The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-10-01
ARKANSAS.
AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW
WITH HON. G. ID, INGELL.
Am EpitOme of His observations in
a Recent south ern Trip.


of mere reading can substitute. When the
columns of the daily press abound in conflict
ing statements concerning the people of sister
State, it is impossible to wholly disregard the
one or the other, and g sequence of doubt sus-
picion and exaggerated conclusions follow with
their baneful results estranging the natural
feelings of the people. and too often precipi-
tating the hasty injustice of a credulous mind
In such case the evidence of actual sight and
observation is eagerly sought by the fair mind
ed who will accord to such testimony the
weight of simple truth, and share their final
decision in accordance with 5 accumulated
facts The physical characters a3 of the South
have never been beggared or belittled, or its
soil maligned by the false tongue of slander,
for the very immutability of its scenic grandeur
ar the generous rewards of the husband-men
arrest the ill famed words at their inception.
The Rockies and Alleghenies and rich prairies
of the West are not more secure in reputation
than the fair South land. In this respect there
is truly no North South, and it only remains
to inquire if the national and moral character
istics are those of distinct and separate peoplts
How shall we determine? Read what follows
and compare it with the wild vaporings of
political writers who are either mistaken fanat-
les or wilful liars and equally dangerous in
either case.
"I find, says Judge Ingell," no material disa-
greement between white Republicans and white
Democrats concerning the negro question. 1t
is matter in which all the whites are interest
| ed, irrespective of party, and when it comes to
a consideration involving white or black SUI
premacy, party lines are obliterated and the
blacks are buried under the weight of major
| ity that invariably unites against them The
fundamental distinction between the North and
foil 1rfs
Of course the habits. temperament and mode of
living vary somewhat from those in the North.
but in my contact with the people and in con-
| yersation with leading men of both parties.
find that whatever political animosities may
once have existed. are fading away and the
people are united in lending their energies to
| the development of the country. 1 had an in
| teresting talk with a certain Judge at Little
Rock, who said he was as mean and radical a
| Democrat as could be found in the whole South,
| .but, said he, have no objection to Northern
men on account of their politics. We are only
| too glad to welcome them, no matter what their
political affiliations, provided they come In good
faith, either as visitors or residents, or three
Common Pleas Judges elected in this district,
| two of them. Mcclure and Williams. were Re-
publicans from Ohio. and they presided with
ability and dignity over the office. to which
L
| people here, irrespective of party, recently
joined in petition to President Harrison for
the appointment of Judge Williams to The Fed
| eral Bench
| $50 far as l am able to learn.r says Judge
Ingell 1.-The negro is seldom elected to office
| there, for his nomination is usually due to
| color split in the Republican ranks. and he Is
named by the negroes as their candidate and
| generally defeated by union of Democrats and
Republicans.
| In some instances where colored mon have
| been elected to county offices, tLey have been
| forcibly elected, but that day is past now One
very hopeful sign of the times is that the haugh-
| tiest and most aristocratic Southern families
now tolerate intermarriage with the most radi-
| ical Republican ones.
| 1 frd that native Southerners invariably
get along with the negro much better than
Ncrtherners, because the former are accustom-
ed to his ways and understand him better. If
he simply moves no matter how slow in the
| perform ance OF the labor assigned him, the
| Southern employer is satisfied. while the more
energetic Northerner is impatient at such plod-
ding and attempts the impossible task of hur-
| rying him. The Southern negro is In every way
/ inferior to his Northern brother. By nature
| and habit he is lazy, indolent and improVident,
although occasionally there is an exception to
the rule illustrated by the industrious, thrifty
colored man who, in common with all the blacks
| having an equal chance with the whites, has ac-
| cumulated quite handsome property. The
colored man of Arkansas is superior to the
specimens saw at Chattanooga and other Ten
nessee points while On former trip My opin-
on from what 1 saw justiies the wisdom OF
President Hayes in allowing the Southern peo-
pie to solve the race problem themselves, for
| vIrh a iS rpuuireh and will oyecute
more uniform justice to all than those who
know practically nothing about the condition
of the races.
| Native Southerners do rot accomplish as
much as Northern men who go there to engage
in business. Compared with the Northern
farmer. they are indolent. partly because of
the climate, but largely from the ease with
| which crop can be grown and living made.
They do not take as good care of their crops as
do our Northern farmers, excepting the one of
cotton, the staple product on which they depend.
On this they bestow good care, for it is u very
profitable industry and is the bone and sinew OF
their income. One man will plant and culti-
vate ~ acres of cotton in season, and no help
will be required until picking time, which COM
mences about Sept. 1st and continues until frost
comes, there being three or four pickings. An
average yield per acre is from 800 TO $50 pounds.
which sells from to 10 cents per pound.
The second product in Importance is CORE.
which yields abundantly and is good crop.
These two are the chief products of the country,
although everything grown at the North, to.
gether with many varieties and classes indi-
genous to that country, abound there in uni
versal plenty. Apples, peaches, pears. ounces,
grapes and all the small fruits raised.
There is wild grape found in that country
| *ba -, hot in si1 ND
flavor is equal to our cultivated varieties.
Cotton lands rent for about So per acre, and
under the laws of Arkansas the lessor of lands
has lien for the rent on everything grown
capable of being identified. no matter how many
| times it has been sold and re sold or in whose
hands it may be found. An innocent purchaser
is not protected against this lien which Is su-
perior and paramount to all other claims.
The country seen along the line Of the Iron
| Mountain and the st. Louis, Arkansas s. Texas
rail roads from the northern line Of the State,
down. is as whole very fertile and rich for
agricultural purposes. The farms are gener-
ally small in acreage and are mostly owned by
the occupants. A large body of the land is un-
| improved, mostly timbered and owned by
| Northern capitalists and syndicates. 1mprov-
ed farms sell from $40 and $40 per acre, accord
ing to distance from cities or villages. The
/
Little Rock is excellent until the white river is
reached, and there the lands are low and sub
lject TO overflow. The country is timbered with
large tracts of oak, cypress, cotton wood and
| gum trees, and saw mills scattered pretty
thickly along the line of the rail roads. Much
of the country is being cleared up. largely by
Northern people who are fast redeeming the
resources of the rich domain, which, when de-
veloped. will in my opinion equal the best lands
in the South. 1 should Judge that the country
has stood STILL agricuiturally. for 20 years, but
under Northern energy all that will be rapidly
changed L neglected to state when speaking
of corn that it can be planted in March, April,
May or June, and will mature equally we'll.
Rattlesnakes and Moccasins are a source of
terror to the timid, and they exist far too plen
tifully to be called scarce. although they are
rapidly disappearing Deer. wild turkeys,
squirrels. raccoons, possums and an occasional
bear roam the forest wilds. but they, too, will
soon be gone, 1or a tide of Northern immigra-
ton is pouring in each year and the game there