The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-15
THE RISING BOY.
!iil1 Arp is Watching the Struggles of Ge'
MUS Illumination Brought On Nv
Seeing Parcel Of Conyicts
Pass by.

DR.. Nunnally was telling ABOUT 4
poor hoy who was working his way
through college. He worked for hire
on farm at SO 4 month and his board,
and saved his wages and went to school,
and during vacation he hired out and
lived hard and did his own washing.
That boy is in earnest and needs watch
ing. | am going to watch him If
live, and see what becomes Of him.
They are not common. l knew one in
college about forty-tive years ago. He
walked from north Alabama to Athens,
Ca, and his clothes were all home
made and coarse and didn't fit well.
I remember that his pants Were too
short at the hottom and too long at the
top, and the waist seams Of his brown
jeans coat was high up on tie back.
The boys laughed at him on the sly,
but they didn't laugh long, for be soon
took the lead and keptit it. Ifhe hadent
got killed in the war he would have
been leader in bis State right now.
This is great and glorious govern
ment. There is none like it upon the
face Of the earth. The fact that the
highest places in the nation are in reach
of the hum blest citizen-that tailor
can become president and miilboy
a senator, and lad who piowed bull
for lack of "something better' has held
more offices and higher offices in Geor-
gia than any three of her most gifted
citizens-is a wonderful thing. En-
gland and Germany have good govern
ments, but over there poor boy has
got to have help to rise. He must be
kin to somebody who has power or in-
hueDce. He must have cousin in
Berlin or an uncle in parliament, but
the field is open here-open to all.
Aristocracy is not the passport here.
It is merit and diligence.
Honor and shame from no condition rise.
A venerable gentleman quoted that
to me and said: IL used to be proud
of my lineage, and was inclined to
boast of the good blood that was in my
veins; but one day was talking to an
old kinsman about our ancestors, and
he said: We'll, yes, my son, there was
some good people away back there, but
the stock sorter run down. Your pap
and your grandpap behaved mighty
we'll, but some of the boys dident.
Your uncle Dick stole bag of taters
often a flatboat, and they cotch him at
it, and took him down in the cane
brake and whipped him. And there
was so much talk about Tom markin'
every stray sheep and shote in his mark
that he took a sudden notion to move
to Arkansas, and I haint heard of him
since. Some Of the stock was good,
but some was powerful coveychus.'"
Well, of course there is something in
luck, for Solomon says, ''Time and
chance happeneth to ALL" but as gen-
eral thing merit and diligence are re-
warded in this country. Andy John
son became a president, and John
Tyler did, too, but John was reduced
after his time was out, and the county
commissioners made him an overseer
of the public road, which shows the
ups and downs Of fame and politics.
But good conduct and good principles
pay in the long run, if they don't in
the short. I was ruminating about
this yesterday as our train Iassed lot
Of convicts who were working the road
between Atlanta and Decatur. 1t is
sad and melancholy spectacle to see
them in their striped uniforms and
hear the clink of their ankle-chains as
they came down with their picks into
the hard ground or tossed the earth
away with their shovels. They looked
healthy and strong and contented, but
I don't know how they felt. They
were all negroes, and they don't feel
much-not much penitence and less
modification. There are ], ,737 convicts
now in our State-that many in our
State system under lease. There are
some more on the public roads of the
counties, and nearly all are negroes.
There are only 10 white con victs, and
not a white woman. Nearly sixteen
hundred colored are wearing the stripes,
and forty-seven of these are women.
What is the matter with the negroes?
When will they do better? Nearly all
of these convicts are between sixteen
and forty, and but very few were
ever in slavery. They have been to
school most of them, and most Of them
are from cities and towns. The old
time negroes are. not in; the chain
gang. They had no schooling, but
they had moral training. What is to
become of the negro? He has less ex-
cuse for crime than a white man. His
wants are few; it takes less to do him;
he is not cramped by society nor social
temptation; days honest work will
support him for two days; he pays 10
tax; his schooling is free, and yet the
devil seems to be in him. There are
80 per cent more whites than negroes
in this State, and yet the negroes conf
commit nine times more crime. The
problem is not solved. I have before
me very able paper on the race prob
lem by a humane and gifted citizen of
Louisiana. 1t was written some years
ago, and he then thought that educa-
tion would solve it. He is mistaken.
Crime among the negroes increases
with their education. It does that