was a wonderful man. 1 went
to school with his brothers, Ed an I
John. Their grandmother »’<:> my moth
er’s adopted mother, as will be found
in my last book, “From the Uncivil War
to Date,” 1861-1903. Those who want tills
book should apply to Mr. C. I’. Byrd,
the publisher, Atlanta, Ga. If an auto
graph copy is wanted stind $1.35 to me.
These Gouldlngs were a notable family.
Rev. Thomas Goulding, the father of
these boys, was the first Presbyterian
preacher born in the state. He was in
charge of the first theological seminary
and president of Oglethorpe university.
The old doctor was a very learned and a
very stern old man. He was orthodox to
the core. I remember that when I was a
young man I went with my father to Co
lumbus, Ga., to attend synod, for my
father was an elder. A school teacher
from our town, whose name was Gray, a
smart hut willful Irishman, from Dublin,
was exanilned for license to preach. He
stood a very satisfactory examination
and had a favorable report from the
committee. The old doctor leaned forward
and said: “Brother Gray, I will ask you
one more question. Do you feel called
upon in your bean to preach the gospel
to save sinners?”
“Yes,” said Gray, “if they pay me for
it.”
“Brother Gray,” said the doctor sternly,
“the question of pay is no part of this
examination nor of your qualifications.
You are excused, sir.” And so Brother
Gray went back to Lawrenceville and
studied law.
Frank Goulding. who wrote “The YovbJ
Marooners,” also wrote “Robert and
Harold,” "Little Josephine.” mid “Ma
rooners’ Island.” He died In Roswell,
Ga. Now, all such books should be in
the children's department of every li
brary. They sow the seed that will bring
fruit in due time. Yes, we are all proud
of our library, and the next work of the ’
ladies will be to fill the shelves with good ■
books. For older heads they have al
ready provided substantial histories and
cyclopedias. I see they have already se
cured a beautiful edition of Dodd, Mead
& Co.'s last edition of "The Interna
tional,” which is in itself a library that
will educate anybody who will study it.
But I must stop now, for 1 am weak
and tired, and, as Byron says, my visions
flit less palpably before me and Hie glow
that in my spirit dwelt is fluttering faint
and low. But I will soon rally and then
cut flowers for the library, and especially
some choice ones for the vacant desk of |
tlie dear girl we mourn and who was
chairman of our library committee.
BILL ARP.
Sumner Strikes Uncharted Reef.
Manila. July B.—The United States
transport Sumner, having on board the
Fourth infantry, struck an uncharted
reef and her forward hold filled rapidly,
necessitating the vessel being beached.
The Sumner was beached in 7 feet of
water near Mauban, island of Luzon. Sev
eral of her forward plates were broken.
Two inter-island transports were dis
patched to continue the distribution of
the Fourth infantry to tlie various sta
tions in Luzon and bring the Twenty-sixth
infantry to Manila, where that regiment
will embark on the transport Logan and
sail for San Francisco.
Sarge Blunkett.
RIME Is a monster," sayeth the
( poet, “with which it Is not well
N > to grow familiar,” or words to
that effect.
Tho question of road work and chain
gangs is now being discussed in our coun
ty as It was never discussed before. Por
haps not another place could be foui.u
where the county cfefnffXng system could
be observed under circumstances more
favorable to itself than here. We have
splendid equipments, humane and compe
tent managers, and a citizenship which
leans toward mercy and the better moral
atmosphere. Os course this management
keeps in mind that work is essential foi
good results, but there is no over-work
ingot criminals and no cruelty.
With all of this in its favor, it has
grown to be a heated question as to
whether it is best to have these gangs in
counties outside of largo cities camping
from settlement to settlement and woik
ing fiojn road to road. A few in their
warmth of argument are “loud” in pro
claiming that these gangs invite familiar
ity of crime to such an extent that, they
are creating more criminals rather than
reforming those already convicted. !>o
this as it may, I risk the assertion with
confidence that these gangs or this sys
tem should be entirely separated from
the politics of tho counties. Whether the
state should take charge of all these
gangs and work the roads accordutg. I
hesitate to assert, but sure politics should
be eliminated from them entirely or they
should go glimmering by some other sys
tem of punishment.
To make intelligent what I mean, I re
peat that it has been tried in our county
under the most favorable circumstances
and wrongs, grievous wrongs in connec
tion with politics have developed through
the matter. We have had a management
of tills system here by men above reproach
both for integrity and competency. They
have performed their work faithfully and
conscientiously, but the greed of some
communities to secure the services of the
gangs in their neighborhoods have threat
ened a political upheaval against 'he
managers to accomplish their end. This
is the burning evil of the system—lt pros
titutes polities and intimidates good and
efficient officials.
As I write, the county’s ordinary, that
good and efficient XV. M. Ragsdale, Is
lying at death’s door—before this is read
he will be dead fn all probability. While
he managed this chaingang system there
were those who abused his management
and strove to intimidate him into work
ing where they would have him work.
This was pushed to such extent that the
management was taken from his control
and put where it is today, when, 10, and
behold. now they are just as bitter
against the new management as they
were against tho old and threaten a po
litical upheaval that will upset the county
if they are not allowed to dictate.
But this abuse of the management of
the chaingang Is not all that I object 1%
or that is objected to by others. If this
abuse by old soreheads and grumblers
was al! there was In It T should never
havS written this lote’r. The degredatlor
of great principles is in it and the prosti
tution of the ballot. For instance, 3
community gathers to the call or agitn
tfon of some old grumbler and tells the i
managers that their votes are for sale,
and that the price of their support is to
have the chaingang move into their set
tlement and make them good roads. How
is this for principle and how is it for In
timldatjon? And how is this for the treat
ment of faithful and efficient officers?
“The election is on,” say they, “and you
must do as we say or we will throw our
whole strength to the other side.”
This is a sample of what the chaingang
has bread in our county. The simple bn’,
ter and sale of suffrage and the for h ;
of good men to trade the trust of t o
people or be defeated at the noils at H”
next election. This is notorious in ■ ■
county, and surely it is enough to ca : ; e
every thoughtful citizen to demand that
the chaingan be either ah ilished or sep
arated from these political threats
Outside of this political aspect I shall
remark upon another feature. It i- --
pucstion with me If tlie - eh nga'ts
are not the most formidable influence we
have at affecting the moral sentiment ”f
the children of the country where those
gangs become f.imlinr, and T doubt if ev.--
the thought of crime and criminals strike
them with the same horror again. T" •’
gang camps, with their strange and w>-: 1
songs have a peculiar fascination f
young children. The child forgets the
crime and the chains lose their horror
as they listen t.» these songs and feast
upon the excitement of the crowd. At
a certain church, not so long ago. the
j good church people put lhe little girls
I out. to beg to raise money for some pur
pose. One little girl was so persistent
I that a bad boy said she was “cheek> ”
| She inquired the meaning of tho word
and was informed that the word was
“slang,” but in the talk she. learned tijat
an overabundance of what was known
as “cheek" might prove to be naughty it
not criminal. Anyhow, she was led to
remark that crime was rmf such a bad
thing,, “for." said she. "the chaingang
has been working and camping near our
house and they are not near so bad as
I once thought they were.”
Os course there is not much danger of
little girls bocomii ontact
with these crinlin.'iD, but if might affect
little boys—especially negro boys. But. so
return to polities, no good man or set
of men—such men as have managed the
chaingang system of our county for years,
should have to suffer the embarrassment
of such as T have hinted, and no bad
men or man should have the power to
accept such pointed propositions, thus
holding himself in office by trading on I,’r.
trust of the people and prostituting < j
great American ballot to a thing of In
famy
I hope that those grumblers, or who
ever they may be. that go about -stirring
up county strife, against measures and
men by howling that “we will get you
at the next election,” and words to that
effect, will consider the matters I have
mentioned. If I’have not made it plain,
study out the thing for yourselves-read
■between tho lines, and then decide with
me to let the gangs go if we cannot
Correct these evils ami remove the system
entirely from political favoritism or in
timidations.
Brown and I hoped to spend the Fourth
among the good people of Campbell
county, but we could not, and we are
the losers, not these good people. Next
year, or some time earlier, we hope to
have the pleasure of mingling among the
Campbellites, ami until then we must
abide. BARGE BLUNGETT.
—— •
A Sensible Conclusion.
(From The Newburyport (Mass.) News)
Tho Atlanta Constitution, with the us
ual bredth of vision that characterizes it,
believes the negro will be educated wheth
er tlie southern states and people do the
work or not. That is a sensible conclu
sion. and one that it would he well if the
entire southern people could arrive at
The Constitution well says that. “If given
the same conditions, the educated white
man fails to prosper, it will not be be
cause of the educated negro's competition
with him—but for some other reason,”