The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-15
THE MUDSILLS OF SOCIETY.
Bill arp Thinks it Privilege to be
One OF Thcm-EX. Governor Ham
mOnI Said that Cotton is King"

|
mond Said that "Cotton is King
| In my last letter [ said that did not
know who first said "cotton is king. y
This admission of my ignorance seems
TO nave surprised and awakened some
OF my Carolina friends and now know
| from many sources that Ex-Governor
Hammond said it in a speech in the
United States Senate in 1853. during
the debate on the admission Of Kansas.
1t was great speech, for he was q
great man. 1t was q States rights
speech such as Calhoun might have
made, and in it he said "No, sir,
you dare not make war on cotton cot
ton is king. Until lately the bank of
England was king, but last fall she
tried to put the screws upon our cotton
crop and was utterly vanquished-cot.
ton is king That speech gave much
oifensc at the North and won for him
the title OF "Mudsill Hammond" for
in it he said: In all social systems
there must be class to do the druid
gerry Of life--a class requiring but a
low order Of intellect and but little
skill. This class must have vigor, do
clllty and fidelity. Such @ class you
must have or you would not have that
other and higher class which leads
progress, refinement and civilization.
This infcrior class constitutes the very
mudsills of society and of government,
and you might aB we'll attempt to build
o house in the air as to build excent
upon the mudsills. Fortunately for
the South, she has race adapted to
that purpose. We call them slaves-a
word discarded by ears polite, but you
have similar class at the North. Yes
you have lit is there, it is every
where, it is eternal"
remember how the Northern press
ecariiied him for his mudsill speech,
but he spoke the truth and it is still
the truth, and more 80 for the mudsills
are more numerous now in proportion
to population. Almost every body in
this region is a mudsill, and If that
Dingley tariff bill becomes law the
masses will all be mudsills for the
privileged and protected classes. The
common people Of a nation can never
prosper under protective tariff until
man can lift himself up by the straps
on his boots. Only the protected will
prosper and they are but q small class
compared with the unprotected. Even
MIR. Atkinson, the Boston statesman,
says the Dingley bill will prove bur
den on the people and bring in but lit
tie revenue.
But L did not intend to br nch off on
this tariff question, though it is an
alarming and serious one to the South
ern people, for we manufacture moth
ing to speak of. Everything in this
room where [ am writing came from
the North. [ have been working in
my garden all dny with Northern tools
stamp of "Grand Rapids" upon it. |
didn't use to be mudsill, but | am
now and my hands are so cramped by
digging and forking tho ground that ]
can hardly hold the pen in my fingers.
But Senator Hammond did not use
that word in any invidiOus sense. He
did not mean to sling mud at anybody.
He had built mill on his farm and
knew that it WAS necessary for the
mudsill to be sunk deep down below the
water and quicksand or else the floods
would was h the mill away. Protection
props will not protect tho mill unless
the foundation is laid deep and strong,
and 1t is the toll and sweat of labor
that makes our food and clothing. La.
Dor ID the mudsill--the foundation Of
society and government. Extinguish
labor for & year or half a year or even
q month and the Gouids and Astors and
Vanderbilts would perish. We are
told that there is never a weeks sup
ply OF food in New York and those
mlllionaires couldn't ride and wouldn' t
walk TO tho West after it, | am
mighty sorry for these rich and help.
less people. Just let the trains stop
running and the cooks quit cooking
and all the butchers and bul1ers shops
be closed for lack Of supplies and all
the horses get out Of food, what would
become of the millionaires in New
York city? They would be as help
less as painted ship upon Il painted
| ocean. They would be like MIR. ROuss,
who says he would give any man /.
million dollars who will restore his
his sight. Tho mudsills must not be
dishonored, for they arc the only class
who are fulfilling destiny, for the Lord
said to the man, "by the sweat Of thy
face shall thou eat bread" Yes, am
mudsill right now, and it it is curse
it brings q blessing with it. I work
hard at manual labor and get all over
in a sweat Of perspiration, as Cobe
says, and | feel proud of my days
work, and Mrs. Arp gets Off her ma
t''only dignity and walks out to see
what L have done and cOndescends q
few remarks of appreciation. That
satisfies me till noxt morning, when l
work some more before breakfast
work makes mo forget to brood over
little troubles and it gives mo a good
appetite and my food digests and
sleep better and snore less and don't
cry out with the nightmare. 1t is q
blessed privilege to bo mudsill, q
horny handed son OF toll, for it secures
good health and brings u man nearer
to his Creator, for he was made out OF
dirt qnd unto dirt he must return.
Adam worked in q garden and so do |.
| Evo stepped around and smiled on
Adam while he toiled and 80 does Mrs.
Arp smilo on me. So let the tariff roll
on. 1t won't affect what raise in my
garden, | reckon. BILL ARP.