The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-04-01
"mY noe sNYpKR. .

Ola POdridG Snyder was member of the
Congress representing the Arkansas Pine
Bluff district. He is an American of Next
can parentage, or Mexican of American
Parentage, aud therefore his peculiar Chris
tian name is significant of mixed traits and
nationalities. He was of the most loyal sect,
and even Out-Heroded Clayton among the
black savages that roared like the waves Of
the sea when an election occurred in the
lowlands of Arkansas. 1t was in the re-
mote jungles of inaccessible cotton planta-
tions, where white men were rarely seen,
that ola P0drida fixed the seat of his saw
age empire. He was a little king. He
used to have his black hair curled with hot
tongs when he went abroad, that the ne
groes might feel assured Of distant race re-
lationship to the festive little candidate. He
ate corn dodgers in Cuffee's cabin, chucked
Dinah tenderly under the chin, and even
embraced and kissed little picaninnies that
basked in tho sunbeams and were stewed
in the murky atmosphere of the marshes.
Ola Podrida's speeches were of the blood
and-thunder sort-cOz ct PreteTea Mill. For
a little fellow, he could make more noise
than any politician, except Birthstone
Brooks, that ever went, like roaring lion,
seeking whom he might devOur, through the
swamps of Arkansas. He had more negroes
killed by Ku-klux, incredible as it may
be deemed, in any one Of his cam
paign speeches, than ever fell be-
meath the blows Of the Inter Ocean
in all its contracted life of protracted
lies. Ola POdrida's exordium was gen
orally description of Ku-Klux raiders as
they set forth on an expedition, and while
he held up before his entranced black audi
tors one of Nast's impossible pictures, the
negroes groaned and yelled, and with pro-
truding eyeballs and outstretched necks,
listened and stared in horror and terror till
the excitement became painful, even to
Ola Pocfrida. But it was IN the peroration
that Ola heaped up all conceivable inhu-
man horrors. He reinstituted slavery, and
alleged that white men would be doubly
avaricious, because of the last years Of ne
gro freedom. The blacks, he declared,
would ''nOver be suffered to sleep-never
sleep-never snooze an hour in the fence
corners Then the negroes grOaned in ut
most agony. "There viii never be dance
or gOurd fiddle on any plantation" oontin-
ued Snyder, and again an unearthly groan
would be the response to the effective
stroke Of oratorical art. Then, ''when you
run away into the canebrake and are caught,
having no Freedman's Bank and Freed
mans Bureau, you viii be tied to stakes,
pine knots win be driven into your blessed
bOdies,p and you viii be ''sOt afre, p ex-
claimed Qua Podrida, land blaze on and
on away out serOss the dead sea of eter-
nifty"
-Of course nobody could compete with
Ola Rodrida He was q little king of the
canebrakes down about Pine Bluff. But
one King White came to the surface Of
events. He acquired the confidence and
excited the fears Of the plantation blacks.
In the anatterable confusion of politics,
when Birthstone Brooks led the 'srebelsn to
victory and was sscOunted out" by Clayton
and when Brooks again went over to Clay
ton, and Baxter, the Arkansas Moses OF the
negtOes, as described By Ola POdssds, vas
before the negroes' very eyes
in the midst Of these events poor Snyder
lost his grasp upon negro innocence
and credulily, and lost his place IN Congress.
Pity hint Il was fearful fan. Such
man had never before risen 70 such q height.
The crazsd wretch that leaped from the
dome Of the Capitol Al WaahingtOn to make
himself immortal e Empodocles who sought
a tomb in the crater Of Etna, never fell e.
e Ola Rodri3a. Shocked. par
alyred, helpless, having tasted LIES
choicest sweets he iirst sought foreign en-
bassador's place. he even hoped, for con
iessed skll q poker. thst he might sup
plant Schenck Ct London. But Landaulsl
williams VA 10 Be preferred. Snyder then
,sked to Be sent 70 Pcl<in, bat Gnnt Aad |
promised China 70 anolhsr beaten Coogress
nan end Snyder was content Il last with I
ne Roe,oHco a. Pine Hun. And We win /
eey.r nole hpaE a 0lls Rblrila Snyder - /
- .''e.'raiIqn n habits. tastes, iniellir.noe !
.eA h's'osg g tho dsravsd adrsniursrs /
s-e Aets HoP'p1ed nerro mlIrszo b dis-
ls,ee. nlazep1ell1l rna plunioP tne eou,h
me oeslnaan e'.Fir' Iloronnoes rl,,s. |
~ 1. =. A..