The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-09-04
BILL ARP.
The Forty Acres and Mule In National
Finances.
Atlanta Consultation.

atlanta Consultation.
Another howl from the Grand Army of
the Republic. They had great gathering
in Boston last week, and nearly all the
speakers yelled for more pensions and
bigger ones. The speakers were all poll
ticians, and the old soldiers and all their
kinfolks have got votes and want money,
too.
a politician will ride any hobby to
catch votes. don't believe that the
solid people of the north, the business
men and taxpayers, favor this pension
plunder, but they can't stop it. These
annual meetings Of the Grand Army Of
the Republic may have little patriotism,
but are mainly for politics and plunder.
More than half the Grand Army we're
foreign hirelipgs and substitutes who
fought for the money and nothing else,
aud these are the fellows who are drawing
most of the pensions. They were hospi.
tai rats and camp followers and teamsters
and got sick easy, and have played sick
and disabled ever since. Their numbers
prove what a set they we're, nearly
100000 against 100000, and they have
| 900, 900 pensioners still alive and kicking.
Sam Jones told them up in Missouri that
if our boys had known how bad we we're
whipping them they would have fought on
until now. "You fellers," said be, "are
drawing all the pensions and that's right.
You fought for money and you ought to
have il. Our boys fought for patriotism
for love of their country, and they've
got that yet. You never conquered it
out of 'em, and you never will. So it is
all right. Every soldier ought to have
what he fought for" This is very fine
sarcasm, but still am not happy as long
as some of that pension money comes out
of me. If the war is over how many
years must the south pay out $40, 100000
to northern soldiers and draw none for
her own. If we could pick out the pa
triots who really needed a pension ne
wouldn't say a word, but it's northern
outrage to continue this business. 1t is
an outrage on the north IS we'll as the
south, and if the Alliance don't stop it,
it won't be stopped. The Alliance can
do some big things if they will. The
nation can't stand this extravaganza.
How can the tariff be reformed and reduc
ed with an empty treasury7 Mr.. Cleve-
land left it full, but it's empty now.
Where is the money to come from to build
warehouses and advance 80 per cent upon
the produce? The average farm tenant
buys S10O worth of goods in year be-
sides his meat and bread. Of that $100
he pays $40 in tariff to the government at
Washington, but does not pay more than
IS in tax TO his own State government.
Judge Wright WAS once member Of
Congress and told me ia whisper that if
the farmers of this country knew how
much tariff they paid on their hats and
shoes and clothing and axes and plates
and knives aud forks and paper and pens
and lamps and kitchen ware and every
other ware they would rise up to man
and shoulder their muskets and swear by
the eternal they wouldn't stand it. He
said it wouldn't be safe to let them know
it. Judge Wright is on the side of the
tcilers-lhe bread winners and the far
mers. wish it was 80 that he could join
the Alliance, for I know that bis heart is
with them. I believe he would join if
it wasn't for that oath of secrecy. A man
told me that he had joined and WAS
writing thunder and lightning for the
Alliance paper-butI reckon he is mis-
taken, for remember that about 35 years
ago, when the know nothing party was
about to take the country, the judge took
me out beind the house and advised me,
as a friend, to keep out of it, for it was
contrary to the principles of a free gov.
ernment to have secret, oath bound po.
litical organization. I didn't take his
advice, but like young fool joined them
aud was sworn in one dark night in the
top loft of Chambers millhouse, s miles
from town, and never got home till after
midnight. and told my wife story about
pressing business OBTAINING me down
town, but next morning she got up before
I did and found flour and cobwebs all
over my clothes, and had to tell her the
truth, and how we were going to keep any
more foreigners from becoming citizens of
our great republic, and our motto was
that of Washington, who, the night before
great battle, said, "Rut none but Amer
leans on guard tonight.
But Aleck Stevens and Judge Wright
took the field against our party because
it was secret, and they gave us hail
columbia and broke it mp.
It must be some other Wright-but not
our "Gus." Our Gus is an old settled"
man. like that word settled. Uncle
Sam says folks amt much account till
they get settled. He said he would hunt
US settled 'oman for cook, for these
young fly up the creeks dident know
their own minds and wouldn't stay any
where long at a time. Judge Wright is
settled man.
But it don't matter about the secrecy if
/ e II. Y