National Republican., 1883-10-08
AFFAIRS IN ALABAMA.
The Poor People Ground Down by Traders
Who Buy Their Crops in Advance.
bourbon Rule and It's BIightlng EGects
ON Everything.

of 1880, is at the ST. James hotel. He has
just returned from visit to his homo in Ala
bama, and in conversation with REPUB
LIcAN reporter, gave the following interest
ing information concerning tho material
political and educational interests Of the
state. Being asked as to tho statements
made by prom inent southorners and notably
Senator George, Of Mississippi to tho effect
that tho crops are good and tho south pros
pering, he replied
"My intimate knowledge of the south, before
and since the war, and my constant occupn-
tion as farmer there enables mo to speak
unreservodly upon this subject. Alabama,
and doubtless the south generally is poorer
to-day than at any time since the wnr. Tho
arbitrary action of the democratic commits
sioners in raising the values of real estate for
assessmentof taxes affords no just criterion of
values. The decline in real estate values is
fully 100000 in tho past ten years, and but
for tho iron, COAL and railway interests lately
developed the state would be too poor TO pay
the current expenses of government. Tho
crops have been blighted by an unprecedented
drought, and want, if not misery, stares our
people in the face"
"But YOU doubtless forget that tho south
raised seven millions of bales Of cotton last
year-a fact that would indicate condition
of unusual prosperityW
THAT very fact, if fully understood evinces
tho poverty of our country. Under peculiar
system of crop lien laws, by which the hum
blest negro can sell himself and his labor for
the current year to the merchant, who COM
pels him to plant all cotton, to the exclusion
of all breadstuffs, and who advances him
brass jewelry, ribbons, and other gov gaws
together with meager modicum of the
necessities of life, all ut his own prices, the
probable value of the crop of tho negro is
traded away before half the year Is gone,
and then he must live by charity, or what is
worse. BY such means labor is pauperized,
and thousands live from year to year
without seeing dollar. And tho
poor white man, who can never cir
cumscribe his necessities within the
same compass is, brought into direct compe-
tition with this pauper labor, and is gradu
ally becoming poorer-is slowly yielding to
that inexorable law, "the survival of the
fttest." He cannot raise cotton as cheaply
Us the pauper, 1t is q fact that the cotton
crop of tho south, under the influence of this
miserable system, is actually-thrown away
before it is mado, and tho grand aggregate
goes to swell tho bank account of the NOR
Chants-those financial harpies that have the
south uuder their commercial sway"
What remedy can be suggestedW
ut should be short, sharp, and decisive.
The repeal of this odious credit system will
put every man upon his own resources; will
drive the lazy and thriftless to the fields;
trade; will reduce the overproduction of cot
ton, and frighten even the negro up to tho
point of raising peas, potatoes, corn, oats,
cattle, and hogs. Until this is done there can
be no just hope for the material prosperity of
our country"
"What about the convict system in Ala
bama2
81 could scarcely trust myself to speak dis
passionately upon this subject, because be-
lieve in reformatory instead OF vindictivo
punishment, and am opposed to working con-
victs side by side with honest labor. Tho
official report of tho inspector, Dr. Cochrane,
has been published, and discloses state of
misery among convicts at which every hu-
name, citizen naturally bushes with shame
and burns with indignation"
What is the condition of parties in Ala
bama2"
"There is only the democratic party in Ala
bama. The republican party has long since
been strangled by fraud at the ballot box. 1t
is the settled policy of the bourbons that
no man, however worthy, shall be counted in
if he is candidate on the republican ticket.
Gen. Lee, If alive and candidate upon that
ticket, would be defrauded at the polls. AS
to national issues, there is some small divi-
sion of opinion upon the tariff, but it is of no
practical Importance. 'Spoils for the victor
is battle cry that sutIices to hold the masses
in cohesion. They are solid on that issue.
Under such influences Alabama may be safely
regarded democratic"
"But as regards state politics? Are there
not some manifestations of impatience with
the state politicians, and disgust at their
methodist
''Yes; there is the nucleus of now state
party that is slowly attracting to itself all the
best men of the state. In the northern
counties, already very strong, it is growing
daily. In the middle and southern counties
the fires are yet smoulderng; but with fow
to the front, the flames OF revolution VIII
illumino our borders. My own county
(Greene) is as yet the only county in the
black belt that has cast an independent
majority, and this was done without tho
negro vote. The people are tired
of a political serfdom that is
blighting tho prospects of tho de-
serving young men of tho state The iron
rule OF tho bourbon ring dominates the col
leges, public schools, court houses, and pre-
cinct justices, aud no man can have tho
smallest official preferment unless he Is fully
indorsed by the local ring There have beeu,
since the war, 10 public moetingsfor digniied
political debate, because only one doctrine
has been tolerated. Consequently our village
Hampdens, instead of having their wits
sharpened as of old by intellectual conflict
over principles aud ideas, have shrunk back
and been lost in tho dry goods deadfalls and
the cross road grog shops. Thus has tho
1ntellect OF the south Deen uWarIeu by tnc one
party rule, and thus it will continue to
dwindle as long as free speech is stited and
I men are prescribed for the sake of opinion"
| "Is there any hope for a favorable change Of
political opinion in Alabama?"
III think there is, and as long as have
! faith in tho honesty of the common people |
shall confidently expect it. believe that
the white laboring masses arc honest, though
TOO conservative and too slow to act upon
their convictions. This is not to be wondered
at when We consider that naturally truthful
and trustful they have expected tho same
from their political bosses aud have too much
conhded in their artful misrepresentation
about social equality and other fancicd race
dangers"
"And education. Is thore any satisfactory
progress in Alabama"
"The education of the masses is being car
ried on in mako believe, slipshod way. IL
literacy, according TO the last census and our
own observation, Is increasing. Democracy,
in tho south at least, has always opposed pub
lie education. With all their pretonsions
toward education, ii is my honest conviction
that the bourbons are opposed TO public
schools, and, in private conversation, some of
them do not hesitate TO say SO. The recent
speeches of DIR. Haygood, of Georgia, at
Chantauqua, in tho cause of education Mt tho
south, have called forth bitterly condemna-
tory articles from the bourbon press of Ala
bama, in which he is stigmatiaed rs an &C.
clesinstical beggar, mad saint, and other hard
nicknames.