The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-11-12

GROWS PRILOSOPHIC OYER THE
POLITICAL SITUATION.
We Have Faced Defeat Before and We Are
Not unpreparrd To Meet 1t Now-lhe
Sun Will Continue TO Rise as of Old.


fore and we survived 1t. If the United
States of North America can stand it, so
can and so can you 1t is not as bad as
war or pestilence or famine: not so BAD
as a cyclone or fire or sickness or death or
taxes. And yet we are liable to all these
If we have health and strength and food
and raiment we ought to be THANKFUL and
happy The truth is, our people care less
about this republican victory than they have
about any since the war. l heard an old
time democrat say today: Il don't care
a darn. Our party is not fit to run the
government nohow. Now let the yanks
take 1t and rum it till kingdom come" An
other one said: I'VE swept our state in the
face Of scent cotton. but up north. where
they have no cotton, they cleaned US up
like an avalanche. Hows that?'
And now the quarrel still goes on in
the democratic press. Who did it? Who is
to be held responsible for the ingioriouS
defeat? Both factions crying: Il told
you So" and the people are tired. What
is the of trying to find out how the
wagon came to turn over while dad is
under the hay. Let's get him out ana
drive on. 1t reminds me of Judge Under
woods old darby, who walked up ana
found himself in the calaboose. He sent
for Mars John" and declared he hadent
dun nuiin-nufn at all" well, Jack, they
no law to punish man for doing nothing.
Jack frightened up for moment: You
say dey can't Mars John" mo, SIR said
the judge, mo, sir, they can't do It, But
Mars John, dey has done done it, and is
here right now-'fore God is
Well we democrats are all in for 1t now,
and I'm not going to bed about it. There is
not much difference between the two par
ties nohow. There is no dividing line on
principle. There are thousands of protec-
ton democrats down south, especially
in Alabama ana Tennessee. Iney say pro-
lection has enriched the north, and now let
the south go to manufacturing ana get
rich too. On the silver question our people
are as much divided the republicans.
Some want to take silver straight, ana
some to dash il with gold, and nobody but
the fools know which is right. So, after all
there is but one settled, well-defined, line
and that is office, spells, patronage. Bul
few of us have any interest in that, 50 let
the office holders and office seekers howl
and weep I'm not going to shed many
tears. There are five republicans IN TINS
town who are right now Illuminating about
our little postoffice for two years hence, and
Trey are all clever men and good citizens,
but only one can get it. Then, there are
two or three revenue officers and three or
four clerkships at Washington. and that rs
all that our whole county of three thousand
voters gets out of NATIONAL politics, so let
the procession proceed. AS Cobe says, ITS
all Optionary with me.
Federal politics is not of so much conse-
quence to us as our state politics. As long
as the negro is here We want a solid south
a united people. The popuhst party has
done more 10 disturb harmony and enSenoer
discord at the south than all other causes.
If il had been conceived on good principles
and with a good intent to reform corrupt
methods thousands of good men would nave
Joined ii. but it has pandered to the preju-
dices of the laboring classes and arraiSned
them against their more fortunate nabors'
Il has fostered and encouraged desire Tor
paternaIism and made promises to the ne
gro that il never intended TO perform. II
Is astonishing that men Wno pass as gen
tlerncn At home should so far degrade thelf
Instincts their conscieuceS as 10 carry
the banner of such party.
| would rather be Il republican ten times
over than d populist, and yet | know some
good men who have Joined that party
and profess to believe in its absurd and
ridiculous platform. There IS but one eN-
PLANTATION of this strange anomaly ana
that is lust what a clever populist said
when ! asked him II he really believed IN
their platform. platforms" said he,
amount to nothing. 1t is what a man
does that we judge him by-not what he
SAYS he will do. We propose to reform and
ecOn0nliZe and put down monopoHeS. Inc
old parties are utterly corrupt, as you will
admit, and Il is time to have a new deal
That is sensible, and if they had that for
a platform ana had left out all their fool
ishness and had put forward men who
were not tricksters and demagogues there
was a great opportunity tO build up
third party that would have held the bal
ance OF power in national politics and have
checked the corrupt methods OF the state
democracy. Even IL is, they have been
a terror 10 machine politics in Georgia and
thereby have done some good, but with
their professed principles Of paternalism
and the moral obliquity OF their leaders,
woe he unto Georgia if they ever get into
power The people admire the holiness of
an independent, but lament the fooiisnuess
of a populst. DR.. FELTON, dident mean to
be one and he is not one now. 1t is very
hard for an old line wing like him to be a
democrat and we sympa -..ize with him in
the strain that has been upon him for
forty years. Ben Hill was another and
said with modification, "I dident go to be
Il democrat" ToOmSs was another and
Alex stephens, and they gave DIR. FELTON,
aid and comfort when he ran as an indie
pendent against Dabney and Lester. Mr.
Stephens never was a democrat at heart
and would have run as an independent,
If the democrats had dared TO nominate an
other man. d.. FELTON, not yet become