The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1900-07-06
Interference The BarGCl Southern Progress.

"uiNhi ~ 10 P's'ibit wi O'Nif III
thereof to come together in one place
and every member have an equal voice
in every phase OF its government
Hence, 10 is a government by the people
and a democracy" Or course, it i.
impossible for any nation. State, OI
even county o r city. to be 4 ''demOc
racy," as it is impossible for them t.
meet in one place and each meInbei
take an equal part in It's govern
ment. The nearest approach toa de
m0cracy" possible for a political gov
eminent is IA republic, which is IA gov
eminent OF representati yes elected by
the whole people.
1t used IL be said that it was dan.
gerous 10 interfere To prevent IA mar
whipping his wife, because OF the fact
that while a wife may fight herhuS.
band herself, yet, il she say any one
else fighting him. she would turn to
and help her husband whip his aSsail-
ant. This is about the way | feel to-
ward the Democratic party and South
ern people. | claim the right IL abuse
them myself for their many short
comings, yet II they are attacked by
those outside our family. | cannot help
turning to and defending them.
1t is plain IT, any fair mind that in
tolerance is the greatest sin peo-
pie are guilty OF. Well do | remember
the intolerance OF our people previous
to the war between the States;" es-
pecially during the years from 1850 to
1861. Our children were Taught to
look UPON an 'AbolitInniSE as many
degrees worse than a murderer. aud il
"A school boy called another Yankee"
there was sure to be a fight.
IL was worth Il mans good standing
in this country for him to ever ques.
ton the doctrine nf States rights''or
secession. No tolerance was given
any man who dared to express his be-
lief contrary TO the great current pub
lie opinion. My father had grave fears
as To where those deep-rOOted doc.
trineS would carry US, and because OF
his beinpa Union man lie was closely
watched by spies from Col. Maury's
command, in Mobile.
Between 1855 and 1865 our family
lived on Escatawpa river. twelve miles
from Pascagoula. and my father at
tended Lodge meetings at old Pascal
g0ula. | was then only a hoy. and
knew nor cared hut little for the ways
of the world. Yet, well do | remem.
Der hearing my father tell, on his re-
turn home from one Of those visits,
that Mr.. A. Z. Lewis had said that he
would give So, 200 il he could the next
morning ''edt his breakfast out of the
union" and that MI. William Elder
said that he had the day before been
teaching his daughters how to shoot.
SD they could help kill Abolitionists.
Two OF my fathers old friends were
hung on Fish river, Alabama, for being
Union men. Yet to-day we see slavery
in the United States has been ab0l-
iShed. and the right OF secession de-
clared To be wrong by every Southern
State. Unfortunately, il took oceans
OF blood to bring about these changes.
| presume the greatest cause Of this
intolerance among u people Is at
tributable to the fact that we have
but ONE political party. If the danger
OF negro rule could be provided against,
and uur people divided on real politi-
cal issues and questions, no doubt the
result would be to broaden the mil. IS
and hearts Of our people on ALL issues.
Without burdening your readers with
the history Of intolerance among our
people from the close of the war.up to
1880, l ask their attention to intnler-
ance used in more recent times. Over
on the great Mississippi river we had
Il congressman who made the improve
ment of that river his life study, and
So well did he learn his lesson aud ac-
c0mplished his duty that Throughout
this great nation T. G. CATCnINGs was
referred to as the greatest authority 10
river and harbor matters.
He was a Conscientious man, and
differed with me and the great mass of
our people on the INT custom Of ''l6
to l." lie had just as well have stolen
a sheep, for from that day his political
life was doomed. Aud while the tinan-
cial question Is now settled, at least
for years to come, u intolerance has
retired our good servant and we lose
the benefits we should have had Of his
knowledge and influence in Congress.
A few years ago our coast succeeded in
persuading'the balance Of the counties
in u district to send me- Of u own
men to Congress. He laid the fUunda.
tion, and in fact did all the real work.
which secured to us the governments
appropriations for which we this week
celebrated. He, too, committed the
objectionable sin OF not 'Sneezing
when we took snuf,"and we promptly
relegated him to his home and family.
The history OF our Southland. our
State and district, is but a history Uf
intolerance.
now ask your readers to follow me
closer home. and here we lind the hot
bed Of intolerance. Ii a man wants
to be popular, socially, politically or
religi0uSly, he must be a regular "me
too" and be careful not to have any
fixed ideas OF his own. Let him but
express his fears that our party is not
honest in its fight ON expansion. or any
other issue, or should he declare his
belief in our defeat, he is at once
'turned out Of our political syna-
gogue" and declared to be worse than a
''sinner and intdel.' Let II member
of one Of our churches say that he can
see no disobedience OF Gods commands
In allowing the poor people Of New
Orleans To come out on the coast on
for family picnics and for a
little fresh air for their children. Such
member is at nee declared Il partner
pf old Satan. Let a man ''eat greens
with a knife" and he is declared not
nt for u social.kingdom. Let a man
even have independent thoughts as to
.abor throubles, or Incorporating Of
and he is declared To have
gone over to the enemy" And even
I he goes over to the enemy they won't
nave him, and he becomes a veritable
'Ishmaelite," socially, politically and
'eligiously. There Is no reason why
We should not differ in our opinions In
many things, yet accord to each one
right to do his own thinking. III
xnow OF but one way to get two or a
hundred men to all think alike, and
Is for ONE man 10 do all the