The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-03-13
BILL ARP
Has Something to Say on the
Tariff Question.

III their views. In fact, there is hardly any
one alike. am not alike myself and believe
L had rather pay my part and take receipt
and quit. The whole thing is in a tangle. The
CONSTITUTION interviewed six men the other
day and they all differed If the differences
were small we could compromise, but they are
not l believe that the politicians are making
more fuss than the people. If you want to
hear argument just circulate around these
people who haven't got anything else to do.
Get about three lawyers and two editors and
one doctor and two or three gentlemany loafcrs
together, and they will make the fur fly from
the tariff. But it takes q candidate for the leg
islature to illuminate it. overheard one talk
ing to some farmers today and | couldn't tell
which side he was On- He said eff and PRO
vided" and however so often that | was re
minded of old Squire McGinnis who charged
the jury that 'if the COW was on the track in
the trains time, or the train was on the track
in the cows time, then they must find for the
COW, provided they could reconcile the evil
dence, and if they believed the lawyer on the
cows side, or the lawyer on the trains side, or
nary one or both just as they pleased. then in
that case they should find Tor the COW. But if
the COW broke out of the paster with malice
atorethought and jumped the track in front of
the bullgine, then they must find for the
and my costs are two dollars and thirty-one
and quarter cents"
The people who work hard for a living
haven't got time to fool with the tariff. They
lose more than they make by it, l knew a
man over in Rome who lost whole week run
ming about town trying to have man beaten
for mayor because he was in favor of building
an academy and taxing the people to pay for
| it. He just quit his work and cavorted about,
| saying it would ruin the hard working people
| TO pay so much tax. figured up his part and
! it was just forty-iive cents, and so | gave him
a, half dollar and told him to
| hush. Cobe says he don't know nothin about
| the dogon thing no how, and he don't 'keer,'
| and he thanks the Lord every night that he is
| out of jail. The rich folks who want to get
| richer seem very much concerned for fear the
| wages of the poor laborerS will come down. l
| like that. 1t shows their humanity, their SYM
| pathy. [ reckon that is the reason Mr.. Gambler
| is so mad about the reduction on marble. He
| is afraid that marble company over in Chero-
| kee will cut down the wages of the men who
| are at work at the qdarrieS
| wonder if we hadent better let the whole
! thing alone and let that surplus get bigger and
! bigger and divide it out among the states just
! let the money go round and round like the riy-
| ers run into the sea and the sea eyapcrates in
| to clouds and the clouds send down the rain
! and keep the rivers going all the time. Georgia
| would get about five millions year that way
| and twould build good school house at every
| cross roads and pay the teachers and work all
the roads and build all the bridges. There are
| so many different interests all over the
| vast country that we can never harmonic
on tariff bill, but VIC could agree on a division
| among the states and the poor people would get
the largest benefit 1 am willing to that right
| now, and know that CODE is When Uncle
| Sam gets rich he ought to divide with the
| boys. OF course he oughtent to get rich off of
! the boys, but they are quarrelng all the time,
| and reckon the old man had better tax them
until they hush and give his money to those
| who make the least fuss and need it the most.
| Such as me and Cobe, for instance.
| But, then, all this is Utopian nonsense and
| Arcadian simplicity for Uncle Sam is not go
| ing to do any such thing Randall and Carlisle
| won't let him. They are the biggest boys in
| the school, and rather quarrel than not, and so
| we will have to let them and their followers
| fight it out. | reckon we can stand it. Sup.
| pose the marble is high; we won't want tomb
stones until we die, and as for marble top bu-
reaux and washstands, we can do without
| them while longer. 1t is not the tariff that
| worries us. 1t is these every day expenses
! that never stop There is no tariff on wood
| or coal, or meat, or bread, or coffee or school
| bills, or music lessons or going to every fool
show that comes along. There is no tariff on
| Methodist concerts, or Presbyterian suppers, or
| EpiScopalian bazaars but we have tic go to
| them all tie same and haven't bit of protec-
| ton from the young ladies or the old ones.
| They 90 for us, and get all our change and pay
| us Oil III Smiles Some OF our churches take
! up collection twice day besides the Sunday
| school, and are threatening to pass around the
| hat at prayer meeting. There is no tariff on
! the cook or the WasherWoman, and when they
! want protection they strike OF quit There is
| OF four dogs. None on beef or pork, or chick
| ems, or oysters, or fish, or potatoes. or turnip
! green's. / think we can dodge the tariff, and
| get along pretty well. Most of us are going
| tospend all we make anyhow And so we are
| happy, 1t don't matter much about the lux
| urCS.
| Not long ago visited tn home of good
| old man i'll Alabama, and his strong, healthy,
| handsome girls showed me their handiWork-
! great pile OF wooden counterpanes woven in
| beautiful patterns, and there was no tariff on
| them. The old man and the boys We're clad
| in home made jeans, end almost everything in
! the house and out and on the supper table,
| came from their own industry, and the family
were happy and content.
And this reminds me of an aged patriarch
| met over there who was in tine nineties. lie
came to see me to talk about the old times
when he lived in old GWinnett about fifty
years ago, and he seemed to think that l was
about his age and knew everybody that he
used to know. His dim and watery
eyes giistened as he eagerly inquired
about the friends of his youth. "Iow is your
father, said he "My father is dead said l,
che died about fourteen years ago" The old
man looked surprised and disappointed. "And
Nathan Hutchins how is he" "IIe is dead
too said I, "And DR.. Russell and Matte and
John Thompson" "All dead long time ago,
| thirty years and more" said l. The old man
seemed to be i'll a sad sweet dream of the past
as he once more inquired, SIS Billy Nesbet
dead too" Yes, said l. "And Thomas II.
John Mills and Bony Mackin and Billy Baugh
and the Austins." "All dead" said L.
The old man wiped the water from his
eyes and said, II knowd all them,
and they are all dead.
knowd good many more but
| reckon it's no use-no use Everybody is
dead but me-" "Did you know George Lump
kin, said /. "Of course 1 did--of course
He's dead, too, reckon" ono" said I. Gle
is live mana very live man-about as old
as you are, ard more active. He is living in
Rome and goes squirrel hunting and shoots
without glasses. saw him the other day and
he said lie coud beat me foot race and | ex
pect he could" This comiorted the old man
/ and lie told about hunting possums with George
and how George had over forty in pen and
fed them like feeding hogs.
81 used to live over there in Gwinuett"
said he. 81 moved there from Athens" lie
called j. Athens with long A. II went to
school to Fulton along with Howell Cobb. Did
you know Fulton" NO" said J, "but
knew his children and Grandchildren well
did you know Howell Cobb 2" "Ah, yes, =" said
], Il knew him we'll" The old man smiled
as he said, II always loved Howell lie was
mighty kind-hcarted boy; ] have played bill
lizards with Howell but we didGnt mean
any harm by it. No, we were boys then. We