St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-01-22
BILL ARP ON OLD SOUTH.
He Declares That the Country Has
Advanced Backward.

He says He Ii No Pessinaist-Women
Are Fast Taking the Places
Of Men In Many
Callings.
We were talking about the o.d south
and the new south and some said there
was no new south; that we were the
same people and have the same prin-
ciples, the same religion and the same
politics that our fathers had, but like
the rest OF the civilized world. we have
advanced in education and general in
telligerce and in the enjoyment of the
comforts of life.
We'll. I am no pessimist, but ! am
grieved to say that in many things we
have advanced backward. We have
more books and more newspapers and
more schools, but that crime is on the
increase is known and admitted by all
who study the records of the courts.
There are more idle young men than
there need to be-yes, five times as
many, according to population, and
Ben Franklin said that idleness is the
parent of vice. I can pick out score
Of young men in every town who are
doing nothing-young men of good
familice-and they are living on the old
man or the old woman and seem to be
content. They haven't been reared to
work and they won't hunt for it now.
Fifty years ago we had no vagabonds;
every young man worked at some
thing, and it was considered dis
reputable to lie around in idleness. In
fact, we had a vagrant law that COM
PEELED the lazy. trifiing fellows to earn
a living. l reckon that law is still in
the code, but il is q dead letter. When
a young man married girl it was en-
pected by both sides that he could and
would support her, but nowadays
about half of them are supported by
their wives or by tie old folks.
Then we got 10 talking about the
new women-the female doctors and
lawyers and editors and preachers and
teachers and bookkeepers and sales.
women, and how woman was forging
ahead and taking the places and oc.
cupations of the men, and my friend
Mr.. Williams. OF California, surprised
us by saying that there was tribe OF
Indians in the northwest who were
already far in advance on this line;
that he had known Of them ever since
he moved to California, lin 1S49. In this
tribe the women dominate the men in
the family and the field and forest
They rule them absolutely, make them
cook and wash and nurse, and actually
hire them out ard collect the pay
Their principal business is trapping
for furs. The women do this and sell
the furs and pocket the money. and
many of them have good bank &C
count in San Francisco. The men are
not known in any business transac
tions. So it seems that our new woman
has savage precedent. Have we go'
to come to this? Will live to see th'
day when my wife will hire me out a:
a nurse or cook and pocket thu
money? She knows that can do both
and / never lodged it at home on al
emergency. but I reckon she will le
me stay at home and work in the gar
den and cultivate her flowers the re
mainder Of my terrestrial days. Sh'
knows that never hid my money from
her: when got any I kept it for her
that's all. 1t was hers just as much a
mine, but kept it-sorter like the oil
fellow who had thousand dollars II
gold and when the confederate govern
ment passed a law taxing gold 20 pc
cent. he swore he wouldn't pay it, ant
SO he got out the bag one night and pu
| it on the middle of the table and cal.et
mp his wife and four children and di
yided it into five piles and gave then
| 5000 each and said: "Now, the gold i
all yours and can swear haven't go
| a dollar in the world; but I reckon
had better keep it for you," and HI
raked it all into the bag again ant
locked it up in his trunk.
There is no greater contrast betwcel
the old south and the new south than i
shown in the Advancement and the hu
initiation of woman. They are now ol
the two extremes. Before the wa
there were no female doctors or law
yers or lecturers or editors-not one
and there were no bookkeepers or type
writers or shopgirls or clerks. The ay
erage woman officiated as q wife an'
mother, or daughter cherished by he
parents and her brother. The wifi
was the lady Of the house, be it ever s.
humble, and she was content with he
lot. 1t was even considered beneatl
her pride and dignity to teach school
and hence there was an nannualimporta
:ion of New England spinsters to teacl
the children. / and my sisters went I
four Of them in quick succession, TO
our widowers married them as fast a
they came, and they made good wive
and good stepmothers, and were tn
most economical housekeepers in tn
world. They were raised that wa.
and neither the dogs nor the little mig
gers got any more scraps than the.
could eat.
But now the new woman is eithe
smart and aggressive. or she is poor an
pitiful. She comes to the front wit
her brains and her ambition an
wrestles boldlywith the men as editor
writer, lecturer, professor in school
and colleges. and even as Office seeker
and generally succeeds in what she ur
dertakes; or else she takes q humble
place behind the counter or in the pres,
rooms, or perhaps in the factories. 70
pittance just enough to keep soul an
body together, and every year grow
paler and sadder from her work. Mos
of them are working to maintain some
body who is near and dear to them, bu
their wages are rarely raised, for the
are women.
can almost weep for some l know
They keep their sorrows to themselve
and 'let concealment like worn, in th
bud feed on their damask cheeks" AL
woman! how great is thy periE Ho,
hard is thy lot! Not long ago =,
ceived a fearful, pitiful letter frol