The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-11-23
BILL ARP
Grows Philosophic Over the Political situa-
tion,

states of North America can stand it, u
70 can | and so can you. 1t is not as O
Dad as war or pestilence or famine; not II
20 bad as cyclone or fire or sickness a
II death or taxes. And yet we are Ii s.
able to ali these. If we have health Il
md strength and food and raiment a
we ought to be thankful and happy. Z
The truth is, our people care less a
about this republican victory than g
they have about any since the war. | u
heard an old-time Democrat say to- |
day: II don't care a darn. Our party =
is not fit to run the government no '
how. Now let the yanks take it and I
run it til kingdom come" Another Z
one said: 1--WE swept our State in the
face of scent cotton, but up north, {
where they have no cotton, they clean
ed US up like an avalanche. How's
that 2"
And now the quarrel still goes on in
the Democratic press. Who did it?
Who is to be held responsible for the
inglorious defeat ? Both factions are
crying: II told you So" and the people
are tired. What is the use of trying
to find out how the wagon came to
turn over while dad is under tue hay.
Let's get him out and drive on. tire
minds me of Judge Uuderwood's old
darky, who walked up and found him
self in the calaboose. He sent for
"Mars John" and declared he hadent |
''dun nufn-nutln at all ""Well, Jack,
they can't put you in here for that.
There is no law to punish man for
doing nothing" Jack frightened up
for a moment: "You say dey can't
Mars John" mo, sir" said the Judge,
'no, 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 al in for it
now, and Pm not going to bed about
it. There is not much difference be-
, tween the two parties nohow. There
a is no dividing line on principle. There
are thousands of protection Democrats
down south, especially in Alabama
and Tennessee. They say protection
has enriched the north, and now let
the south go to manufacturing and
get rich too. On the silver question
our people are as much divided as the
Republicans. Some want to take silv
er straight, and some to dash it witt
gold. and nobody but the fools know
, which is right. So, after all, there i:
but one settled, well-deflned line anC
that is office, spoils, patronage. But
few of us have any interest in that, 81
let the Office holders and Office seekers
howl and weep. I'm not going to shed
many tears. There are five Republi
, cans in this town who are right nov
ruminating about our little postotlict
for two years hence, and they are all
clever men and good citizens, but only
one can get it. Then, there are two OIL
: three revenue officers and three OF
q four clerkshipS at Washington, ant
= that is all that our whole county 0
= three thousand voters gets out of ma
tional politics, so let the procession
a proceed. As Cobe says, "it's all op
tionary with me-"
Federal politics is not of so mucl
consequence tous as our State politics
As long as the negro is here we wan
Il solid south, a united people. Th'
populist party has done more to dis
y turb harmony and engender discort
. at the south than all other causes. L
it had been conceived on good princi
pies and with good intent to reform
corrupt methods thousands of goOC
men would have Joined it, but it ha
= pandered to the prejudices Of the la
. boring classes and arraigned then
. against their more fortunate neibors
- 1t has fostered and encouraged de
" sire for paternalism and made pro
misses to the negro that it never in
10 tended to perform. 1t is astonishing
i that men who pass as gentlemen a
u home should so far degrade their in
= stincts, their consciences as to carr
II the banner of such a party. | woul
d rather be Republican ten times owe
:. than a populist, and yet | know som
"a good men who have joined that part
le and profess to believe in it's abSur
~ and ridiculous platform. There is bu
~ one explanation OF this strange anon;
y ly and that is Just what a clever popl
I'll list said when l asked him If he reall
believed in their platform. "Pla
III FORMS" said he, "amount to nothini
v 1t is what man does that we judk
'e him by--not what he says he will d
hc We propose 20 reform and economi;
IL and put down monopolies. The O
~ parties are utterly corrupt, as "
eh will admit, andit is time to have
Ut new deal.' That is sensible, and
~ they had that for platform and h;
.'s left out all their fooishness and h,
"e put forward men who were not trio
H. stcrs and demagogues there was
great opportunity to build up a thi
ny party that would have held the b,
" ance Of power In national politics a
s. have checked the corrupt methods
Ms, the State Democracy Even as it