The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-01-23
LETTER FROM WILLIAM.
CENTRAL. TEXAS, January -, 1s7

-
CENTRAL. TEXAS, January IL, 1873.
TO the Editors of the Clarion:
The new year is upon US and looks very
much like all other new years, that / have
seen. Christmas was unusually bright and
had a fine turkey for dinner f1anked by
niceoysters. For this repast was prepared
by good old fashioned egg-Eogg, which
came TO my cabin accompanied by polite
note from nice lady, asking me to accept
the beverage with the compliments of the
season. The note also stated that the of
feriDg was not made with view to eneour-
age or foster an appetite for strong drink,
but in pursuance of q Georgia custom, as
old as the memory of man. 1t is well that
the latter statement was made, otherwise
might have refused to drink; for there is
nothing worse than the effects of alcohol,
as fully shown by pamphlet, written by
man named Compton of your State.
Yielding to an old and memorable custom,
/ drank the egg-nogg and felt ready for
dinner.
The year begins, in this country, with
hard times, and the outlook is that worse
times are coming. The farm rs say that the
proceeds of their crops do not compensate
them for their labor and trouble. The me-
chanics say that there is little work to do,
and that prices are so low that they cannot
make living. Professional men declare
that they are making nothing, and so the
matter stands. There is something wrong
somewhere. 1t is surely intended that every
branch of industry shall support those en-
gagged In its pursuits. Some say threatened
resumption is the cause of our troubles;
others say that the decentralization of silver
is the cause; while others affirm that the
non-taxable United STAGES bonds, consti-
tuting large per centage of the capital of
the country, take from the public revenue,
but add nothing to it, and make money
scarce. Mr.. Jones says the low price
of cotton and other farm products
canses the trouble, but what depresses this
price he does not exactly understand. unless
people make more cotton than the world
needs, and more grain than the world can
consume. Bro. Smith thinks that the
wfckedness of the people has invited hard
times, and Mrs. Cornelia proposes to show
that all this pressure is sent as judgment
for the conduct and decision of the Electo-
raj Commission. Now / am somewhat at
loss to decide for myself, lest l do as Pete
Jones did, when he went to fix his neigh
boris watch in Georgia. The watch lost one
hour every day it evidently ran too slow.
Pete opened it, and saw the hair-spring.
He called for a fork and picked out the
spring, and ended the trouble. That was
one way of fixing watch. Now some of
these parties, who clamor most loudly
about finance and the hard times, and. who
have found a remedy-each separate and
sIf ccl,.N IF L. %rar,
allowed to apply their views, treat the finan-
cial question much as Pete Jones did the
watch.
l have seen this hair-spring treatment
applied to school laws, school systems, and
school management, and it always works.
Mr.. Jones says Pete had enjoyed no oppor-
tunity of studying the mechanism and |
movements of watch, nor had he acquired |
skill in handling the tools of watch maker. |
Still he felt confident that he saw what was |
the matter, and knew the remedy. Num- |
bers of legislators, who have had no oppor- !
tunities for studying finance, and who have |
barely heard of Adam Smith, are confident |
that they understand the situation. The |
same applies to schools. Nearly every man,
whether he be lawyer or farmer, feels sure
that he can fix a school system, settle sala-
ries, and order and adtudicate IN all the
premises, yet he has had no experience, no
special training. A lawyer would lead
chorus just as successfully as he could con-
duct school. pauper could fix finan-
cial policy as easily as he could establish
bank; or, as Pete Jones could fix watch
/ conclude that one reason of hard times
is, that people know so little OF what thev
are about. That is the view of Mrs. Cornelia.
1t rains here now and is cold. A e'north-
err relieves matters rather than intenslfies
them. So gloomy is the outlook when a
"nOrtheF" gives relief the distemper is bad |
for of all things the clerk of the weather
does, nothing is worse than turning loose a |
first-class ''norther.'
The Texas State Grange is now in session
at Bryan. One day it held an open session
Mt the A. Il M. College. A special train
transported the brethren and sisters; and
the military at the College received them
and escorted them to the Chapel. The choir
and the organ sent out notes of welcome.
The president made a reception talk and the
steward fixed than dinner. and the Gram
gers were happy. The Grand Master of the
Grange Is Hon. w, w. Lang. formerly of
Wayne county, Miss, and is u gentleman of
talents and culture, Mrs. Lang is ele-
CANT Lady. The Changers are a power over
here--a power for good or evil. / have often
heard Col. Hemingway and Eugene Sykes,
and John Allen talk about Changers,
/
ry until | saw them here. The institution,
Mr.. Jones says, is best compared to a large
l don't see why, but there are ,
many things into which / can't see for in
stance, the financial question. Mr.. Jones {
says that sunhowers are beautiful. II
Thousands of immigrants are passing i
into this State from the North ahd East,
and from Europe. Corn is low and meat is !
low, but woe to the man who comes to ,
Texas without money. 1t were better for
him that mill-rOck were fastened to his !
neck.
Your Legislature is in session and ask
to Introduce to the CLARION, the faithful I
old CLARION. the Hon. w. G. Dowd of Ne ,
shoba, and Hon. j. L. Spinks of Kemper !
They represent the dark and bloody ground, {
yet two more sensible and better men can
NOT be found. have previously spoken of 5
Captain Dowd, and now say that John /
Spinks is a member of our old Singing So | |
ciety and is Christian and gentleman, |
as he Is. to my PERSONAL knowleG ge, one OF /
the ablest men in the State. Kemper has {
many other excellent citizens and is worthy /
Of all consideration. WILLIAM i
The No Fence and Mortgage Law. |
Horn LAKE, Mss, January 10, 1873. '
To the Editors Of the Clarion )