The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-14
ELL ARP on AN INTERVIEW.
he Georgia Farmers Tell Him How They
Will Run the State Government.
From the Atlanta Constitution.


politics over in Rome. "Nothing,
nothing at ALL" said he in a sad, sweet
tone of voice. "1'm staying inside the
house now, and waiting for the storm
to blow over" "Suppose it don't blow
over at ALL" said I. "Maybe the thing
is like the dcluge and all you political
sinners are out Of the ark and floating
around on the logs and chicken coops,
and every little while you look up at
the great floating warehouse with its
closed doors and say, Boys, how long
is this Internal shower to last?'"
Blessed is he who hath boat of his
own and does not have to depend upon
the peoples line. Blessed is he who
don't banker after office. This whole
thing would be funny ifit wasn't death
to the frogs. 4 few months ago our
town boys were puzzling around and
laying their plans for the legislature
and were fixing to catch the alliance
vote for it had not gone into politics
then, and the boys got hot over their
| rights, but they have all swaged down
and look as meek and humble as run
over calf. The farmers made no noise,
but simply said: "Boys, we don't think
your sort are fitten, and you amt fitten
to get fitten, so we will attend to this
little business ourselves" And the boys
made bow and said: "Jesso."
1t reminds me of q story they tel on
Mrs. Brown, the senator's plain-spoken
and discerning wife. After old Joe had
served nearly two terms as governor,
some gentlemen were discussing, in her
presence, the question as to who would
he his successor Mrs. Brown was
stitching away on some garment and
took no part in the conversation until
one of them said: "Mrs. Brown, who
do you think will wear the governors
mantle when he retires?" She looked
up and replied in matter-of-fact way,
81 don't think he is going 70 retire; he
calculates to wear it himself for two
years more" And he did.
I heard a big alliance man say We'll
show you how to run a legislature
when our boys get there. The boys will
eat breakfast by sun-up, just like they
do at home, and in an hour more you
will hear a horn blow at the capitol and
they will all be there and go to work,
and there wont be any fooling around
and no excuses nor absentees, nor
going down town to get drink, nor
running off on excursions to Tybee
and Chautauqua. Mark Hardin shant
have fourteen clerks, dog-on him, but
he shall do the clerking himself. We
can't do without linn, and don't ex-
pect to, but he will have to knuckle
down to work. The last session cost
S150,000, but the next won't cost the
third of it. I'll bet any man a suit OF
clothes it don't. We are going to rent
out about half the state house. Every
one Of them stail-fe1 fellows have got a
front room, and back room, and &
sanctum, and sanctorum, and q fifty.
dollar sofa to sleep on, and they have
have their business hours just like the
banks, and you can't see 'em only when
you don't want to see 'em; and they
haven't got to go to mill, either, OF
take up the fodder, dog-on 'em. Well
straighten out their trace-chains when
the boys get there.'
II hear" said I, "that some of your
members are opposed to George Lester
for attorney general because he is 9
lawyer"
"Well, yes,' said he, "some of EN-
was, but told 'em that George was :
poor man and 4 good soldier. and was
no lawyer to hurt, and I think they
will 60 for him. l know he amt much
of a lawyer, for l had Il case in hi:
court when he was judge, and he de
! cided it pint-blank again me, though
knowed l was right all the time. No
he amt much of 4 lawyer, but we dom,
expect to need any-we are going tC
run the machine in 4 cOmmon-Senst
farmer way, without any red tape O
Sallymagundy, and if these judges anC
solicitors don't do better than they
have been doing, We'll turn 'em all out
and put in some old-fashioned farmers
who don't know much law, but dc
know power ofgospel and high natra
justice. There's too much trigger work
going on. The courts have been three
years trying to hang that devil, Wool
folk, and he amt hung yet. We could
have tried him in Euharlee Justices
court in three days, and hung him and
saved twenty thousand dollars that il
has already cost Bibb county. It's the
lawyers that do it all, and the judges
keep on letting 'em and if they don't
change their ways We'll abolish the
whole concern. There's too much law
and too many books anyhow, and
every time lawyer makes spe ech he
gets some newspaper to say it was the
greatest speech of his life. But We'll
straighten 'em in the cotton patch."
Well, maybe these farmers will re.
form some things, for our folks arc
getting little loose in the socket.
All's we'll that ends well.
BILL ARP.