Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-10-15

EDGE
70 sending him there, fifty men ar
t. ruined by what I may call politica
's, course Of training. Sir, list, while
Or a tale unfold of what are usually tn
" consequences Of entering the politica
g arena. It will explain many anoma
o, lies. We will take farmer for in
y stance, and I wish it distinctly un
1t derstood that I have no particular
/. man in view, and make no persona
o allusions whatever for the type
intend to portray are become so nu
= merous that each county affords its
Q prototype. Our farmer, who may be
9 successful business man, though toe
9 often it is otherwise, induced by his
t friends" to come out for the Legis.
g lature, after reasonable amount Of
: hsndshaking, which he rather dis.
}, likes at first, is sent to Columbia.
(. The coveted Honorable" is attached
!, TO his name. Alas that it should 30
. often prove badge by which to dis
tinguish those who have Chartered
! their birthright for a mess Of pottage"
and he gets there full of virtuous
zeal for his constituents, and full Of
J high resolves So to what he intends
to do for their good. he enters the
State House farmer; he emerges
from it after one session politician.
He went there to try to do something
for the people. After breathing that
polluted atmosphere thirty days, he
returns home intent on doing some.
thing for himself. The contact with
General this and Judge that and
Colonel something else, who have
shaken him by the hand and made
much of him, has debauched him.
He likes this being somebody; and
his first resolution offered and passed
in his own mind, is that he will re:
main somebody if he can. He has
eaten of the insane root which takes
the reason prisoner, and if he is so
unfortunate as to be sent a second
time, he becomes thoroughly inocula-
ted with poison that will never
ALLOW him any more peace.
II we send him to the House, his |
thoughts coon begin to tcrn to the
Senate. II he succeeds in getting to
the Senate, Congress next looms up
before his gaze. And should he get
to Congress III
To Be Governor. United States
Senator, Cabinet Officer or Foreign
Minister, and even President, now
tiekles his fancy. He is ever ready
to serve the dear people. But some.
how these big places, these plums,
are reserved only for lawyerS, and
our farmer rarely gets beyond Con.
gress. A laudable ambition is to be
admired in any man. But why should
he crawl to it ION his belly" like the
Serpent in Paradise when be tempted
Eve, our fret mother, rather than
walk erect like man, the ~lorious
Image Of his make D q sz,.,,,.. 4;
he become q boot-litt lose 43sf8!
and h.tterer to IL have opinioLS
should he cease to 10 express theE - |
his own, or fear ~Sea,l to battle for ,
tie Figh5, 1Eefhsir tit is popular or
not, and lay claim to his own soul IN
scorn Of consequeHcea? !
:, l shall not attem mpt to answer these
questions. No one, can answer them.
the fat seems to have gone forth
that to attain prefer fment il our State,
a man must "crook the pregnant hinges
OF the knee that thrift may follow
fawninp." But as God is my Judge,
though I too have ambition, / cannot
crawl througk~tbe slime and filth
now deemed necesAsry to crafty it,
and II would rather be dog and
bay the moon than such Roman.
South Carolina in her better days
was the mother Of statesmen who had
no thought save for the good of the tn,
commonwealth; and the people tol,
lowed them blindly, feeling that
though they might be misled, they
would never be betrayed. Has ahe
"lost the breed Of noble nen ? Or
are her people asleep. not to see
whittier we are drifting Demagoguee
and sycophants are far too numerous
in her council halls; and as sure as
like begets like, unless the "hoW'dye'
do statesmen" are sent to the rear
there will ere long be revival OF the
good old Radical rule Of "Addltlon'
| Division and silence.
Gentlemen, you must pardon this
depression. ! am not near through
with this picture Of those who are
now ruling South Carolina, and ruin
ing her, but l must return TO the
college.
do ? | will tell you. While leaving
! the main features Of the present
foundation unchanged, let them es
! tablish in connection Herewith A,g
ricultural and Neurological schools,
:. together with an experimental farm
where the young men and young Wo
men Of our land, allowed if they De,
o sire to pay their board in work, could
8 be taught all that those names IN
DIV, and come forth at their gradua'
!. tion 3, ready not only to earn their liv'
- y ing, but to aid in building up ouI
Q . State BY the int,oduesio1 Of 9O;,a Other
y :, occupations than that Of farming
= and another kind Of farming thar
that Of which the gentleman fror
IL II bull tongue and quilted hill side
70 Many Of our young men are lea,inl ;nt
y y the farm and aocking to the cities
i most Of them to become clerks, be
~ ~. cause they know hoy to do nothing
~ n else and remain clerks all their livet