Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-02-19
COMMUNICATED.
Litera scripta Manet.

Litera scripta Manet.
If Mr. G!adstone's example were followed
by certain American statesmen there would
not be such an awfu! chasm as now exists
between toe people of America and the
Lords who are supposed to represent them
in the Capitol OF this great nation. For ex'
ample, if Senator ingalls,, of Kansas, will
Invest few thousands of his surplus cash in
opening up the iron mines OF Virginis and
thereby carry cut in practice what ne
breaches 10 theory, he will find his conver
sion and faith On some political question:
changed more firmly than that Of the apes
tie Paul. General Green B. Raum, Pension
Office Commissioners, has invested thirty
Thousand dollars lately in Virginia lime
kins. Why has the State of Virginia, with
its fab, timber, granite quarries, vineyards,
aud oyster beds, so few railroads? Suppose
Senator Blair votes a few hundred thousand
dollars So subsidy. to employ negro labor
in approving Virginia and Maryland roads
school houses are hardly practical as COM
mencsment-where the roads are as mpena-
trabls rs the African jungle. Come along,
geatlemep, down here aud sac for yourselves.
thing but solving the vexed negro question.
Or suppose the government should extend q
loan 10 the three million of idle workmen of
toe white persuasion and allow them to en-
igrale into old Virginia. The eldest inhab
itants are not too eristccratic to extend the
hand of fellowship TO such sn influx. The
good people here are not opposed to honest
labor On the contrary, iu mY own expert
ence in Fairfax county there ia great lack
OF honest workmen who are willing to give
a fair days work for fair days pay. AS
Tor house servants. they are at q premium,
and are the most independent class of wage
earners have seen in America or out of it.
| have lived in France, Germany, Swltzer-
land, Belgium, England, Ireland, and last,
but not least, the United States and Canada ;
but the labor question South is the greatest
Dugbesy | ever encountered. The reason
for this state of affairs is the easy method of
living for the colored population 30 long as
q man can be poacher on The land of his
neighbor with impunity. With free ire.
wood, generous streams anG corner on la.
Dor, juet SO long viii! lawless element re-.
main to increase the taxable burden OF the
property holder. As long as the mistaken
notion that the people ofthe South are shift.
less, indolent class, who prefer to lounge
around their plantations instead Of earning
money is permitted to remain slander, just
so long will this State be kept in depend
eace and disorder. The only impression
the average southerner gets of his northern
countrymani is from fewgovernmen officials
who come down here, draw their income
from Uncle Sans treasury, and dictate to
the residents how to run their native affairs.
Not only that, but these mushroom aristo
Gratis too frequently dictate to the Virginian
not only his politics, but his faith and
morals, and then rolling up their pious eyes
and Tightening their pocket books, thank
God that they are not like their thriftless
neighbors, whose incomes ere just at this
present writing most limited; hence l again
state that il Senator Ingalls,, who is most
accomplished scholar and gentleman, will
lust bay up an old plantation and live upon
it, he will be most agreeably surprised
at the result of his investment. The
proof of the pudding is in the eating.
l remember being before the committee on
public lands of the House with very dis
tinguished woman from Senator Ingalls,
State. I refer to Mrs. Augusta Wilson,
wife of banker, who built the public Ii
brary at Parsons, Kansas That good, char.
liable lady came on to Washington seven
SGhI5 dSO w thO hottrhhi SONSih
ment to get the people OF Kansas out of a
terrible dilemma caused by the exodus
from Arkansas, into Senator Ingalls, native
State. AS Mre. Wilson described the scene
to me, the neighhorhood of her husbands
bank and, indeed, private residence, was
black with the poor deluded negroes who
went there expecting the 40 acres and the
mule; but alas for human perversity they
did not, in the language of Robert Dale
Owen, "materialze." 1 can assure the
good Senator from the land of the "Kaws"
that the cbivalsous Virgnian will most
gladly exchange ten darkey votes for one
good solid white one. Vlrginians have
learned the value of western Drawn and
will sell their lands most cheerfully to
western hoosiers. So trot your people out
Exchange is no robbery !" take good
faithful music loving cuffy; give us the
white substitute, and we'll bless you and
let you retain your western farm mortgages,
grasshoppers and billiards..
ExuoPxInr,sG AruicN Sa7Tn