The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-06-12
BILL ARP Is PUZZLED.
The Georgia Philosopher is Somewhat
Tangled.
4lilantt, Collstitkion,

iu0HU COtStttHttUHt
Things are getting tangled up In this
country. The fact is common man
don't know exactly whether he has got
any party or any policy. He can say ne
is a Democrat or Republican or an Al
lianceman, or that lie is for protection or
against it, but the old lines are so broken
up chat he can't tell where he belongs.
he is like the soldier who went home be-.
cause be couldent find his company. We
are all Just waiting for something to turn
up and settle down. The farmers are up
heaving things powerfully, but they are
tangled up, too. The Kansas farmers,
through the Alliance, have sent their
memorial to Congress and demand more
silver coinage, and more pension money.
Their cardinal prin ,iples are to fight the
railroads, and punish rebels. The Illi-
nois farmers have sent their memorial
and demand tax upon income-a seal
ing tax that will make the millionaires
support the government, and leave no ex-
cuse for taxing the necessaries or the
comforts of life., But, of course, they
want some thing protected such as
wool, for instance. It would never do
for foreign wool to come in free, for it
would bring the price down 80 low that a
sheep killing dog would quit his business.
I like that scaling tax.on income. I don't
believe man ought to be allowed to ac-
cunlulate more than five or ten million
dollars in this Republican country. Not
because I am envious of his wealth, but
because I an afraid of his power. If a
man has accumulated million his income
would hardly be less than 5000, and
he ought to be willing to pay the govern.
ment S., 900 for the protection he gets
protection of life and liberty and property
in peace and in war. If he was worth
two millions he ought to pay fifteen per
cent. on the second fifty thousand in ad-
dition to ten per cent. on the FIRST. And
the tax ought to go increasing as his
wealth increased, and when he had got to
twenty millions the tax on the last mil
lion ought to take all of ofitsincome. But
he would still have quarter of a million
of income left. That's enough, Ircckon.
The wealth. Of the couRtry is concentrat.
ing too fast. It is not idle. Most of it Is
used for good purposes, but it gives too
much power. The love of dominion is
as strong passion as the love of money,
and we common folks don't want anybody
to have dominion over US or over our
children after we are gone. That's what's
the matter. We don't envy the million
aires. don't, 1 know. have as good
clothes as he has-at least they suit me as
well. I have as good eating at my house,
for there is nothing better than home
made spring chickens, and wax beans and
peas, and onions all from your own gar
den. Theu there are the strawberries
and raspberries that pick every day,
and it makes me so calm and serene to
bring them in to Mrs. Arp, and listen to
her grateful surprise. Jay Gould knows
nothing about the like of that.
But where are we all anyhow? Are
the two great parties now divided on the
line of protection or no protection Is
the issue made up between the manufac+
turer5 and the consumers, or is the party
bigger thing than any issue? Maybe
the itsue is going to be made by the far
mers against Congress and they are going
to call for new deal aud turn the rascals
out. all the rascals-Democrets and
Republicans, for all seem TO be opposed
to the sub Treasury scheme. | want 20
see that Gght-the farmers against the
two great parties. If they will turn out
the Whole concern we are willing for our
Democrats to go, but won't the North get
alarmed aud re.elect every cal'they
have got ih, and can new set from the
south hold their han1 with them? Sup.
pose the Georgia farmers turn out Crisp
and Blount ard Turner and Clements and
all the rest, and put in new get who
don't understand log rolling rascality,
will we ever get another appropriation to
clean out branch or build a post Office ?
OF course nobody expects nybody to vote
for the sub treasury scheme, but it is 3
right good horse to ride in on, though |
think our aspiring Office seekers ought to
do the clean thing and say they want to
90 because they want to, and because :he
inns hava been in long enough. That is
reason enough. Why give wrong rea.
son for right thing? There is no good
sense in the farmers trying to make mar,
tyrs of themselves. Some of their organs
talk like they were all penned up in a
stockade and the rest OF mankind were
outside pegging away at them like pas
sel of Comanche Indians. If. anybody
has dore anything to the farmer more
than to other people I don't know it. /
farmed for eleven years and nobody done
mo any harm that L know OF. ] moved
TO town for schools OIL would have been
farming yet. It is the most honest and
most independent business upon earth
chat is if man owns his farm and has
got little outside income for an aspiring
family trying to keep open house like we
used to in the days "when niggers was,"
and the chickens and ducks and turkeys
meandered in droves all round the prem
ises. I know more farmers who have got
better off in the last ten years than any
other profession. I see that the sheriff of
Sumter County has been examing the tax
books and took list at random of thirty.
nine farmers, aud within eight years
their property has insressed SlS0,000,
and not one of them has Suffered de-
crease. Some men will accumulate at
anything aod some will fall at anything.
There Is more In the mau than in the
farm. Some are shifty and thrifty and
some unshifty and unthrifty. Things are
not going to be even all round ia this
world. It takes two worlds to strike 8
balance sheet between Dives and Laza-
rus, and even then Lazarus got the best
Of it. Some folks have hard luck and q
hard time, but IL 1 was going 10 hunt for
a class of people WHO had a harder time
than any other class, wouldn't pick out
ihe farmers. Sometimes away in the
che dead of cold winter night I hear The
freight trains rolling BY, and know there
are men Mt the brakes and ilremen at the
tender, and they are exposed to the rain
and the storm, while l am warm and
comfortable in my pleasant home and
it makes me sad and sorrowful. And just
40 when ruminate over the thousands OF
pale faced girls working in the cotton
factories for bare living, and thousands
Of working women who are bending over
needle and thread making the shirts that
( wear for three cents apiece. Oh, the
pity Of it, the pity of it! What can We
do for them?
But this Alliance business is the most
horn, loco ,Inh auvino wa have evpr had in