The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-02-06
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
Arp and the Birds.
Atlanta Constitution.

Atlanta Constitution.
There seems to be an aristocracy in
all things, animate and inanimate, and
the human face is no exception to this
law of nature. The Creator made
some things for honor and some for
dishonor. He made some creatures to
rank other creatures; some people to
rank other people, and nobody has any
right to make fuss about it. The
word aristocracy comes from the Greek
word aristos, the best, and should not
be confounded with plutocracy, the
goldbugs, who rank money above
brains and virtue. Gold and silver
are useful metals and have always been
honored above other metals. Moses
tells US in the first chapter Of Genesis
that the gold Of that land was good.
The Creator put some gold in paradise
and it has ranked all metals since.
Iron and lead and copper are far more
useful, but gold ranks them. Just SO
do diamonds and pearls rank marble
and granite. In vegetable nature we
find that mahogany and rosewood and
ebony and the royal palm rank the
woods that are more useful, such as
the oak, the hickory and the ash.
The orange and the apple rank other
fruits. The rose ranks the flowers
and Marechal Mel ranks all the roses.
In animal life the horse stands at the
head of the list. He smelleth the
battle from afar and mocketh at fear. +"
Among the fowls Of the air we see the
eagle towering in his pride. He is of
no account to mankind and yet we
sing
"Great bird Of the wilderness, lonely and
proud,
With an eye never dimmed and neck
never bowed"
And We stamp his image on our
money and claim him as the great
American eagle. The chief difference
between him and the buzzard is a
matter of taste-one likes live meat,
the other prefers that that is dead.
But the eagle is an aristocrat and the
buzzard is Democrat. Coming, how
ever, down we find the mocking-bird
ranking the fowls of the air. He is a
charming singer, and best Of all he is
game-he will fight. I was ruminat-
ing on this line, because just at twi-
light I saw pair Of them attack a
screech owl on the front yard, and,
after much-ado, they whipped him and
drove him away, and then one Of them
sang us an evening song. They are
building near the house, and so are
the squirrels, and I have seen the
birds drive the squirrels to their hid
ing places. Game chickens rank the
common barnyard fowl-nabor Free
man says they are better to eat, and
have finer flavor. He had said this
SO often, that his wife thought she
would see if it was SO. She had one
of his fine shawlnecks killed while he
was away and had it nicely cooked,
and, as he was enjoying it, she said
"Now, do you really believe that
game chicken is any better than this
one ?" "Why, my DEAR" said he,
"there is no comparison. This chick
en- tastes like all the common chick
ems, but it hasent got the favor nor
the delicate juices Of a game chicken. y
She told it on him, and he hasent
mentioned the subject since. Never,
theless, it is fact that game fish are
better than the stupid, submissive
kinds-trout rank all the fish east Of
the Alleghanies-trout and Spanish
mackerel are the gamest fish down
here, and they are the best for the
table. But I will not write any more
about fish, for fear of losing my repu'
tation for truth and veracity. l only
intended to illustrate q fact, which is,
that courage is the best mark Of aris'
tocracy in animal life, courage Of con
victions, courage in duty, marks the
best type of manhood, not only in war
but in peace. Galileo and Luther had
it as strong as did Lee and Jackson
1t is force of character and will-powel
that marks the true aristocrat. Web
ster and Clay and Calhoun were typi
cal aristocrats. They had convictions
and dared to maintain them regardless
Of personal peril. We have, no doubt
few statesmen now of equal brair
power, but they are lacking in mora
courage-they deem it safer to follow
the people than to lead them. There
is not statesman in the nation who
stands up pre-eminent for his politica
wisdom, his moral courage, his unself
ishness and his patriotism. There il
no Moses to lead us out Of the wilder
uess-party is bigger thing thar
country. If it were not 80, Congress
would agree on commission from
both parties to frame tariff bill ant
silver bill that would give the natio1
peace, and take these great nationa
questions out Of partisan politics. Al
it is now, one party says to the other
we will oppose anything you advocate
The rejecting conservative people
everywhere are not only tired. bu
despairing. They would welcome th'
disruption of the old parties--"Ineve
expect to vote again" is common re
mark.
Rut there's life in the old land vet