The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1901-12-25
Political Events of the Past En-
cages Barlow Mans Attention
EXPECTS GOOD THINGS OF ROOSEVELT
William Says Now s a PropltIouo
Time For a Political Heforma-
ton and cementlna of Ma
tlonal Friendship

This was an OLD war maxim OF the TO
mans in Julius Caesars day-aRd was
akin to that other one, vac victis,"
woe unto the conquered. In 1881, when
General jackson was sweeping the
field and removing from federal office
everything whig who had been ap-
pointed, William L. Marcy, who was In
the United States senate, defended
him in a great speech and promulga'
ted that maxim, ITO the vlctors belong
the spoils." Marcy was very bril-
liant statesman, but very bitter par
tsan. He was governor Of New York
three terms, Judge Of the supreme
court, secretary Of war under Polk,
secretary of state under Pierce, and
he used this maxim Just as far as he
was allowed to. He detested the whig
party and defined an old line whig to
be "a conceited gentleman who took a
drink when he pleased and never voted
the democratic ticket" This reminds
me of an old man met in Arkansas,
who said to me, "Mr, Arp, I'm gwine
onto so years old-me and my old
oman have lived together fifty-nine
years and lined the same Baptist
church the year we was married and
every year since then have voted the
democratic ticket" His politics was
a good part of his religion. remem'
Der when the alienation between the
wings and democrats was quite as bit
ter for many years as 1t has been be-
tween republicans and democrats at
the south-social equality even In
small towns was strained by politics.
This alienation got into the churches
and colleges. There was no outward
breach of good manners, but 1t was
manifested in various ways that the
wings felt they were better than the
democrats, for they were generally
wealthy and educated and owned
slaves. Out of 1876 students in our
state university in 1S45, 1870 of them
we're sons Of wings l am still dem
ocrat, and my father was before me,
but have always respected the grand
old whig party Of the south, and la.
mented Its disruption. l still remem.
oer' with pride and admiration the
names of Toombs, Stephens, Ben Hill,
Jenkins, DR., Miller, Crawford, Berrlen,
the Hulls and Hollis and Underwoods
and Doughertys, for l knew them all
personally and heard them on the
stump and in the FORUM But the dis
ruption had come both in church
and state. The wings could not any
longer stand the company they were
in--northern wings became republl'
cans and affiliated with abolitionists
In their political platforms. They pre-
clpitated the civil war and from that
was born plumber and corruption
do not mean to say that all democrats
are patriotic and honest-nor that all
republicans are unprincipled and dis.
honest When our unsophisticated
preacher, Ed Arson, said to Judge I'm.
derwood that he could not believe
Tweed was guilty of stealing all that
money in New York city, for Tweed
was a democrat, the Judge smiled and
said: my dear sir, you are too limo
cent and unsuspecting to live in this
wicked world. l am twice as old as
you are and my observation has been
that 1t is within the range Of posi-
bility for a democrat to steal" But
what I do say is that the democratic
party has more conscience and Is less
sreedy than the republicans. Shortly
after the war Dutchman In Chatta
nooga killed bis fat shote and hung 4
up In the back yard to cool during the
night, next morning he was Mortified
to find that one half Of the hog wal
gone. He ran around wild and wal
very much excited and declared tina
some mean old stinlsin' democrat hat
carried oil one-hah of his beautiful
shote. What makes you think he wa!
a demoCrat7" neighbor asked. Ivy
OF course he vas dlmocrat--of cours
he vas-for a republican would ha
stole de whole hog"
That's 1t exactly. They want 1t all
But now is the time for great reform
alton. Martin Luther brought one h
the church and believe that Roose
welt Will bring one to the management
Of our national affairs. He knows q
the corruption and has determined :
purge 1t He will appoint good me,
to ONCE, regardless Of their politIca
principles. He will not be Roverne
by that maxim Of Marcy's. He is a
ardent believer in civil service r,
form. General Grant had the law pass