The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-07-05
BILL ARP.
Bill Arp Says We are Growing Year b.
Year.
atlanta Constitution.

Bill Arp Says We are Growing Year BY
Year.
atlanta Constitution.
Getting richer and richer, I am not,
but somebody is. The State is, if the
comptroller's report is to be believed.
Tais report is book of 400 pages, and Ss
full of facts and figures that interest every
citizen. I don't see how Mr.. Wright
ever crammed it with 30 many tables and
ststistics. It never occurred to me thst
it was such big thing to run the covers.
ment of Georgia. We have been getting
richer and richer every year. We talk
about hard times and everybody CONF
plains, but the tex books show regular
increase of taxable property every year.
It was doubled in twelve years. In 1850
it was about s25O,Oo9,O00, and now it is
$5O0,O00,O00. We have been saying thht
the rich were getting richer and the poor
poorer, but the tax books don't show 1t
that way. Of fcourse therich get richer,
but they don't get all the increase. TIE
farming lands have increased from $780,
100000 to $137.oOo,Oo0; farm imple-
ments, from s8,OOO,O0O to $6,0OO,OOei
household furniture, from s9,000,O00 10
s16,0O0,000. This is q good sign. When
farmer buys better tools and imple-
meuts to farm With and better furniture
for hin house he is prospecting. I never
see a bureau or bedstead going out OF
town but what I rejoice with the good
wife and daughters, whose great comfost
is in adorning their home With the CON-
fors and luxuries of life. Another good
sign Of general prosperity is the increase
of manufactures. The capital in cotton
mills alone has increased from s., $4,000
to sl1,00O,o0O. They give employment
to over 10000 operatives and manufae-
ture annually $4,000 bales of cotton and
increase its value over $4,000,000.
OF course the largest increase is in city
property and banking capital and rail.
roads, the last named having grown from
$e,OO0,OOO to s42,OOO,0oO. But the far
mex need not be envious of those who
invest in these things. Merchants fail,
banks suspend and railroads go into
receivers hands. The larger the venture
che greater the risk and there is no in
yestment so solid and secure as good
farm with good farmer and his family
living on it. For ages the comforts and
happiness of rural life have been the
themes of poets and philosophers. In
times like these, when business is staE.
nant and big enterprises are crushing 10
insolvency and thousands of workmen
are. thrown ont of employment, the fai-
mer alone is safe. He depends upon his
Maker for sunshine and for rain and upon
his land to reward his labor. He is re-
mote from the temptations of society.
His sons are not in Jail nor his daughters
sLlirched with scandal. Indeed, if he
will compare his independence and COM
fort with the rich who dwell in the cities
he will find the balance sheet largely in
his favor.
: This is especially so now since fair
education has been provided for his chill.
dren. In no departmental progress has
there been greater advance than In
providing the means and facilities of
educating the children of the State. Ton
years ago the fund was only quarter Of
million of dollars, which gave bat
about two months schooling to each
pupil. Now it has reached $1,l66,00
for the common schools and these hare
an army of $500 teachers. Verify the
schoolmaster is abroad in the land and
he is becomiDga power for good. Five
months schooling is COW provided for
aud the illiteracy of Georgia will not
much longer be stigma upon her pep
pie. The poor should be thankful to the
rich for these privileges, for the money
that pays the teachers comes from those
who have property to be taxed.
Then what have we, the people, to
complain of. IT is true that the tines
are hard-hard on those who owe money,
for the banks have locked their money
vaults and quit lending. They are watt
log on confidence and confidence is a
plant of slow growth. 1t will take
another crop to make things easy. Only
two or three months to worry. The
wheat crop of north Georgia is being
harvested and will soon be in market and
that will bring some relief Corn aad
oats are promising, and cotton is not 80
very bad. So take things all in all aad
our State is in good condition. There is
nobody suffering and no epidemic or
contagion. Outside of the. cities there is
but little crime. Indeed, there is no
State in the Uuion that has 80 small
percentage of white convicts in their
prisons. Our white population has
doubled since 1860, but the number of
convicts for felonies have not increased.
For several years in the last decade there
was not white female convict and there
are but two now. Ii We could only do
something to stop the negroes from CON.
hitting crime we would have common
wealth to be proud of. But they Get
worse iustead of better. Convic;s in
crease faster pro rata than population.
Now what we most need politically is
peace and good will, and reckon that
will come as soon as the wrangling over
~ =. L~is 81 ok