The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-06-05
From the Petersburg Appeah
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From the Petersburg Appeah
Fools.
We are aware that this is very prolific and
very extensive subject, and in order to 90 JUS
tice to it, we would have to fill every column
of this paper for many, many days. But IL is
not of fools in general that we now propose to
treat, but of political fools. And to narrow
down the subject to its most contracted limits
for our present purposes, and to be entirely
specific we would say, that we propose TO write
of Conservative political fools alone. Now we
have often heard of, and in fact, met with men
whose professions and politics stamped them
as the most genuine Southern men and Con.
servatives, who announce boldly, that they will
never vote or touch politics, "until the country
comes back to its proper condition, and the
present state of affairs is changed for the bet
ter.n That is to say, that they are much purer
and better than ordinary mortals, that they
cannot afford to run the risk of furnishing the
hem of their garments in the muddy pool OF
politics. They will leave it to others to do the
work of fighting for the protection OF their
families and property, and when these have by
hard struggles, without any effort or sacrlhce
on their part brought about better state OF
affairs, when no work is to be done or sacrifice
required, they will doubtless be very enthusi-
astic, and will even seek offices OF honor TOR
their extreme loyalty to the good cause. These
Justify themselves on the ground that they are
so disguised with the way things are going !!
They put forward their disgust as their title to
political decency, and the evidence of their
fidelity to a cause for which they will not sac
riice so much as the parings of their finger
nails, not even the little time required to go
and register and vote. If such conduct is not
the offspring of hypocrisy, it is the son of self
conceit and folly. Earnest men, true men,
show their faith by their works. This willing
ness of the class referred to, to secure the ben
efits of other peoples toll and sacrifices, free
of cost to themselves, in morals would be es-
teemed dishonesty, while their refusal to con-
tribute their efforts and influence, when known
to be essential, in order to bring about the bet
ter state of affairs for which they profess to
long, reminds us of an idea embodied in the
nursery rhyme:
aMother, may 60 out to swim?
Yes, my darling laughtet
Hang your clothes on hickory limb
But don't 60 neat the water /"
They want to swim, oh dreadfully but they
are not willing to go near the water. These
we denominate the coneeited fools. Another
branch of this class, but who are not altogether
so devoid Of sense and reason, are those who
do nothing and contribute nothing to party
work or success. never attend meetings or sub
scribe dollar, and yet stand off to criticise
and find fault with party actions and nomina..
tions. Their genius lies in the direction OF
picking flaws in the work accomplished by
truer and more faithful men. These are the
men who swear that they will not vote, be-
cause the party in their opinion has done
foolish thing, or nominated Mr.. Jones or
Smith, whose record they do not like, or to
whom they have this or that objection. They
are chronic cold water electors, and generally
more injurious to the cause they profess to
serve than open enemies. BY looking over an
edition of Prof. Fowler's works on phrenology,
picture may be found of mans head with
the superscription "a conceited fool" The
heads of the class above described, as gene
era! rule, will be found to conform very strictly
to the outlines of this efgy.
The next class of political fools to which we
invite attention may be designated as the de-
spondent fools, These are as worthless gene
rally as those already described, and equally as
efficient in throwing cold water on every effort
of their friends, though they do not do so in
the same captious and presuA!e etuous spirit.
Of this class is the material of which slaves
are made. They are The weakened, the
namby- panby, whitewater kind, who never
aspire to the idea of noble struggle for right
or principle. They lie On their backs and say,
sswhat is the use, we can't do anything" By
their cowardice and evil bodings they invite
the yagabonds and negroes to walk over them,
and almost consider it a condescension on the
part of negro to speak to them Their croak-
ings are of the most dismal kind, and if their
views were regarded, we would all give up and
say, "come, niggers, and kick us, take posses
sion of our property-you have the majority,
you are our masters, and we put ourselves at
your mercy" These are the most provoking
fools of all. Their presence casts shadow
over the best counsels and the brightest cause.
The third and last class of which we treat,
Though there are some others which come un-
der the general head is that which may be
appropriately styled the Indifferent fools:
These are generally men whose, prosperity and
general comfort, aye, and whose bread and
butter depend upon the well-being of the COM
munity, yet have not brains enough to realize
an ordinary responsibility, or the value and
importance even to themselves of a proper ad-
ministration of public affairs. These are the
men who declare that they care nothing for
politics. And if they go to the polls to vote it
is on account of some particular friend who
NAV be on the ticket and as rule they are
the ticket scratchers. They have not mind
enough to comprehend the claims or merits of
a great cause, or penetration enough to see
beyond their own narrow circle and picayune
prejudices. They are generally SO overwhelmed
with eheir own selfshness that they have no
time or thought to reach beyond that narrow
circle which surrounds SELF Like all fools
they are very opinionated. You can teach
them nothing. "They know it ALL" and es-
TEEN their neglect of duty and abuse of re-
sponsibility an evidence of wisdom. These are
the most thick-hided and thick-headed, the
most unapproachabie class yet mentioned.
J1Jl,,4 ,,,,.t y +rro man who nndaavor IN do