Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-01
"OyLY A CARPET.BiGCER."

Hon. Willard Warner, the great iron man
nfacturcr of Alabama, was recently taken TO
task by The Rome tGo.) t0R,ier, for having
made q speech favoiing an independent
candidate for Congress. In its structures, the
Couyitr, whose editor is native Ncrmonttr,
tough, IN the Southern army, reminded MIR.
Warner that he was ro,hiug hut carpet
hagger" In letter 10 u friend, which has
been published by Chattanooga paper, Mr..
Warner comments on the tonri,r's talk in
the following decidedly pointed style:
see that the Courier calls me carpet
bagger" Docs not this support the chaIg &c,
So often made, that Northern men are not
welcome in the South, hut aie considered
aliens and n,rropers by the white political
class? When, II ever, is Il Northern man To
| be allowed lbs this class to become u resident
| aud citizen Of tie Southern States, with the
same ri lhts as the naiivc-bJrn ~ act and cx-
press his convictions 10 political matters
was told u, Cave Spring, while speaking, that
| they wanted mo imppitato1s.'
have been in Alabama since 1860, and
have been bona ildc res dent OF tue State
since 1861. MY family and my every collar
nIc here and if this is moi my home l lh,vc
none. | own more land, pny more lax y,
and dO more business than all the COu'7er
men put together, AID yet am denounced as
"carpet-6aggcr." In the last len years ]
have spent in the. City of Rome alone not less
than 100000, Of which the money most
ivOlishly spent was 50 for the Duty C0utTcr
one year Still, am only u ''caIpct brgger.'
The T,cumsCh Iron company, which or
gauizcd, aud OF which have been president
and manager for ten years, apd of which l
am ais } one of the largest Stockholders, owns
$4,000 acres of land la Alabama and &c rgil,
aud pay 8 out annually 100000 for la,or (;
and, yet, | am only II ''carpci-bargcr
We own more of the sacred soil Of Georgia
than all Tile CoWirr men; aud, yet, l am
only II carpet baggcr.'
Al of the S2jO, 900 which unr company
las invested in It's business was brought to
Alabama from other Stalc., siNteen-scvcn-
leenths Of il from north Of Mason and DIX
on's lire, and yet am "A ''carpc, bigger
Let Northern mcn note this when prOpos-
ing to come South with their money and
their families, aud when readnsthc glowing
peri DIS of the pamphlets Published u adver-
tsr Rome and invite immigration.
The United States association oil charcoal
iron. workers, with n membership cf 300, in
twcnty-srvcn States, and representing $780,
Ou0, 900 If capital invested IN charcoal IRON
mukiug, of which have the honor TO be
president, holds its annual meeting at Chat
lanooga on the 18th proximc, and come,
South partly through my iniucncc. Shall
they b. told that in Rome, after seventeen
ycars's residence with family and means, an
cmigrant is still a ''carpct-brgscr had
thought Of inviting the association TO Rome,
aud aidrt sscd the mayor on the subject,
tut getting lao reply did not feel At liberty
! Ia 90 SO.
If AN 'carpet-blgger, so are the own
crs Of nearly all southern railroads and man
uiaCtOries. Look at the iron interest OF this
fcgiOn, for Illustration. Or the eighteen
ulust furnaces now at work in Alabama and
| Georgia thirteen are owned n.aiply, II not
entirely, by carpet baggcrs' by the COu-
ner's standard But discriminate bctw, en-
the Bourbon political class of the South. OF
which the CoHrt6r is one Of the organs. and
the mass OF the working and business people
From these latter CLASSES have received
only kindness. This intolciant Bourbon
political element in The southern States has
done them more injury since the war in re-
tardlng the inflow If Immigrants and cap!trl
than the yellow fever and the army worm
1t is a matter for congralulalion that tine
members AMI influence Of the element are
daily growing less. The new South has its
face TO the rising sun. and in its rapid march
in material prosperity and soI ial progress
Will soon leave the Courier class with Their
faces turned to tie time ''brfulc the war
far behind. Democrats will be surprised to
lind how ltllc sympathy the Southern DEM
ocrats have Tor the Norh,rn Democratic
party, aud Republicans will he surprised to
find how tolerant and liberal the people out
side the newspaper offices and court house
rings are, and how many sO-callcd Democrats
viii say If lived north Of the Ohio river
| would he a Republican" Yours irnly,
WILLARD WAENEa