The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-09
The Reign Of The Demagogue
BY John r. Dale


rnents and pleasures which made up a
heaven here.
Does IL not seem cruel to blur q pict.
ure 30 beautiful az this presented by
the old Southern planter But alas all
things are transitory. Sic transit glo-
ria mundi! This 10 what is written up
on every state house. every cathedral,
every museum. every home in the landi
All OF sudden on the borders Of his
Beulah land appeared q small cloud
about the sise Of a mans hand. Be
hind that cloud stood the demagoeue.
who like the serpent in the garden of
Eden was soon to spread devastation
and woe. On the stump in tbs forum,
In every state and national convention
his voice could be heard combating
some imaginary evil. With his silvery
tongue. with his matchless eloquence--
and what demagogue Is not eloquent
he stirred the people, poor and rich
alike. His exordium was: Hell is
afioat, and the river Is risingi"; his
peroration was:
strike TN the last armed foe expires
Strike for the green graves OF pour
sires
For God and your native land"
When there was no enemy to strike.
But he was getting In his work all the
same.
In the pitch Of their frenzy . warn-
ing voice was sounded, now and then,
BY some long sighted statesman. Per-
nit a personal "reminiscences. On my
road to eoilege--a mere youth--I re-
member . very small diminuitive man,
about the size of q pound Of soap after
q few days washing, got aboard the
train at or near Charlottesville, Ca.
rnrnn
gers that this little man was Alexander
II. Stevens, the frst statesman OF his
age. He had made a speech that day
to thousands Of Georgians warning
them of the danger to which their fren-
~ was carrying them. +,
His counsel was swept away by the
nery Bob Toombs. Ben. II. Hill, Howell
Cobb and Herschel v. Johnson. The
demagogue had kindied fire he could
not put out. He was like the Illinois
farmer who built for himself q four
thousand dollar barn. He built IL four
stories high. On the first floor he put
horses, hogs, cows, sheep, goats; on the
other three stories he put corn, hay
oats. wheat. One day he went up into
the fourth story, and looking up he
observed wasp nest attached to q
rafter. He deliberately tied some hay
to q pole, set the hay afire, stuck IT to
along with 1t his four thousand dollar
barn! The fool kindled FIRE he could
not put out. Likewise did the dema-
gogue. In stirring up the passions of
the people he kindIed q IRE that could
not be extinguished save by the iron
heel OF war. The beacon lights were
lit upon every hill top and mountain ton
In this southland. It was on the prin-
ciple. may say, Of the Alpine shep-
herd. It is said that when the last
rays OF the setting sun gid the sum-
mits of the Alpine heights, the shep-
herd living on the topmost peak Of
that mountain walks to the door Of his
hut, and, horn In hand, cries out
Praised be the Lord" The next
neighbor takes up the refrain, the next
and the next. until every hill top ana
mountain top echo and re-echo with
the song, Praised be the Lordg'
From Alps to Alps the notes are
heard. through each resounding
vale
In cadence sweet. the tsrain is poured
upon the evening gale
When sIumber comes in holy peace to
soothe each boding fear
And whisper. Let your troubles cease.
+ the 1crd of love is near
Every old field was a drill ground
The farmer with his fbiktsrnIft suit the
clergyman in his robes; ytltesoIerk from
behind the counter; the rich and also
the poor--all rushed to the front think
ing that the war would not last three
months. for the demagogue assured
them that he would drink all the
bloodshed
Soon there was heard on all sides the
rumbling of artillery, the tramp Of in
fantry, the rushing squadrons Of caval-
ry. Then the war began in earnest.
And where was the demagogue9 In
the forefront Of the battle7 Oh. no;
he went to the rear. He sought q
bomb-proof position in the quarter
masters or the commissary's depart
ment; or he. took the first ship to Eu-
rope. Not on your life did he intend to
be perforated by a Yankee bullet.
For four long years the struggle
went on, developing the bravest people
the sun ever shone upon; developing
the greatest generals Of ancient or