The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-05-31
ARP'S REFLECTIONS.
His Philosophy Turns ln,o :hc Tarin
Channel.


it's tricky horse or mule that bucks hi
rider or gun that kicks backwards
What we all want to do. you know, is L
get into office and run the government
and capture the treasury, and Sro~ e..
on the spoils, and incidentally save tn,
nation. We Democrats want revenue
and we want protection, and if anyb0d,
knows which is the best way To secure
these great blessings, why of course I'm
for that way, but I'm getting powerful
dubus about TIE horse. The tariff l,a,
always been an unpopular thing with
the people-sorter like death aud taxes
everybody tries to postpone the one and
dodge the other. The very name of i,
sounds like an oppression while free
trade carries with it an idea of liberty
and equal rights to all. History says
that long time ago barbarian, whose
name was Taritfa, came over from Africa
and settled on the bluff by the straits OF
Gibraltar, and lie made every boat Iha,
passed pay toll on everything it carried
and he and his clan got rich off of these
spoils, and alter awhile these tolls were
called the tariff. aud all such exactlons
from the trading people have had lha,
name to this day and it is looked upon
rs barbarian business. Nevertheless
all civilized governments have tariff
for revenue, and our people have lived
under this sort of machinery for over Il
hundred years aud reckon ws can con
tinue to live under it. What I'm dubus
about is the propriety of our Southern
people raising much OF rumpus agains,
a little protection just at this particular
time. We are trying to encourage man.
ufactures and manufacturers need pro.
lection, and they can't live without it
Foreigners cnn deliver pig iron in our
ports At seven dollars ton and we can't
make it at home for less than twelve
dollars. 1t is all stuff about our iron
men at Birmingham making it mt nine
dollars. They never have done it and
they never will while they pay fair, lv.
ing wages to the workmen. But sun
pose that Birmingham can make it al
that, no other place can, and we must
take the average. Georgia and Alabama
and Tennessee have got millions invesle,
in that business, and we don't want to
cripple our own people. If they ar,
making too much and are getting bloated
let rs take off little protection-but dc
1t by degrees regulate 'em like we reg.
ulate the railroads, but don't cripple 'enl
for there are thousands Of poor familie.
dependent upon these iron works
Farming don't pay poor farmer on
poor land, and farming wants protection
more than anything, but don't see how
1t is to get it, and because it don't pay
any better, our poor people have to work
In this iron business. don't believe
the average farmer gets more than fifty
cents day for his labor. There are
thousands Of them who don't get the
half of it, l heard Talladega man
say the other day that farm labor wa,
the poorest paid labor in north Alabams
and would not average more than thirt,
cents to the hand. He didn't meaI
hire'ings, but meant the farmer who
worked for himself on his own land ol
on rented land. The papers make much
ado over Dir. Furman's success, and I
few others, and over truck farming, and
peach growing, which is all very vel
and very encouraging, and hopeful, tu,
the average farmer has no such advan
tages. Joe Brown pays his niggers q
dollar a day to dig ore in his mines
Railroads pay about the same, car build
ers and foundrys pay it, but the farme,
can't do 1t. He can't pay more than the
half of it and come out even and he
wouldent get any hands at all if the
darkies dident have families and wanted
TO work where their children could hell
'em. Farming is slow way to make
money, but then there is law of com
pensation about everything in this life
and farming has it's blessings that other
pursuits do not have. The farmer be-
longs to nobody. He is the freest mar
oorfh orA
He has more latitude and longitude
He has house in the country with
plenty oi pure air and good water. /
he makes but little in the field, he hu.
no occasion to spend but little. He car
raise his own hogs. aud sheep, and cattl,
and chickens. His wood cost nothiu,
and the luxury Of dig back logs ant
blazing fires in open fire places al! winte
long, is something that city people lonl
for, but cannot afford. My own farm
cost me seven thousand dollars. l hav,
l2O acres of open land in good condition
and it yields me on an average abou
five dollars an acre over NIL expenses
Say nine per cent. upon the investment
Well, that is mighty little, considering
my own labor and supervision. ",
seen the time when made five times a
much without any capital except m,
head. But then we have to keep pal
of horses to ride around and they hav,
to be fed from the farm.
There are little leaks all round, bu
still we are happier on the farm thar
we were in the town and feel more se
cure from the ills of life. We fear n,
prstilence or disease, no burglars o
Il '".s. We lock no doors, and Mrs
A mas quit looking under the bed f.
man. love to hear the churn dashe
splaghing in the butter milk. love I,
hear the roosters crow and the peacocl
ho!!er, and see the martins sailing rount
the martin goards. love to hear
nabor stop and chat about the growing
crops. love to take the children witt
me to tho water mill and fish below tn
dam amid the roar of falling waters, O
paddle around the pond in an old leak
bateau. l love to wander through tn
woods and glades and wear old clothe
that can't get no older or dirtier and ge
caugh. in q shower Of rain If want ic
Old man Horace remarked about tw
thousand years ago that the town wa
the best place for rich man to live ir
| and the country was the best place for
poor man to die in, and inasmuch q
riches we're uncertain and death we
sure. it becomes II prudent man to NOV
to the country as soon as he Can &c
there. Farmers have their ups au
downs of course, but they don't collaps
and bnrst up like tradesmen. The
don't go down under panic. Ten year
ago nearly all the iron men broke {
suspended, and they are on the lookot
now for another squall, and don't war
the squall to come from anything OF
party will do when we get in the govern