Newspaper Page Text
6
THE COHSTITUTIOH
4 CLARK HOWELL Editor
ROBY ROBINSON Business Manager
Watered at the Atlanta Poatoffice aa Secend
Claaa Mall Matter, Maa. 11, 1873.
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION, only SI per
Annum. Clubs of five. $1 each; clubs of ten,
$1 each and a copy to getter-up of club.
E WANT YOU—-The Constitution wants an
agent at every postoffice in America. Agent’s
outfit free and good terms. If you are not
In a club, we want you to act as agent at
your office. Write us.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS—When ordering ad
dress of your rapcr changed always give the
o’d 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 YOU SEND US AN ORDER for new sub
scribers, please allow' us a week to get Hie
names on the Het and paper started before
you write a complaint, as we are very much
cicwded now’.
DO NOT FORGET to make your renewals in
time. Watch your direction tag and see
w’hen your subscription expiree. The next
•lx month wid be full of interest, and you
should not miss a single copy of The Con
stitution. o>end your orders at least a week
in advance to make sure. It may not cake
a week in every instance, as we use the
greatest diligence to get them ou our mail
ing list.
"Bill Arp.”
In the death of •‘Bill Arp" a golden
link between Hie old and new south
is broken. His passing reminds us
that the one is a glorious heritage of
memory—the other a splendid fulfill
ment of the prophecy of labor. He
was of both.
Charles 11. Smith, known only by
his bluff pen-name wherever memory
loyal hearts thrill to "Dixie," typified
and portrayed in life and writings all
that has made his beloved southland
individual and picturesque. “From
the Uncivil War to Date," to borrow
the title of his last popular book, his
pen was busy with ideals of the past
and idyls of the present. The ideals
rang true to the noblest side of tradi
tional southernism, and the idyls
were sweet with the simple, homely
pleasures of unperverted southern
life today. What his gentle pen de
lineated was not so much the patri
cian south as the homespun south.
It was his labor of love to portray
and extol the joy of living in the
"cool, sequestered vale.” He was the
prophet of simplicity—the philoso
pher of the home-folks.
Perhaps “Bill Arp” was best known
to the world through his regular let
ter to The Constitution, a correspond
ence covering more than a quarter of
a century. These letters were a re
flex, not alone of the rural south, but
of the active, thinking, rehabilitated
south —a delightful admixture of un
affected wit, droll humor, sharp
satire, common sense philosophy,
reminiscent gossip and realistic de
scription. The good gray “Sage of
Bartow” was of the old school, ami,
therefore, in the political sense, an
irreconcilable; but only with respect
to the south’s few dearest prejudices.
He was not a repiner. As much as
he loved yesterday, he met the oppor
tunities and obligations of today half
way-, with cheery heart and clear eye.
His counsel was wise and safe. His
viewpoint of life and affairs was
healthy. He was never a reaction
ary.
But more than aught else, “Bill
Arp” was a humorist and will longest,
be remembered in that pleasant role.
He was the ’ Nasby” of the south,
but without the Ohio war humorist’s
bitterness. Dining the war he re
flected the ideas of his section with
an appeal to the risibilities of his
compatriots that won him a wide
reading in perilous camp and at des
olate hearthstones. His humor was
of the quaint, unconscious sort, and
it found the weak spots of whoever
or whatever he assailed. He could
pierce a coat of mail with a laugh.
After the surrender he reconciled the
south with a laugh, too. He accepted
the inevitable with a droll humor, not
unmixed with pathos, calculated to
make war-worn, impoverished "reb
els” take a fresh grip on life with
the courage of hope in their hearts.
Always an optimist, the post-bellum
gloom could not withstand the radi
ance of his quizzical smile. It “re
constructed" the secession states.
Aside from his newspaper contribu
tions, "Bill Arp” was the author of
a number of books embracing his
most chaiacteristic work, among
them a history of Georgia. Not a lit
tle of his fame was acquired on the
lecture platform, where his genial hu
mor and rough and ready wisdom at
tracted a host of auditors. His mind
was versatile and well-rooted educa
tionally. Next to the book of nature
he loved the tomes of tiie great in
literature. His writings were full of
classical allusions and illustrations,
but never pedantically interjected.
He knew bis Petrarch and Plato as
he knew his Bible. The mythology
and history of antiquity was familiar
to him. He was a student and a
scholar —self-taught, but, neverthe
less, a student and a scholar. The
gentle graces of his pen were those
of the man. He lived and felt what,
he wrote. Withdrawn in large de
gree from the sordid, material as
pects of the world, he dwelt with his
books, his garden, childhood and
flowers. Nature he loved passionate
ly, but none the less his fellowman.
To his neighbors he was not the ab
stracted, self-centered recluse, but a
lovable, clever neighbor. Nothing
was too small or commonplace to en
list his interest and sympathy. His
was the universal heart.
We shall miss “Bill Arp” in the
south, and particularly in Georgia,
the state of his nativity, home and
genius. His spirit and that which is
most natural and sweetest in the
spirit of Georgia are one. We, south
erners all, loved him as we love the
“old home place”—for did he not
write from the soul of him about as
sociations, memories and loves dear
est. to the inmost heart of us? The
age’s ambitions may drive us away
from the quiet, shady paths, but our
secret ideal of contentment, pleni
tude and a clear conscience is there.
We love him because he himself has
held fast to that ideal and warmed
it in our breasts.
The great heart of the south and
Georgia goes out to those near and
dear to the gentle dead by ties of
blood. Their bereavement is indeed
great, but we share it. The shadow
is not alone over that typical old
southern home, “The Shadows.” It
rests over Dixieland.
Ma.v the peace which passeth un
derstanding have been found by' our
departed friend.
Plantation Economics.
Mr. Ulrich B. Phillips contributes
an interesting chapter to the discus
sion of southern agricultural methods
in his paper upon the “Economics oi
the Plantation." which The Constitu
tion reproduces' from the July number
of The South Atlantic Quarterly.
Mr. Phillips believes that the best
results in the agricultural develop
ment of the southern states must be
by the application of modern business
methods, and he sees in such applica
tion a return to the old plantation sys
tem. This, he feels sure, would be
better for the agricultural develop
ment of the south, taken as a. whole,
than a system of small farms, and lie
argues his point in away that is
sure to interest even those whose first
tendency would be to disagree with
him in his conclusions.
His reference to the great farms of
the west upon which the staple crops
of corn and wheat are grown vsiilt
such splendid results shows what he
means by the application of modem
business methods to agriculture, lliis
is nothing else than the plantation
system of the old south, changed to
suit the changed conditions. He holds
that, slave labor was merely an inci
dent of the old system, not that, the
system was at all dependent upon
such labor, and its overthrow was due
to the terribly disorganized state of
things following the war. not to any
inherent reason why large plantations
could not be conducted with free labor
just as well as with slaves.
The cotton planter of the future
will. Mr. Phillips believes, be a "cap
tain of industry," just as was the
planter of the ante-bellum period. He
believes that in a return to the planta
tion system, taking its tone from the
active, pushing world of today and
based upon the principle of the divi
sion of labor to agricultural produc
tion, lies the hope of the south.
The Canal Outlook.
The late of the Panama canal
seems, according to the latest advices
from Bogota, to hinge upon the possi
bility of an amendment to the consti
tution of Colombia being expeditious
ly adopted or made. In this country
it would be impossible to affect such
a change in the constitution within
the necessary time, even were it to
meet the approval of all elements of
the people; but they manage things
differently in the Spanish-American
republics.
This is not said in a spirit of ad
verse criticism, but it is a mere state
ment of fact. The constitution of
what is now the republic of Colombia
has been changed many times in the
past, and it is easy to conceive that
when the proposed amendment is oi
so great importance to the material
welfare of the country, some way will
be found to secure its incorporation
into the fundamental law of the land
in away that will meet the approval
of the forces I hat control.
That country has had, since 1830,
no less than seven distinct constitu
tions. The old Colombian Union, es
tablished by Bolivar, was later re
solved into three separate republics,
one of these New Granada. A writer
in The Boston Herald, in presenting
an epitom., of the constitutional his
tory of the republic, shows that in
JBGI the sixth distinct constitution
was adopted, the republic under it
becoming the United States of Colom
bia. During the succeeding twenty
two years the country was overturned
by revolution no less that eleven
times, but the constitution stood nom
inally intact In 1885 the present con
stitution was adopted and the country
became the Republic of Colombia.
This v.as the result of the movement
for a more centralized form of gov
ernment. Before that time there had
been much contention over the ques
tion of the sovereignty of the different
states; but this constitution of 1885
contains a specific denial of the sov
ereignty of the states. It is interest
ing in this connection to note that
Panama was one of the two states
which held out against this establish
ment of the centralized government
and which., in consequence, found
themselves reduced to something very
like territorial dependencies, govern
ed by officials appointed by the presi
dent.
Under this constitution the terri
tory of the republic cannot be ceded
nor can the sovereignty over any por
tion of it be transferred to any other
government. It is this provision
which runs counter to that feature of
the canal treaty under which it is pro
posed to cede the sovereignty over
the canal strip to the government of
the United States. In some way this
constitution must be changed before
the treaty provisions as they stand
could become effective.
Mr. Archibald R. Colquhouh ex
plains, in an article in The Outlook,
the different classes of people in Co
lombia who are opposing the treaty
as it was negotiated and ratified by'
the United States senate. He divides
them into seven classes, as follows:
1. Those who honestly believe that the
t>. aty violates the Colombian constitution
and that adherence to the principle of the
constitution is of more national impor
tance than any material gain.
2. Those who give reaso'n No. J for op
posing the treaty, but whose real motive
is to make political capital by accusing
the government of selling a strip of terri
tory, in violation of the “sacred word of
the constitution,” for their own personal
advantage. This position is taken by
manv liberals looking for an opportunity
to embarrass the government, and by
manv factions of the government party
itself who wish to delay ratification for
reasons given in No. 3.
3 Those of the government party who
wish to delay ratification until tlu-y them
selves are in office, or can obtain prefer
ment which will help them to a share of
the money to be paid by the United
States.
4. Those who believe that the United
States will pay more than has been offer
ed. especially if ratification is withheld
for a time while others do not really be
lieve this wse it as an argument to induce
delay.
5. Those who believe that the $10,000,000
paid in a lump sum will be at once dis
sipated. either by dishonesty or by pay
ment of debts, and that the country will
reap little benefit. These people would
prefer an annual payment, even if it were
a smaller amount than the. lump sum
offered.
6. Those citizens of the department of
Panama who believe that, the canal being
situated in their department, the money
should be handed over to them, and who
will oppose the ratification until an ar
rangement is made as to the division of
spoils. Some are even anxious to secede
THE WEEKEY CONSTITOTIOKi 4LTIALKTA- GA, MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1903
and set up a republic of Panama, when
they could make their own treaty and, of
course, obtain all the benefits accruing.
7. Those who oppose the treaty for a
thousand and one “tom-fool" reasons,
which could, however, generally be traced
to personal animosities.
Such an array as this presents all
sorts of possibilities of opposition to
the treaty. It is believed, however,
that President Marroquin and his gov
ernment will be strong enough to
force an amendment to the constitu
tion which will meet, the objections
of most of those of their party now
arrayed with the opposition, and that
once lined up. the dominant party will
be able to carry its point and secure
favorable action upon an amended
treaty which will meet the approval
of this country.
~ ——•'
The Mississippi Result.
We fail to see any good ground for
criticism of the state of Mississippi,
or of the democratic voters of that
state, because of the decision of Thurs
day’s primary in favor of Major Varda
man’s candidacy for the governorship.
There has been a. strong effort, both
in Mississippi and outside, to make it
appear that a victory for Major Varda
man would reflect discredit upon the
state and the party which controls its
affairs, on the ground that such a vic
tory would argue the domination of
the “reactionary” element. The press
•—northern and southern —has been
particularly solicitous about what they
declared would be a "blot” upon the
south in Vardanian’s triumph; but it
is just as well to look at the situation
as it. is before joining in such criti
cism.
In tile first place, it must not be for
gotten that a gfreat many different fac
tors enter into a contest of this kind.
However prominent any one issue may
be, there are always considerations of
environment, of personal friendship
and a hundred and one others which
influence voters, and in a race as
close as this one has been, any one of
these considerations was sufficient to
bring to the winning candidate the
support which gave the deciding vote.
Both Major Vardaman and Judge
Critz are gentlemen of acknowledged
ability, both have figured prominently
in the politics of their state, both have
strong friends and supporters wiio
could not be swayed by issues, real or
imaginary, in the face of the certainty
that, either is fully competent to fill
tiie high office to which he has as
pired. The political future of other
men was bound up in the candidacy
of each of the aspirants to the govern
orship, and the relative local strength
of these men, on the one side and on
ihe other, served, naturally, to affect
in great degree the vote upon the
head of the ticket. All these things
are to be considered. Reference is
made io them in no spirit of apology
lor the result, but in studying the
causes which produced that result,
all these things must be taken into
consideration.
This fact, that there were other is
sues and other elements influencing
ihe vote upon the governorship, is not
cited for the purpose of obscuring in
any degree the other fact that the
predominant issue in that contest was
racial in its character. There is no
reason why this should be obscured,
although all the criticisms to which
we have referred are based upon it.
But the fact should be clearly kept
in mind that Major Vardaman did not
make the race issue which has con
vulsed Mississippi. It is entirely of
the making of another man, and that
man is President Roosevelt.
As we have found cause on other
occasions to point out, the revival of
the race question as an issue at the
south is due io President Roosevelt.
It is not necessary here to go into all
the details, even as to bis forcing a
negro as federal * office holder upon
Charleston over the protests of all the
best elements of her citizens, and over
the virtual protest of a republican sen
ate.
Should injustice of any kind be done
io the colored people of Mississippi as
Hie result of this election—though we
are confident, none will be done—the
one person upon whom must rest the
responsibility is President Roosevelt.
The fires which started a race issue
in Mississippi politics were lighted by
him and if the republican papers feel
compelled to dilate unfavorably upon
the result of the governorship contest,
it is upon the official head of their
own party that they should hurl their
diatribes. Vardanian found an issue
made for him and was politician
enough to take advantage of it.
Now that the smoke of the battle
has cleared away, it is to be hoped
that all the bitternesses of the con
flict will be forgotten and that the
good people of Mississippi will resume
the even tenor of their way. We are
confident none of the dire things pre
dicted by Major Vardaman’s critics
will come to pass: it would certainly
be the part of good taste, at any rate,
for those disposed to criticise to with
hold their criticisms until the new
governor assumes office. His adminis
tration will speak for itself, and it it
calls for criticism there will be time
enough to criticise.
11l Our Colonies.
So General Wood has been off in
British North Borneo taking lessons
in government from the governor of
that colony, with a view to their ap
plication in the Philippines.
It is sincerely to be hoped that the i
news will not reach to the spirit
world to disturb the well-earned u
peace of G. Washington, T. Jefferson t
and the host of pat riots who labored n
and strove and fought to create a na*<l<
lion whose flag should stand forever io
as a monument to the overthrow, so 1
far as Americans are concerned, o.'da
British colonialism. ate
Now that it has come, howeveiate
this definite and authorized announcitse
ment that the American authoritict c<
in the Philippines have determined art
take lessons in government from tints
British is valuable in that it ten ass
to clarify the atmosphere by clear! al| s’
away the cobwebs of official and I* l
litical misrepresentation. Heretofrnden
the clever manipulation of words
phrases has been successfully °od r
ployed tn blinding the American oprest
pie to the fact that the form of 0 * on
eminent given, and to be given °ives,
the Philippine islands is colonia,’ 11 I * ie
pure and simple. It has been pefil ron ß
ently denied by the president o * l *- 5 -
other republican leaders that -dost
American government out thei Ported
the Orient has borne any relati rich bil
colonialism, though these en ,o I,e
jugglers of meaningless phrase! 111
failed to explain what else it is.j Proval.
however, there can be no more dis
sembling. General Wood himsel
went to visit the British governor li
Borneo tor the avowed purpose ol
observing “the methods adopted bj
the British government to pacify and
promote the interests of” the na
fives; General Wood has returned tc
Manila with many new Ideas” gath
ered from his inspection of the Brit
ish system, which lie will proceed to
put into operation in the islands. In
other words, the British colonial sys
tem is to be openly set tip under the
American flag.
In the light of the certainty that
the question of the character of gov
ernment to be given the Filipinos is
to be one of Hie great political issues
of the future, this acknowledgment
that the republican party stands for
colonialism is interesting and valua
ble. There ?an. in the light of these
development), be no further evasion
ol the charje against the republican
administrati<n and Hie republican
party.
Thefive Mill Rate.
'1 he tact tai. the governor and Hie
comptroller <-neral have been able
to fix the taxiate as low as five mills
on the dollars a matter of congratu
lation to theneople of Georgia, not
only beeausdthe rale itself is low,
but. particular- because this is prin
cipally due t an increase in the val
ues ot taxab property, which shows
general prosjfrity.
This mean that taxation for state
purposes wil be at the rate of $5
on the sl,o< of property returned,
as against $-0 for last year; the dif
ference remaing in the pockets of
the people.
The five ul rale this year means
even more, Iwever. When the offi
cials met toake action they found,
alter a thorrgh investigation of the
states resonss, that it would be pos- i
sible to makthe rate as low as 4.90
by carrying n the business affairs I
as they havoeen done in the past— I
that is, by (taking a midsummer i
loan to tide er until the tax money i
begins to cte in. By making the |
rate 5 mills,ie necessity for such a. j
loan will bevoided. There will be }
in Hie treasf next summer a suffi
cient sum tod the state do its busi- ■
ness on a sttly cash basis, a thing
to be much tired.
So the gonor and the comptrol
ler general le determined upon the
5 mills raft This, as explained,
means not O' Hie saving of money
to the tax j?rs through lite lower '
rate, hut al.Hie doing away with -
the necessitjir a loan with the in- ,1
terest cost it Juki involve.
The lower rate speaks eloquent- j
ly for the gral assembly and for
Hie administion of Governor Ter
rell. The prises made by the gov- j
ernor in his ipaign have been ful- i
filled in evervay. His administra- |
tion has betmarked by economy '
without stiiess- just such a
splendid busts administration as
the people exit'd of him.
This rate s?s also Io emphasize
the wisdom oe legislature in pass
ing the bill slitting to the people
a tionstitutio amendment provid
ing for a 5 ) limitation upon the
tax rate. T1 amednment will be
voted upon 1. year and will doubt- ,
less receive J overwhelming ap- |
proval of theiple, but it cannot go >
into effect ftA’o years yet. In the
meantime, JlYer, Governor Terrell 1
is able to zAtnce a five-mill rate. ) .
so the ally get the ben- ■
eflt. of two years be
fore it <an> o,n < effective.
MidsumnvFinaHcial Conferences
The rec ‘oniereijees upon finan
cial legisP l at Oyster Bay have
brought erous declarations that
the adm mi ion intends to “get
back of" e financial measure to be
presentci the extra session of con
gress, b'htsut the only other fact
develops apparent disagree
ment wjexists among tiie financial
doctors. 1011 the necessity for some
of 'hem agree; but they
are by :°ans agreed upon the char
acter c“ disease or Hie nature of
that re v -
Som'y prominent republicans—
notabl*’- Cannon, of Illinois, who
will b'aker, and Mr. Hepburn, of
lowa, is always a power in the
house' 111 *° he pretty thoroughly
imbu.th the idea that no financial
legisl ' s necessary. The catn
paigi education which has been
carri ll during the past six years
unde direction of .Mr. Hugh 11.
Han' ems have failed, so far at
](> as these two gentlmen and per
hap'J°d many other western men
are erned. Mr. Cannon is quoted
as g that he will not use the
p 0 the speakership to thwart
the lß3 a majority of his party,
buhas declined to go on record
f 0 cure until he is per-
n yo know something more about
(])“ itself ami is more thoroughly
c( cd that, there is something to
b'd.
safe to assume, therefore, that
jtnnon and the others will fall
pne if the financial doctors of
party are able to reach an agree
-ipon any bill. So far the efforts
se gentlemen to get together
proved woefully futile. Even
w members of Senator Aldrich's
mmittee have not been able to
that state of unanimity which
be the first step toward the suc
il accomplishment of the general
they all desire. A clash be
eastern and western interests
evelopcd here, as it has always
>ped in committees and upon the
of congress whenever financial
ition has been discussed. The
-s over the Aldrich bill in the
• and the Fowler bill in the •
during the closing days of the I
angress served to show how far
the different republican ele- I
are. The Fowler bill providing ,
;et currency, which would pra<- i
make over the present system, j
e enthusiastic support of many i
ts of finance from the theoret- I
de and of some bankers; but a I
nany republican senators and I
entatives are opposed to taking
g a step as this measure in
. and it is to be presumed that
ir opposition they represent
elements among their constitu-
of the republican senators sup
the main features of the Aid
-11. but a number of changes had
made in the original draft, of
easure before it met their an- ,
There is no reason to believe ,
they have changed their minds during
the recess.
The idea of bringing forward finan
cial legislation at the extra session is
to give ample time in which to per
fect a comprehensive measure to cure
all the currency ills, present and pros
pective. It is possible the republicans
may be brought together in support of
some such measure, but the present
indications are that they will have
difficulty in making a party measure
of any bill which goes further than
providing:
First —That the customs receipts
may be placed in the depositories in
stead of being locked tip in the gen
eral treasury; and,
Second —Permitting Hie use of state,
county and municipal bonds, as well
as government bonds, as basis for cir
culation Issued by the national banks.
Egyptian Cotton.
Somebody in commenting the other
day upon the question raised as to the
possibility of profitable ' cotton when
there is no frost, asked “what about
Egyptian cotton?” and added that if
cotton could be successfully raised in
Egypt, where there is no frost, why
could it not be raised in Cuba and
elsewhere?
A Florida correspondent of The New
York Sun holds that the case of Egyp
tian cotton is the exception which
proves the rule, showing that condi
tions in Egypt, are entirely different
from those anywhere else.
He says it is true there is no frost
in Egypt, but there is also no rain
there, which makes the difference.
After the Egyptian cotton is picked,
irrigation is stopped and the Intense
heat of the sun dries tip tiie plant, so
that the field can be easily cleared for
Hie next crop. In this respect the sun
perforins the same service that the
frost does in the only other part of
the world where cotton is raised with
real success, the southern states of
this country.
In other tropical countries where
the experiment has been tried, there,
is too much rain. The plant is neither
dried tip nor killed by frost, find the
problem of destroying tons of green >
trash so as not to interfere with the
cultivation of the soil for another crop
is too great to admit of profitable cot- |
ton growing.
That War Game.
Another ship of the navy has had
the bad taste to run on the rocks and ■
j thus emphasize the folly of this “war
game” business on the foggy New
! England coast.
| The dispatches descriptive of the I
■ progress of the bloody contest be
-1 tween the navy and the army are lurid
jin the extreme. There can have been
■ nothing quite so realtistic in the war
! fare line since the last sham battle at
, Piedmont park.
Read, for instance, of that attack ;
upon Portland. “The harbor was fill- i
cd with smoke," says one dispatch. .
“and the smoke and thick weather !
made it almost impossible to observe ;
the movements. It was under cover j
of this smoke that a destroyer came .
into the upper harbor and was oppo- j
site Fort Preble before she was picked j
up by the searchlights and fired on.”
In these days, when the armies and !
navies of the world use smokeless j h(
powder, it may well lie doubted wheth- I
er sham maneuvers of this kind, de- ■ y.
pendent as they seem to be upon the bi
use of old black powder, can be ot !
anv possible value. t ai
*. , ; in
I Rom- Tribune: His memory will linger
lovingly amongst us for years to come.
Blanco, Tex.. News: His writings are
familiar to every household. As a humor
ist he had no superior.
Savannah Press: In Hie dark days he
kept southern hearts from breaking and
his pen never lost its cunning.
Columbia (S <’•) State: Bill Arp was
an old-time southern gentleman, whose
ruminations will b< sadly missed.
Buffalo (N. Y’.i News: To move wild
laughter in the throat of death, it can
not be; it is impossible. So Shakespeare
said; hut Bill Arp, the dead Georgia hu
morist, would come pretty near it.
Savannah Pr-j-s; Major Smith might
have said with the poet Littleton that he
had never written
“One immoral word, one ignoble thought.
One line which, dying, he could wish to
blot.”
Montgomery, Ala., Journal: Bill Arp '
was a sage and philosopher. He lived I
for hi.s people ami loved them. .His -
friends can truthfully’ say' of him that
ho brought sunshine rather than shadow
into their home life.
Augusta Herald: This country has not '
produced a nobler humorist. He has
node thousands laugh; other thousands
lenignly weep. He has cheered and di
verted many. In his own peculiar vein he
tad no predecessor and will have no suc-
Columbia, S. C.. State: The youthful
. generation know Bill Arp only as a pa
triarch, but the older folks rememb-ir
his breezy letters on matters of interest
-during the confederate war. These let
tits gave him prominence and are among
his best work.
Albany Herald; The whole south will
motitn the loss of this golden-hearted
gentleman of the old school and modern
philosopher who wielded a pen that ap
pealed to thp better nature of mankind
■ itid c.trried h n pe and cheerfulness into so
many of our southern homes for nearly'
half a century.
Nashville, Tenn., Banner; Ills humor
has been of the quiet, reflective order,
; and not of the exaggerated and grotesque
type which has been characteristic i»f so
many American humorists. Although
without, cynicism and bitterness, he nev
ertheless was at times sharply critical
I and punctured many of the shams of his
, day ’
■ Spartanburg, S. C.. Herald; The sad !
j news is greeted ail over this land, espe- :
! cially in the south, with the deepest s»r
--; row. The world is in nc-’d of men like
i Bill Arp. The country people whose
life he knew appreciatedVdm and loved
him best. Ma.v there come others like
him to live as he did and bless the !
world.
Rome Tribune: Major Smith was for
some years a resident of Rome and was
associated in the practice of law with the I
late Judge j. \\ . h. Underwood, a kin
dred spirit and always a loyal friend, and
during his residence hero he formed many
ties of personal frii-ndship which were
always very dear to him. Besides this he
has otherwise endeared himself to those
who do not know him personally by his
delightful letters to The Sunday Consti
tution.
J’rank <£, Stanton,
The Way of It.
When it ain't meltin’, it's rainin’—
When it ain’t rainin’ it’s hot.
And so we are mostly complainin’
And raisin’ a row with our lot!
When a little storm blows
Bring a deluge of woes,
And you can't see the rainbow and won't
see the rose!
When we ain't fryin' we're freezln',
When we ain't feezin', we fry:
And so, there is nothin’ like pleasin’
The people here —under the sky.
When a little storm blows
Makes a world full of woes,
And you can’t find the rainbow and won't
see the rose!
Willing for Weather.
I'm willin' fer all weather—the hottest
that kin conic:
Let the lightnin’ be unraveled—let the
thunder beat his drum!
It's watermelon weather, an’ you smack
yer lips for some—
The ripe an' red old Georgy water
melon!
It's joy to hear the raincrow jest a-croak
in’ in tiie pines—
To see the darky sleepin’ where the sun
tiie hottest shines;
To see the whole world tangled in the
watermelon vines—
The ripe an' red old Georgy water
melon!'
••• • •
Brother Dickey’s Sayings.
Wisdom don’t die wid some folks, en
ter tell de gospel truth she wot's live wid
lots er dem.
You can't go ter heaven kaze you say
you gwine dar, but you kin git ter de
yuther place widout savin’ anything at
all.
De worl’ ain't any older terday dan
what it wuz ’way back yander. Trouble
is, lots er folks thinks dey’s older en
wiser dan dem what come befo’ ’em.
The Greater Gifts.
Though Poverty keep tiie door
Through the sad and solemn years,
Never a man on earth is poor
With the gift of love and tears.
For even if the skies be blue,
Or black with a storm of fears,
God giveth blessings undreamed to you,
With His gift of love and tears.
Love on the Way.
Never a thought of a grief that’s been-
The grief of a vanished day.
But this: In a world that’s wild with sit
Juove Is on the way!
And Love wil] come when we deem bin
past
Tn the humblest cots to stay.
And brighten the lives of the world a
last:— ~
Love is on the way!
* * ♦ • •
The Revellers.
Dreams of tomorrow -
Trouble and chance.
Seek not its sorrow
On with the dance!
Bright eyes that win you
With witchery's glance;
Joy that dwells in you—
On with the dance!
All the world singing—
And sweet sounds entrance;
All the bells ringing—
On with the dance!
Nuggets from Georgia.
De poor you has always wid you. kaze
<-'s too poor ter move away.
Hit s a good way ter take de worl’ ez
ou find it, but don't take de whole
iisiness at one whack.
You can t take yo' money wid you sum
s world; en anyhow, dey ain't no fire
surance company would guarantee it
de next.
When the Good Times Come.
When the good times come
Needn't rattle any drum—
We're pretty sure to know it when
the good times come!
For pockets then will jfngie—
Your finger-tips will tingle,
O. we're pretty sure to know it; when i
the good times come!
Stop the bugle and the drum!
We'll never need their music when ■
the good times come!
I'm the eagle on the dollar
To the very skies will holler—
O. we're pretty sure to know it when
the good times come!
The Old Sweetheart.
Young folks sorter crowdin’ us,
Youth it is will win,
But-only give us half a chance,
Well swing the gals agin!
The sunny days wo can't forgit.
Though now our locks are thin
: The soul is in the music yit—
We'll swing the gals agin!
♦♦w • ♦
In Thy Dear Eyes.
I know, my dear, the way is Jong and
lonely.
With scarce a. star in all the shadowed
skies;
But Love is with us, and I see iteaven
only
In thy dear eyes.
That Love, my dear, th.-tt every burden
lightens
When o'er my way the storm revengeful -
lies;
But all the gloom with grace and glory I
brightens
In thy dear eyes.
She’ll Pull Through.
Money now will sure advance—
Skies win soon be blue;
Give old Georgia half a chance
And she'll pull through!
Soon you 11 see the dollars dance—
Plenty of ’em, too!
Give old Georgia half a chance
And she’ll pul] through!
The Beaming Land.
Oh, Dixie Land is .'the land that’s
beamin'—
Big. bright sun. and the engines steamin’,
Look away.
Night and day—
Look away down south in Dixie!
Just hear the birds in the treetops
singin’—
’Lectric cars, and the bells all ringin’.
Look away.
Night and day—
Look away down south in Dixie!
*** ♦ ♦
Out in the Sunshine.
Out in Life's beautiful sunshine—
That's the best place for u« all;
Mockin'birds singin'
An joy-bells a-rlngin’—
trappy from spring-time to fall.
Out ip Life's beautiful sunshine—
That's where we’re longin’ to go:
Life's winters are long.
But the summer's a song.
An' sunshine is maltin' it so!
“The boy L so bright.” said the old
Georgia farmer, “that I dunno whether
ter make a carpenter or a congressman
out of him- I’m jest betwixt an’ be
tween!”
Sargo iPtunkett.
THE pendulum is swinging back. I
know it is from the changes I have
noticed for a month.
YVe have a little offlee in Decatur
where we can go and sit and observe
the street cars that stop at the corner—
one. every twenty minutes from 5 in the
morning to 11 at night.
Not a day in the past month but what
we have noticed from two or three to
five or six fine ladles with babes in their
laps on a single car In the late after
noon and not a servant in attendance.
I This is the healthiest sign we have
seen in twenty years and the prettiest
sight we have looked upon since we
saw our own dear wife with her first
little babe. We said ten years ago that
the day would come, we hoped before w«
died, that the possession of a babe and
the crown of motherhood would be the
greatest honor and the most sought after
than anything pursued by women and the
thing most honored by men. To see
these mothers as they are getting to be
seen, with babes in their laps, gives a
promise for the future that could not
have come while the care of the babes
was left to ’’servants.” If there Is any
thing in the raising of children or in the
first impressions made upon them, then
this care by the mothers is a good sign
and should grow, and it must grow, or
the world and life is nothing. It were
better that man had never been made If
the care and instincts of motherhood is
lost to the world. YVe have seen many
a gloomy day in the past few years over
the statement that statistics show an
increase in crime and criminals, but
surely nothing else could be expected
if the care of our children is to be
turned over to “servants.” There has
been too much dependence on servants
to care for the babes and then to trust
the training of children to the schools.
An honest expression has been hard to
, get on either of these questions, especial
;ly the schools. Men as well as women
have been disposed to depend upon schools
I and It became such a popular idea that
politicians kept in the popular trend more
In fear of losing votes than in confidence
of the systems that have been upon us.
Now. I am willing to risk all my con
ceits on the assertion that a great ma
jority of people have come to look upon
our school system, especially as it is in
the country, as a damnable system. Per
haps country and town will agree to this
with scarce a dissenting voice.
But the blight is broader than the rural
schools and because of this dependence
of parents upon others for the training
of their children. They have tried to make
farmers at their schools, and they have
tried to learn girls to be housekeepers
at them, and they have proposed to turn
out mechanics there. My observation Is
that the training rf-ceive.l in this way has
been more a drawback than a help.
A young- agriculturist came into our
settlement a while ago who had gradu
ated with high honors in some of the
states, and he has done good by impress
ing a few young men of the settlement
that upon their fathers’ farm, rather than
at these schools, is the place to learn
use!'ul and practical lessons in agriculture
This young graduate that 1 speak ot did
pretty well so long as his old
father sent him money and im-
plements and .horses and wagons
and would come over once in a while with
. t wenty-five or thirty hands to catch him
up with his crop, but when he had broke
; the old lather with his “experiments'’ he
i soon began to cry out that farming was
, a failure on the poor lands of Georgia
and would have moved west if he had
been able to go.
The last time I saw this “educated”
farmer he had come down to an old-sash-
j ioned two-wheeled cart—the only thing
his father had left him that would not
; sell He had on a load of marketing
, that he was hauling for another fellow
. when the axle of his old cart broke and
dropped his loaM flat in the road. He
j was sitting on a rock by the road with
his head upon his hands in a deep study
when me and Brown approached him,
; and he informed us that his college train
i ing had learned him no way out of such
an emergency as he was then in—broke
down in the road and 5 miles from a
, -hoj Jb failed to be able to figure Out
; how he was to go 5 miles to a shop and
i keep cattle from eating up his load while
he was away.
Brown smiled and I smiled.
i \V - had never been inside a college in
| our lives, but in less titan thirty min
utes w- had cut a young pine sapling,
mad., a new axle, pried up the wagon
and got on the wheels and the young
I man was on his way again. He never
returned to our settlement. The next
time we heard of him he was in the leg
islature crying out against “trusts," fran
chises and the "unearned increment.” Wa
h.-ar that he is doing prettv well now
since he has nothing to do but talk, but
he will ever remain an impression to me
and Brown of the error that lies in de
pending upon others or upon anything to
train your children in the way they
should go.
And isn't it funny to all old people that
girls have to go awa .vfrom home to learn
housekeepir-.g? i ~ the poor down
trodden man that gets ot U - ot these girls
for a wife. No suxh training can instill
into girls the practicability of jff,-.
they could al! marry millionaires it would
. do, but as the wile of the average man
, they would never fit. I pity slleh gjrlti x
; pitv the poor man that may get one and
the babes, poor things, they need all our
; pity. As a rule, the rich girl or the rich
. young man, can afford to be a fool but
| It is sure a curse and a thing to be' sor
rowed ove C that any poor fieople should
have instilled great notions that none but
the rich could meet the expenses of.
And they teach the mechanics, too
and if you will visit the negro
around Atlanta you may sc- this training
in its greatest perfection. But when you
have gone among them and sounded the
students, you will find that as a rule the-.-
have no idea ot becoming the workmen of
the future. They expect to be "man
agers." "superintendents,” or. if failing
in this, they will go intQ politics or into
a solution nf thp ’• .
it "hot in many an old town tonight''
and many other night?.
But I started out to praise the healthful
i sign and the sweet sight of seeing so
many mothers on the street cars with
their own little babes. These mothers
may hare no fear that perhaps they will
hav.f- trouble in -ecuring a seat some
times or that the babe may cry and
disturb the other passengers. Let them
erw they will disturb no one, and the
sight, of such a thing is prettier thin
all the Plumes and all the ] ace! _ that
decked a woman's form. As for getting
seats always, there is not an old man in
Gtor S ia but what would lay down in the
aisle of the ear and let these mothers
sit on them, if it were to come to that. '
SARGE PLUNKETT
Lilk Culture.
il-'rom The Nashville News.)
The silk industry seems to be in a fair
way to be established in the south Ex
periments on a large scale have been con
ducted by experts in Georgia for some
ume and the government has been
wa Ching them with interest. Secret!??
M ilson s idea of teaching the business to
negroes is all ver well, but it Thoma
not be neglected by the whites. Pro!?? v
mon-