The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-10-05
BILL ARP'S TALK.
Tho squabblo for Office Causing Lots OF
Trouble.
Atlanta Cb,Iht,ltion.

brethren, but ne are all torn up now.
Politics has done 1t. The sunny South
is no longer solid-it Is "dissevered, dis
cordapt, beligerent."
Politics In its last analysis is the love
of Office and I verify believe it would be
better for US to surrender all the ffices
to our foes than to get up such conten'
tion among ourselves. A public Office
may be public trust, but it is a mighty
poor thing to have. In the first place 1t
costs more than it is worth to get it and
you can't keep it very long after you do
get it, and your enemies are watching
you all the time and the newspapers give
you sldewipe occasionally, if you don't
dance to their music. Heard man say
not long ago that it had cost him $4,000
dollars to get the nomination and do the
underground work, and he wasent elect
ed yet and might not be. know another
man who spent $500 and never got the
nomination. he used to be lively,
ioky man, but now he looks sad AID
bereaved and wears Grape all over his
counteuanco like somebody was dead in
his family. 1t is the slate that kicks up
all the dust. If politician is not put
on the slate he can flop over just as easy
as falling off a log. Kolb ran as Cleve-
land Democrat and says be was cheated
out of the Office, and now he aops ovor to
the Third Party and is going for Weaver,
and all his followers have Topped with
him. What kind OF Democracy is that?
Weaver WAS a Republican, but they
| dident put him on the slate and he joins
the Peoples Party. But the mystery is
how these artful politicians can fool their
followers and keep them in line. Car
lyle said that England had population
of 80, 900, ,0O0-mostly fools-and Ireckon
it is that way everywhere. We are all
fools more or less about our politics.
There are only about dozen Offices to be
held in this County and yet about three
thousand people are excited over it like
it was life and death matter to them,
and I'm afraid the cotton won't be
picked out until after the elections are
over, and then It will be set down as
stained aud bring about 3 cents and the
loss be charged upto the Denaocras. As
general thing politics is squabble for
Office, and J don't blame the people for
being disgusted, but there are mea in
| Office and mon running for Office who are
men of principles and have the good of
the people at heart, and will do to trust
anywhere.
believe that Mr.. Cleveland is about
as free from the arts and tricks of the
politician as man can be, and ne have
some good men in Congress and have
nominated some more good men, but |
wouldent trust member Of secret,
oath-bound, political party out of sight.
never think of them but what I think
| of Macbeth when he says to the witches,
GLOW now, ye secret dark and midnight
hags What is 1t ye do?" And they
answered, "a deed without name"
MIR. Jefferson said: Error of opinion
msy be tolerated when reason is left free
to combat it." but what chance has
reason, except to talk through the key
hole at Third Party secret meeting.
What chance has reason when the lead
ers say, "don't read their papers, don't
listen to their speeches, don't talk poll
tics with them at ALL" The broadest
education man can have is the best. I
never knew how many lies the newspa-
pera could tell until I began to read the
other side, and I couldent tell then, for
! they lied, too, from top to bottom, and
man has to split the difference to get at
the truth. If was teacher of young
men I would have them read and study
the cardinal principles of all religious
sects and the theories of all governments
and the arguments for and against the
protective tariff and free coinage, and the
advantages and disadvantages of monar-
chy and of a Republican government.
This kind of education would kill preju.
! dice and make people tolerant if nothing
else. This secret, midnight, dark-lan.
tern, star-chamber business is the curse
! of all progress and all fellowship. l
don't like secrets no how, and l never
could keep one. They are unsociable,
selfish things and a man who has q
pocket full is mighty poor company. He
is thinking all the time how much he csn
get out of you and how little you are
going to get out of him. never did get
rsconciled to the Farmers' Alliance after
it got into politics and ruled me out. 1t
was an insult to my good will, my friend
ship, my intelligence. 1t was as much
as to say, "Your garden isent big enough
and We can't trust you" But it has
passed away and I suppose it is unkind
to abuse the dead. I wish that 1t had
left no Offspring, but there is lively
little brat that seems to be kicking up
quite dust in the big road. ct first we
thought it was white child, but it is
turning dark so fast we can't tell what it
will be in year or two, if it lives that
long. Now I will venture to make q
prediction. If the Peoples Party carries
Alabama it will be the only Southern
State, and if it carries three or four
Western States and has enough electoral
votes to hold the balance of power
between the two old parties their leaders
will sell out to Harrison. Kolb may
have been cheated out Of the governor
ship, but if he proposes to take revenge
on Governor Jones by deaerting Mr.
Cleveland, he il political fraud and