The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-07
atlanta Constitution.


atlanta Constitution.
Uncle Jake is not scholar, but is 8
reader and thinker. He takes some
papers and borrows other. he is getting
old and is quite amiable and tolerant.
His natural disposition is not to criticise,
but rather to apologize for everything and
everybody. When there is conflict and
excitement and bitterness be takes no
side, but offers excuses for both.
"There are two sides to this thipg,"
says he, "and folks ought 10 discuss it
more calmly" It always interests me to
draw him out on the perplexing questions
of the day, and hear him express his
"learnings."
"I haven't mind enough" says he, "to
decide betwixt 'em, but it will all work
out right after awhile. Our
Heavenly Father is mighty good to
His creatures as long as good people are
in the majority. He would have saved
Sodom if Abraham could have found ten
good people there. don't know how
big the town was-big as Atlanta, l
reckon, but it must have been an awful
place. God puts up with heap before
He lets his wrath boil plum over. He
never sent the food until the number Of
good people was reduced down to eight,
and reckon one of them was pretty
hard case and was just saved on account
of his kinsfolks. I believe there is many
young man and young girl, too, who
will be saved ON account of their father
and mother. Atlanta is said to be right
wicked town, but I reckon there are
several hundred good people there-pret-
ty good people-aud I think she is safe.
The towns are worse than the country
for you see the devil hasent got time to
run round from house to house and whis.
per his devilment in their ears. He
wants 'em by the Wholesale. He won't
set his trap to catch one bird. He's got
sense, he has. He won't waste bis am
munition."
"Uncle jake" said I, "what's your
opinion about the alliance, and the sub
treasury7" "Oh, don't know" said be,
sit will all work out right after awhile.
There are two sides to it, and whenever
there are two sides it gets up discussions,
and we will have to wait until the algu-
ment is over. 1t is in a right smart tan
gle yet, but the people will do right when
they have time to see what right is. The
farmers are raising powerful rumpus,
and if they are demanding too much it is
a good way to get something. I Iremem-
ber when the wstchword Of our party was
'$54.40 or fght,' but we settled down to
$3.50 and dident fight, either, for
that was all the territory we were entitled
to.
"Folks will have to make fuss some
times, or they will be run over. You
know Bob. Smith actually quit his crop
and went to preaching all the week, and
when his boss made fuss about it, Bob
said: 'We is just obleezed to 60 to
preaching. You white folks done got dis
here world, and We niggers is fixing to
get de next one.' The farmers have been
paying tribute to protection for seventy
five years, and they are tired. They want
their time to come. They want bounty
in some shape. Sugar has got one, and
why not cotton and corn, and wheat and
rice? Five dollars a bale on cotton
would help powerfully, and that would be
only s4O,OO0,000 year. That's nothing
for government like this. Suppose we
paid SlOO,0OO,000 a year to the farmers
in bounties, they would get the money
and their products be no higher. The
poor people would get them as cheap as
ever. I can buy my sugar at 5 cents, but
the sugar planter gets 2 cents pound
more. This plan would stimulate farm
ing and beat the sub.treasury scheme.
The manufacturers have had that much
or more for fifty years through the pro-
tectiye tariff-Why not the farmersW
"But Uncle jake" said I, "where will
the government get the money to pay
these bounties? ?"
"Oh, I don't know" said he, where
there's will there's way. There's the
income tax, that they could make as
heavy as they please, and they could put
some more on whiskey-whiskey will
stand sight. 1t pays SlSO,OOO,OOO now,
and could just as easy pay S2S0,O00,.