The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-11-04
THE THE NAMING TINES TINES
WEDNESDAY, XiFSNsE3, 4 / !,55!,
Bill Arp Discusses .is.eGican Ari>toc-
racy ana; Negro Nepr@Yiiv.

Dr.. Nunnallv was telling about a
poor boy who was working his way
through college. He worked for hire
on farm at SO 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 watching. I am going to
watch him if I live and see what be-
comes of him. They are not common.
knew one in college about forty-five
years ago. He walked from north
Alabama to Athens, Ga, and his
clothes were all homemade and
coarse and didn't fit well. I remem-
Der that his pants were too short at
the bottom and too long at the top,
and the waist seam of his brown
jeans coat was high up on the back.
The boys laughed at him on the sly,
but they dident laugh long, for he
soon took the lead and kept it. Il be
hadent got killed in the war he would
have been leader in his 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 humblest citizen--that a
tailor can become president and a
minboy a senator, and lad who
plowed 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.
England and Germany have good
governments, but over there a poor
boy has got to have help to rise. He
must be kin to somebody who has
power or influence. 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 dill
gence.
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 ances-
tors, 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 grand
pap behaved mighty well, but some
Of the boys dident. Your Uncle
Dick stole bag of taters often fat
boat, and they cotch him at it, and
took him down in the canebrake and
whipped him. And there was so
much talk about Tom markin' every
stray sheep and shote in his mark
that he took sudden notion to move
to Arkansaw, and I haint heard of
him since. Some of the stock was
good, but some was powerful covy-
chus.'"
Well, of course there is something
in luck, for Solomon says, 'Time and
chsnce happeneth to ALL" but as
general thing merit and diligence are
rewarded in this country. Andy
johnson became a president, and
John Tyler did, too, but Joh.c was re-
duced after his time vas out, and TIE
county commissioners made him an
oyerseer 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 il the short. l was
ruminating about this Yesterday as
our train passed a lot OF conyicts who
were working the road between
Atlanta and Decatur. It was 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 1,737 con-
victs 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 ITO white
convicts, 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 the cities and towns. The old
time negroes are not in the chain
gang. They had no school,
but they had moral training.
What is to become of the negro? He
has less excuse for crime than white
man. His wants are few; it takes
less to do him; he is not cramped by
-seeiety nor social temptations; a days
honess-work win support him for two
days; he pays no tax, bis 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 commit nine times
more crime. The problem is not
solved. I have before me very able
paper on the race problem by a hu-
name and gifted citizen of Louisiana.
II voc 1prittan Coma yeSrS ouO and