The Atlanta constitution. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, July 13, 1903, Page 6, Image 6

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6 THE GOflSTimiOfl CLARK HOWELL Editor ROBY ROBINSON Business Manager ****??*“* * fc »Atla«r«. Feetefflee as Seeead Cteae Mell MStter, Nev. 11, 1873. THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION, only SI per annum. Clubs of five, $1 each; clubs of ten, SI each and a copy td getter-up of club. . WE WANT TOU—The Constitution wants an agent at every postoffice in America. Agent’s outfit free and good term*. If you are not In a club, we want you to act as agent at your office. Write ua. CHANGE OF ADDRESS—When ordering ad dress of your paper changed always give the old as well as the new address. Always give postoffice, county and state. If your paper !a not received regularly, notify us and we will straighten the matter. IF TOU SEND US AN ORDER for new sub scribers, please allow us a week to get the names on the Itet and paper started before you write a complaint, as we are very much ciowded now. DO NOT FORGET to make your renewals in time. Watch your direction lag and see when your subscription expires. The next •lx month will be full of Interest, and you ahould not miss a single copy of The Con stitution. Mena your orders at least a week in advance to make sure. It may not rake a week in every instance, as we use the greatest diligence to get them on our mall lug Hat. 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,”