The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-12

He. Belonged to a "critter Com
pany.7


He. Belonged to "critter Com
Editor Advertiser:
It Is Just forty-two years ago TO-
day that / entered the second time
Iinto<the military service of the con-
federate States. The frst time was
q year earlier. Then was In the IN
fantry. The result of an unlucky
/ "fooling" with a pistol several months
1 before was ball near the knee JOINT
which, being in there then and yet un-
fitted me for much walking. DR.. Gas
ton. our surgeon, and now your pro.
bate Judge. saved my life by not
searching for the ball I was discharg-
ed and thus escaped the Virginia
Army. I might have been killed
half dozen times IL / had been with
| Lee, but the doctor was along and the
boys who were with him there, say ne
was the very best surgeon In the whole
army, and II 1t could have been done,
he would have pulled me through
| every time the Yankees killed me.
But my last and longest service was
In the cavalry. Even in the cavalry
men were killed, for tree fell on one
of our poor fellows one night and Kill
ed him while he slept. Occasionally,
| we had to go into the trenches and
! fight Just like infantry and that. as
| the niger said of the ''pinning'' after
the bleeding, was the devil"
To-day is very much like that OF
/ forty-two years ago, but there's con-
4 siderable change in me. If there was
any wrong on either side of the par
| ties to the war was certainly inno-
cent. I hadAnever read Uncle Toms
Cabin and had only heard Yancey
| once and, boy as I was, he had failed
| to convert me to his extremes. don't
| think / was guilty of patriotism, for
didn't know what 1t was. / am will
ing. though, to concede that all other
soldiers were actuated by pure pa
triotism, for likely, they knew what
IT was. A few years later there was
pretty general reputation of patriot
ism manifest to return to. the girl
left behind me-"
/ After we mixed up" with the Yam
| KEGS was sorry we didn't whip 'em
worse than we did. May be. it's all for
the best. 1 am almost persuaded that
our ante-bellum political leaders were
| fine takers and speakers and more in
clined to the visionary than practical.
They were persuasive but not alto
gether wise.
| 1t may be that the observation ap-
plies to the political leader sof the
| present day. We ought to get us up
leader with the chief quality of the
Pope--infallibility-- then we can
| follow with safety. / know 1t is politi-
cal heresy to suggest it but, it seems
to me, If we can eliminate a good deal
of foolish, hurtfuI sentiment and in
/ fits place put little common sense
| into politics 1t will do no harm If
patriotism. like charity, begins at
home, then it's first appeals are for
/ Betty and the baby and IL the cen
| ditions are such that they are doing
| fairly well, then the stand pat" the
DRY, which Is a shorter expression of
let well enough alone" Is practical
common sense. This, however, might
not bring about a change in the Of
| fees. / reckon the highest type of
/ patriotism is in the desire to serve
ones country in a lucrative Office 1 al
| most believe there are some men so
| patriotic they will give up cherished
! opinions and surrender life long con-
| victions to get into office. Therefore
I conclude that party convictions very
readily yield to patriotic office-hold-
ing.
/ We, populists, were once holding q
nominating convention. The Democrats
were below holding "cussing" eau
Gus against US and our vagaries and
heresies. We nominated a fellow
named Jones for some good place and
the boys" began to call Jones
Jones!' A Democrat in the crowd be-
low, named Johns, thought oui
lightning had struck him" and that
we were calling for him. with his hal
in hand he started on run for us, ex-
claiming. God, I'll take anything they
give me-" don't recollect what brand
of Democracy was stamped on him
but infer it was the waiting KIND
that leaves conclusion to where the
drap falls
1 wish you and all the Democratic
editors would give us some strong edi.
torials on the Betty and the baby
theory of patr' ot!em. OF course, the
tariff Il believe 1t is called the Rob.
Der tariff" THE Mother of Trusts" ant
1t may have some other Christian
name for aught know will enter
largely into such things. Now.
wouldn't have you "vex your right.
eous souls" too much with a practica
argument on that we'll understood
question, but just give us a theoreti-
cal comparison of the condition OF
Betsy and the little one under different
administrations.
My notion is, II the comparison be
favorable to the Democratic admins
tration every white man, North and
South, should adopt the logic of com
mon sense and vote the Democratic
Bette and the baby and, even the old
man, had more of the comforts of life
under Republican administrations,
suppose it will then be in order for
our wise patriotic leaders to advise a
strenuous departure from common
sense. I once had a very lively and
instructive argument with a Democrat
on the tariff, a question about which
he knew nothing and a great deal
less. He was pitching in" to the Re
publicans about protection" The Re
publicans are little inclined that
way. but a distinguished Democratic
Senator says these things cut a pretty
small figure when the people have
plenty of money. However, 1 told my
man they (the Republicans) had TAX
en- the duty off of sugar. Yes" sa&d
he, and they ruined the country by
that" How in the name of-(But
thought of myself did that hurt the
country" why" said he, they've
made sugar so cheap that every clod
hopper in the country can eat sugar.
have heard that the itch is too good
for a poor fellow. but I'm not com
planning that the Republicans made ii
possible for him to eat sugar. 1 think
he beat me in the argument because
he had the facts against me.
These tariff questions are very con-
fusing to me, but If the delegates from
the State to the Democratic National
convention insist upon a platform IA
voring putting iron and coal and lum-
Der on the free list it will go a long
ways towards confirming me in the