The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-09-02

language as published was "There
20 no country upon earth whore crime
Ns 80 nagrant and so frequent as II
Massachusetts." Her population |,
"otaS "ot sSa a1uoie @ > our white population, and
Cri,n; C eno has hiteen times as many white
worse than all, my brethren, 7IS oo o
them are women. Just ponder over It.
ana like tho prophet exclaim: "How
are the mighty fallen p Onlv one
| Whlte woman in the jails or chainpangs
OF Georgia and 749 In the puritan state
OF New England. What shall wa DIR
about it? What can we do? But this
ID not all that the census tolls. in
addition to this vast army of prisoners,
Massachusetts IVA has 700 Juvenile prison.
crs, wnide Now York has 1876 and
paupers in the four states, besides the
thousands that are in the private bene-
VIOLENT Institutions. How in the world
40 those states up North support
such u vast army Of criminals, paupers.
tramps and nOn-producers No won.
der they want protection and pensions:
no wonder they plumber tho public
treasury. They are obliged to do it..
Ninety per cont Of all the money that
goes into it comes out into their pock-
cts In some way or other, and still
tney are not happy; they want the
other ten.
But what is tho relative condition of
the common people Of the sections =?
HOW about homes and mortgages and
debts : 1t Is the common people who
constitute state or Il nation. They
support it with their labor and defend
1T with tEeir arms. In numbers thew
are as 500 to l of the aristocracy. Thoy
all deserve to have homes-hOmes of
their own, unemcumbered. A homo
means moro than shelter. 1t means
roses and vines and shade trees anu
irult. Ask tho poor renter who is
bumped about from place to place
every year. Ask his wife and daugh-
ters what they think Of home. The
census puts down 80. $50 white families
in Georgia who have homos, aud saws
that 96 per cent. Of those arc paid for
and have no incumbrance. Virginia
hae ~ per cent paid for; Mississippi
ana South Cal olina 93 per cent. each.
MASSACHUSETTS, has $4,000 families
owning homes, but 81 per cent. Of them
are mortgaged. New York has 4yO, 600
homes and III per cent. are mortgaged :;
and the compiler says moro than 80 Der
cent. OF all the homo mbrance of
tho United States is in the north At
lantlc aud north central divisiOns--only
u per cent. is on the homes of the
South Atlantic states. The mortgages
on Massachusetts homes amount to
$l02, ,94S, 1876. Just think of it-ponder
Illuminate over it--over one hundred
millions Of debt against tho common
people OF one little state having about
double the white population Of Georgia.
Can they ever pay it? New York is but
little better, having $245 900. In fact, the
whole north is covered Us with a
blanket by debt, and tho millionaires
are the owners of it. Debt? What q
hard, unfccling word it is. NV old
partner was wont to say it has a harder
aIliteratiye following, viz: debt, duns
death, damnation and the devil. Is it
any wonder that such oXpononts as
De6s and George and Coxcy riso up
and plead for the people the common
People-the toilers who have no homes
at all Is it any wonder that strikes
are made and the people carry blood
IN their eyes and desperation in their
hearts Put yourself in their place, if
you can, and then you will feel as they
feel.
But, while we sympathize with them
and pity thcm, let us be grateful that
we live in this southern land, and are
in the peaceful enjoyment of so many
rich blessings. May the good Lord
preserve us from their crimes and their
debts IS my prayer.
Bill, ARP