The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-31

| lhbt. he 70 ulhl VI BteaN MN PhSt9
habits. ~ try to live close to nature,
was his remark. II always get up from
the table with some appetite left, al
though my digestion is good. Not ex
orcising much / regulate my diet accord
ingly. Although rs years old l wear nc
wool underwear summer or winter.
do not even use cotton undershirt. ]
battle more orless every morning in cold
water and that protects me. l have
never used tobacco in any shape and
spirits only very sparingly. l spend q
gread deal OF time in the open air. In
the forenoon read pnder the trees
latter attending TO my correspondence
and literary work in my library and in
the afternoon take my nap under them
on an iron lounge where l use neither
pillows or cushions.
said, "AIr. Clay you are following
the example OF Emperor William, Of
Germany, in war times. | suppose you
mean to live as long as he did,"
"Well," said he, ~ want the air to
circulate all around me. am feshy
enough to dispense with cushions, and
they attract flies. You see l have no
flies about here. / have my barns, sta
bles and outhOuses away of in the for
est so as TO have no flies about the house.
They are my abomination. A fly in a
pitcher OF milk destroys that milk for
me. One reason why / do not care to go
from home is the Indifference of hotels
to this matter OF flies and cleanliness OF
table and house appointments. lprefer
this way OF mine"
A PLEASANT TALK.
And, sure enough, everything about
his grounds and his house shows this at
tention to order and cleanliness. He is
one OF the most mOthodical men | ever
saw. II an animal dies on his place he
has it Immediately buried. No garbage
OF any kind is seen anywhere. "Pnre
air and pure water" said he, "have so
much to do with health that l want
mine us pure as possible"
After breakfast we took seats out I'M
der the trees and talked over Kentucky
and national politics, and his experiences
and observations in Europe, especially
in Russia. He is a man OF much infor-
nation on almost all subjects and OF n
philosophical turn OF mind. He uses
words with point and force, especially
words semi-techniCal in their nature.
Speaking OF Kentucky politics, he re-
marked: "The almost insuperable bar
rier to Republicanism is the prejudice OF
slavery and the war. That is not fast
disappearing but descends from father
to son. 1t precludes us from the natural
force Of tariff arguments. The best we
can hope is to nCutralize this prejudice
and render 1t passive by arguments OF
self interest. l regard success this time
rs very important to the future Of the
country. II the Democrats succeed they
will cndeavor to so organize politics US
to keep the South forever solid, just us
they did before the war, and il they can
detach enough support in the North,
especially the West, they will resist dis
placement by violence, II necessary.
Next time they will fight inside the
Union and under the flag, and thus
avoid their former mistake. | always
predicted in former days that they would
tight before they would give up power
and many persons ridiCuled the idea.
The Southern leaders look upon the
Yankees as the Russians do the Jews,
us their natural enemies. If they could
do so they would introduce the Missis-
sippi and Louisiana method OF carrying
elections in Northern cities. ! know the
animus that prevails"
But" said, l, "the manufacturing
sentiment is gaining ground at the
South, wherever there are cotton mills
and iron works. Won't that neutralize
the old Bourbon tendency"
NO." said he, "they (the leaders, will
cultivate all that when it is far enough
along and will ally it against the North
as rival interest. Four more years Of
power will give them a big followingln
the North and discourage and almost
eliminate Republicanism at the South.
Hence they will strain every nerve to
succeed this time. Republican success
this time is a great commemorative Reces-.
sity to the present tendencies and
schemes OF Southern leaders and as a
protection TO the best interests oil the
country"
In all his conversation you can dis
cover the profound distrust OF Mr.. Clay
as to the intentions OF the Southern
leaders. Strangely enough, however, rs
it would seem, lie supported Horace
Greedy in ~ and Tilden in '76 and APP
proved the Republican plan of recon-
struction. His explanation is that he
did SO to preserve "the autonomy Of the
States" as he puts it. Now that this
autonomy" has been preserved he sees
again u new danger from those who
would suppress the elective franchise
and rule by force us they did in the days
before the war.
ABOUT RELIGION.
But I must pass on or this letter will
become too long. As it was on Sunday
that we were thus talking, our CONVERSE
ton appropriately enough fell into some
Thoughts akin to the day. He said,
among other things, that he always de-
sired TO See the persons in his employ,
especially the young people, going to
church on Sunday, although he did not
20 himself. ~ have no sympathy" said
he, with Ingersollism. have seen too
much of life and OF the world not to
recognize the importance OF religion to
the well being OF society. l have no re-
spect for Il man who makes merchandise
ont OF the hopes and longings OF his fel-
low men, and who has no substitute to
offer for what he takes away. This !
can say rs man OF the world. ! often
think OF what consolation their beliefs
were to my mother and sisters, and |
know it is the only consolation OF thous-
ands OF others. Hence, l always respect
and uphold the Ichurch as the main
olnmnnt in onr civilization"
While we were thus talking servant
had brought out basket ottine fruit, fresh
from the trees, pears and peaches, and