The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-01-08

grace these Benedict ArnoldS'
were sometimes more rankorous
and intolerant to their white breth-
|ren than either the carpetbagger or
the negro. This state of things went
on for several years. In the mean
time taxes piled upon the people
until it had almost reached the
point Of confiscation, our treasures
were empty, our credit gone, and
still the horseleeches cried for more.
The people seemed to be paralyzed;
they seemed to have lost all hope
and gone to sleep, but as early as
1871 and 1872 the sleeping giant
began to rest uneasily, to have ugly
dreams that disturbed his deep
repose and those ugly dreams BODIED
no good for Mr.. Carpetbagger, Mr..
Negro and Mr.. ScaIawag.
This state of unrest that had
taken hold of the people continued
to grow and strengthen until it culmi-
mated into determination to throw
off this CALLING yoke that they had
worn for ten long years, and when
the sleeping giant was once full
ly aroused times got to be mighty
squally. AS early as the winter and
spring of 1875 the people began to
hold massmeetings and express
themselves in tones that could not
be misunderstood by the enemies of
our people who were living Famong
US, well as those in the North who
had precipitated this trouble. White
mems leagues were formed, Demo-
cratic clubs were organized, the
clubs were uniformed with red
shirts, our best speakers were put
on the stump to arouse the people
to action; gun powder and buck
Shot were in great demand, and
every thing portended the downfall
of the, then existing government
or rather misgovernment. Old men
cleaned up their rifles and shot
guns, and supplied themselves with
plenty of ammunition; young men
procured the best six-shooters OBJ
tainable and the dogs of war of all
kinds were put in readiness to meet
the exigency of the situation. In
the mean time the vandals began to
quake and trimble, for they saw
from the preparation that heavy
weather was brewing. The Carpet
baggars plainly saw that this
Southern country was no longer a
Continuing City" for them but
silently folded their tents and quiet
ly stole away. The negro took in
the situation and large numbers of
them joined the Democratic ranks;
but the saddest picture of them all
was the white scalawag who had no
country to which he might flee, but
had to stay and endure the taunts,
,jlbes, isolations and ostracisms of
the good people.
This spirit did not only obtain
here, but extended from North Car
DINA to Texas, and the November
election gave the South a full and
complete, in fact, at was a regular
waterloo for the Republican party in
the South, and few exceptions, the
Democratic party has presented a
solid front ever since, even under
Democratic administration times
were hard long time. State, county
and municipal debts had been con-
tracted by the Carpetbaggars, and
to maintain our credit we were
heavily taxed for several years, to
liquidate these old scores and there
fore, it was long time before we
could see and appreciate an honest
administration of affairs. The rain
bow of hope was still in the distant
future, but cloud of silver lining
was beginning to appear above the
horizon and the people paid the ex-
horbltant taxes cheerfully now that
we had gotten rid of the octupus
that had sapped our lives, strength
and manhood for ten years.
With each recurring year the
debts contracted by these vultures
were cut down and our taxes were
also corfespondingly decreased; and
after an almost an unlimited period,
seemingly, the last Of them was
Cancelled and the people could one
more breathe freely from the thrall
dom of debt Of which they were ip
no way responsible for the contract
ing Of the same The rays of hope
to which our people had so long
wishfully and hopefully looked for
was at last seen in the distant hori-
zon. Our taxes were reduced, our
creditrestored, kind Providence
had sent us the sunshine and the
rain and our fertile fields responded
to the we'll directed endeavoIs of |