The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-08-15
SARGE PLUNKETT.
The Burning Question for the South At
Iantic States.
atlanta Constitution,

The Burning Question for the South At
lantic States.
atlanta Constitution.
There has just arrived in our settle
ment Mr.. Bane, from Texas, and he
has turned many head to swimming
with the "Texas fever" from the glow
ing account he gives of the crops of
that State.
Mr.. Bane is no "agent," but has
returned to Georgia to see old friends
and relatives, and he is just such a
gentleman that his words can be de-
pended upon, and is, therefore, more
dangerous to the interest Of Georgia
to the gain Of Texas. While our
Georgia boys are digging away at their
little "bumble-bee" cotton, to free it
from grass, caused in so much abun-
dance by the late rains, Mr.. Bane
comes and tells them that people were
picking cotton at his home when he
left there two weeks ago, and that the
stalks are as high as mans head,
and Tapped in six-foot rows.
Mr.. Bane does not tell his glowing
story of Texas with any interest of
injuring his old State Of Georgia. It
is told as other simple truths would
be. told by gentleman Of veracity in
the natural course of freside CONVEX
sation, and the young people listen
and wonder while feelings Of dissatis-
faction creep into their young minds
and they grow weary of the old red
hills.
I would not disparage Texas if I
could, nor would I undertake the soft
est impeachment of such man as Mr..
Bane, but I venture that there is
another side to this picture, and a
darker side. There are plenty Of poor
folks in Texas. There is grumbling
of hard times; there are men out of
work and "tramps" are upon the
roads. I venture there is more
"tramping" in Texas than in Georgia
three times as much-and there are
graveyards and suffering, and sickness,
and I doubt if the tongues parching
with the fevers of this rich section
can find the crystal springs of old
Georgia to cool them, nor the same
healthful breeze does not fan them to
rest. I say this, not that I love
Texas less. Texas is young and Wig
orous, and can stand alone now, with
out drawing from these old South
Atlantic States, as she has drawn, and
if she is wise she will cease, to Gear
her linen to draw from anywhere, but
offer her wild lands as premium for
twins and grow population worthy of
the stock from whence they sprung.
The Carolinas, Virginia and Geor-
gia have done enough for Texas. The
most of us have as many loved ones in
Texas as We have at home, and if this
"going' keeps on we will all long to
20 there for this reason. | have been
watching these movers to Texas for a
long time. Long trains of OK teams
used to fill the roads on their way,
and the dirt from here there has been
moistened by the tears Of young
mothers leaving their old settlements
and the old folks so sad and lonely.
Since the days Of railroads I have
watched the immigrant trains and
there has been tear for every puff of
the engines that carried our friends
away. 1t is like burying loved one
to take those too old to follow, to see
them start for Texas.
Especially should the Carolinas,
Virginia and Georgia begin to look for
the cause that has been taking their
young people away, and seek remedy.
Our young men are predisposed to 60
West, and it is question that parents
should ask themselves, why this is SO?
Brown and myself have placed the
blame at strange door-we have
placed it upon the fathers. This is
strange place to put the blame, for we
know that it is not intended. The
cold man" may not cry and take on
like the mother, but it wrings his
heart just the same to see his children
going off to the West, and he wonders
why in the world they can'trest satiS-
fed at the old home. Brown had a
talk with his boy and one of his sons.
in-law yesterday and the matter of
Opportunity" seems to be weighing
on their minds. They want some land
Of their own, and they think their op-
portunity is in the West. Brown has
enough land to give every child he has
home, and he expects for them to
have it, but he wants them to wait till
the "old folks" die before they get it.
This waiting till father dies is the
most unpleasant thing that could be
put on child. A child does not like
to contemplate the death Of parent
they rather go West than for such
an unpleasant thing to transpire, and
Brown and have figured it out that
child would not be worthy did he
not feel thus.
1t is strange how the average "old
man" does hate to divide up the old
farm. They know the children will
eventually get it all, and feel that this
should satisfy, But it does not
satisfy. Waiting is hard thing with
the young. It seems so long to wait
ten years. An old man can remember
when he thought he never would get
to be twenty-one, and the old women
of this day used to think that the time
would never arrive for them to put on
long dresses and go with the boys and
marry and keep house for themselves.
Time moves mighty slow with the
young-a week is month and month
is year with them. And all their
young days they work 'in common
to fill the fathers cribs and to keep
up the old plantation. This is the
fly in the lock-right here is where
Brown and l place the blame. Every
child should have something Of its
own from the very start of its working
days. Just give your children little
Ino+obD of thar own Give If to