Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-07-02
CHAPTER I.
The American CZar.

devastated land. Throughout the
South force was law. 1t seemed that
the very principle of democracy had
been shrouded in a tent-cloth. Society
sighed out its breath in despair. For
the aged there was no hope and youth
had been taught iconoclasm. Then
was begun the slow work OF recon-
struction. Each day was whimsical
Joke. Politics was a comic opera and
craftsmanship a farce. From the
North there came a horde Of political
gamblers whom the Southerners con-
temptuously called "Carpetbaggers.
Many of them were men of marked
ability; nearly all were characters;
but few indeed had held positions OF
trust at home. They enacted the
mockery of re-establishing civil law.
While some scrambled for places on
the bench, the boldest managed to In
stall themselves in the chairs once
held by sedate old governors. These
offices were not meted out by fitness.
II Is not known that they were not
won with dice.
Prominent among these adventur-
ers was Melville Crance, Governor OF
Mississippi He was a tall, rather
gaunt man Of fifty, with a serious
face and the Yankee light Of humor
In his eye. In Chicago he had been
an auctioneer and at the beginning OF
the war had Joined cavalry regi-
hof ha
distinction. No one could doubt his
nerve. No one had cause to suspect
that he ever entertained an honest
thought. He was not we'll educated
but was far from ignorant. On one
occasion he was heard to remark:
"Oh, whenever I find that a man mas
more education than I have, 1 skip
his learning and hit his common
sense" AS the alien governor OF
proud, old state, humbled into the
dust, he was, of course, most enthu-
siastically hated. Socially he was os-
tracized. Women turned up their
noses at him in the street. His daily
mail consisted largely Of threatening
letters. One morning while going to
his office he overheard man say:
"Bet YOU ten dollars that fellow won't
live a month" And then came the
reply: "You want a sure thing when
YOU bet" Such was the atmosphere
i'm which he lived; and yet, within
his jurisdiction, he was supreme, an
absolute monarch in a republic, an
ha
nation never would have dared 10
usurp such authority. His word was
arrest, fine, imprisonment. He ana
his friends owned the legislature. A
rebellious member who ventured TO
oppose a bill was promptly brought
before a committee, investigated
and expelled from the House on the
pretext of ballot-box trickery at the
time of his election. 1t was huge
Joke but the recalcitrant had to go.
A ring Of lobbyists was the nearest
approach to a gubernatorial board Oh
advisers. The Governor, with MS
sbrewdness, could not shut his eyes
to the greed and lawlessness OF those
fellows; but why should they care!
He was there not to detect thievery
but to make it profitable to himself.
His sense of humor was his con-
science; and humor, which is always
half a rascal, ever stands ready to
pardon a frailty.
Chief among these lobbyists was
man named Willetts. Before the war
he had been a gambler on the Mis-
sissippi river. 1t was said that ne
once had bet two negro boys
-four flush" An opponent raised
him with two men and he "lay down.
This was a river lie of course, but IL
illustrated his character. When the
war "broke out" he broke out, too
went to Canada, remained till peace
was nominally established and then
hurried South with the Carpetpag-
gers. His sole recommendation was
his GOODNESS, and it was a good one'
for at that time Mississippi was not
an appropriate place for hot-heao-
ed man.
"Yes, I'm cool enough" he remark
ed one day to the Governor, but I'm
not as cool as you are. I understand
that you've sent for your daughter
"Yes, she's tired of school-thought
I'd give her a vacation"
Vacation? In such place as this!
Willetts exclaimed.
The Governor looked at him with
q dry smile. "Why not? l live in the
finest mansion in the city of Jackson.
And IFS q most exclusive place. The
neighbors never bother me; no back
door callers. No one ever borrows
tea-cup of vinegar from me. I'm left
alone to the repose OF my library
where I can muse over the bills IN
troduced into the legislature. Shell
like it and why shouldn't nave d.
least one congenial visitor?'
"Rut some one shot at you one
night, not long ago.
"a bullet did come through the
window and bore into The Lie anu
Character of s. S. Prentiss. but that
ALL The window was up at the tiiiie
and the glass wasn't broken. Yes
n
and l told her to come on. Things
are gradually getting better. Some ol
the preachers have advocated for-
giveness, and the lawyers are ham,
mering away in the courts. on II
will all come around in time"
Yes" said Willetts, land I think
we ought to make the most of it-in
time. AS soon as they hear the facts
at Washington-why, we'll be bun
died out of here, that's all. For a
wear or more they may believe that
it's simply the usual howl of the spite
full. but sooner or later the truth"
whats that?" The Governor
looked I'D with a twinkle. 1.-The
truth? I'm a plain-spoken man, and