The representative., 1900-05-03

one was pointed out to me that cost half
Z million dollars. This might be
esteemed an encouraging feature. hut It
is not altogether-so.
The labor ip 4aese mills is altogether
white. The chaercn earn from ~ cents
to. 20 cents a day. while the adults re-
ceive about 60 cents for IL hours work.
Thsseeps and d4pehters re stAe |argeet
farmers are glad to come a. and work
at these mlserable wages.
The first bellsin 'the morhisg rings at
4 O'Clock. and at s o'clock they are
6 work, and work stsadily for IL hours
to earn 10 cents or 50 cents.
This would b had enough sif it were
for one day. but think of 1t continuing
during q lifetime! They have no time
| to 60 to school. and at night as soon as
their scanty supper is eaten they tumble
into bed and sleep until the bell rings at
4so'clock next morning.
The editors complain that they can
get no subscribers for their papers
i among this population. for the poor
creatures are too exhausted at the end
! of their. days labor to read-if they
know how to read. One cannot but look
forward with the darkest forebodings to
the future of such a people,; they have
nothing before them but ignorance and
serfdOni.
| And yet they come of the best blood of
the British islands, for there are not
many of the German, French or Scandi-
navian races in this section
When the English people fell into
similar depths of servitude, they had
the United States to migrate to, but
where will this people and their pos
terity go to to seek free homes? Tho
world is getting pretty well filed up.
America has got to make desperate
fight to hold herself up and lift up the
rest of mankind, or she will sink into
Asiatic conditions, with wages from two
to six cents day.
1t is indeed gloomy prospect; the
only ray of hope is the Peoples party
and it's efforts. The adventurers of the
world are crowding into these Southern
communities to grind the people into
the dust
The negro race, l am told, has added
very much to the difficulties of the peo-
pie in seeking reform. Their vote is
always at the command Of the highest
bidder. except as to the national ticket;
they will not sell out the Republican
candidate for president, believing that
they owe their liberty to the Republican
party; but on local contests their votes
are on the market The Democrats
march them up to the polls in a pro-
cession, two and four abreast; see that
they vote as they want them to, and
they are then taken to the court house,
! or any other public building, and paid
their price! 1t is fortunate that the
people have erected, at their own ex-
pense, public buildings In which the
liberties Of the country can thus be sold
for money!
1t is this condition of things as much
as anything else which has produced
the intense hatred between the races in
the South, and it is not to be wondered
at If we had In the North vast popu-
lation ready at all times to sell their
votes for money, and bring to naught all
| the efforts of the intelligent citizens for
reform, and if this thing was kept up
year after year and decade after decade,
it would be difficult to prevent the people
from resorting to violence to save their
homes and their liberties.
l have no doubt that in a fair, un-
bribed section, with the franchise linn
tied to the virtuous and intelligent the
Populists would carry Georgia, and per-
haps all of the Southern states.
AS it is the prospect is blacker than
death and hell.
| What can be expected of a country
| governed by bribery and ignorance? A
we'll regulated troop of monkeys in a
South African forest is better fitted for
self-government than rotten rascality.
| veneered over with the forms of civiliza-
| ton.
repeat, there is no hope for this
| country except in the Peoples party.
They should work without ceasing to
save themselves and their posterity.
I was told that there is in Georgia
| practically no exemption law. For nom
payment of rent the defaulting tenant,
even though sick woman, can be car
ried out and laid upon the sidewalk, and
the very bed and bed clothes seized and
sold by the landlord; This Is horrible
and barbarian state of things, and it re-
| fleets no credit upon the Democratic
party, which has controlled the state
for many years, that such condition of
| things should exist.
like the Georgians, and regard them
as great race; sympathize with them
in their dire struggle against adverse
| conditions. shall hope and pray that
they may have ingenuity and persistence
enough to find way out of the pit into
which they have fallen.
The great man of this state Is Hon.
Thomas e. Watson, ex-member of con-
gress and author of a wonderful his
tory Of France, just published. The
Populists love him and they are very
proud of him. They never weary tell