The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-12
A frank Confsssion.

AFr.nk Confessien.
It was sorry admission made by one
OF the present gang In power-he about
the best appearing Of them-to man
who had waited many months in vain
for his pay for work dore for that honor
able fraternity, and who, nearly beside
himself with the. thought OF wife and
children, Tor whom he might not be able
another day to provide the commonest
comforts OF life, was making another
desperate and hopeless appeal. "Wen."
said finally the comfortable and purse:
proud refqser Of his little claim, ihe al
~sys declared It was son1s of the rest OF
them who wouldn't let him do anything,
and they each, in turn, declared it was
some one else still, and so the poor man
was passed around between them ali,
getting no satisfaction from any, and the
cunning fellows laughing in their sleeves
meanwhile "if you had been q regular
bully, could swear like pirate, and fight
thing through, suppose you might
have had your money long ago, and al
most any position you would have asked
for"
What delightful naivete! What
charming oonfession! Not ability, but
ruflanism, can the most readily win it's
way, and find place and position among
these iatter-day sons Of power. 80 very
new still 20 their business, and its rare
and bewildering opportunitiesl What
an inviting field for Heenan and his
prize-fghters South Carolina must have
lately presented, according to this inge-
Enous stafementi What fresh laurels
they might have won! What glorious
and substantial trophies they might have
carried of, il they had only known in
time! For, alas! their day Of opportu-
nifty is lost and gone. and the recent
thieves Paradise is in danger of being
very wickedly interfered with.
The man thus kindly informed, it
seems. had somehow, poor fellow. sadly
missed In his life that rowdy training
that alone would have fitted him to cope
successfully with this merry crew. SO,
formed his work had been, the privilege
of having been permitted to do it was
quite enough for him-he didn't need
any pay. 1t was his duty to be fully
satisfied to let it go to further fill the
pockets Of those who had so condesoend-
i1slJ allowed him TO work for them.
Happy wives OF such husbandsl BIest
children Of such fathers! Your bread
and butter, at least, is sure. You shall
| ride III your carriages and dress in your
| satins. Yon shall wear rings on your
fingers and bells on your toes, if you
want to. You shall forget the calicoes
| and homespuns Of other days, and how
yonr nimblo fingers could bake and sew
and scrub SO deftly. Don't you dare
breathe word of it to living soul,
Mr.. Editor; 'tis all between ourselves, as
my friend, Mrs. x, tells every one of her
afternoon callers in tho very strictest
confidence.) You shall no longer ro-
member the little red school-house on
the side of the hill, away up North, in
| which you hourished the birchen scep-
tre; nor the counters behind which you
made change, while the husband and
father stepped for a moment to the back
shop; nor clearinghouse nor clerk
ships, nor any such thing. Oh, no! All
that belonged to another life; previous
existence, altogether. Noo you are the
ton, and must set better example than
that. The only present mission yon
have to fulfill is to dress and go. and
SHOW on the fashions, just as you always
did," you know.
But. oh. you poor wretches who never
were taught from your mothers arms to
swear and fight, and raise the dust
generally, when your wives and children
ask for bread, carry home to them in the
place of your honest earnings this stone
from the State Treasury, and 20 and
hang yourselves
MEssRs. EDITORS: In w. j. Whipper's