Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-04-05

the climate of the South is enervating,
and the Southern people cannot be ex-
pected to show the intelligence and in
dustry of people IN sections where the
climate is less depressing"
The Bishop was now fully on his met
tie. mo, will admit no such thing,
he reioined. Your climate argument
is no better than what you said before.
1t is absolutely unsupported by facts,
and it is refuted by the recorded history
of all times. The latitude of the South
is that of the parallels within which the
greatest achievements of mankind have
been accomplished. In the same climate
of the South the greatest men OF his
tory have done their work. The greatest
orators of the world were all Southern
gentlemen. !"
This inflammatory jab flung the Jew
ahame. For above the roar of the
rushing train he furiously snorted:
"Who?"
In clear, distinct tones Bishop Cand-
Ter replied: "Demosthenes, Cicero, Pat
rick Henry, and the prophet Isaiah
With kneenest forethought the Bish-
op had perfected his. argumentum od
hominem by ending his list of Southern
celebrities with the name of Hebrew!
The ladies forgot for the moment that
they were in strange company, and ap-
plauded to the echo. The Jewish law
yer was fearfully embarrassed.
"The greatest poets of the world,
continued the Bishop, "were Southern
men,"
Another spark, another explosion.
Again the Jew broke forth: "Who?'
The answer was ready. Homer, Yer
gil, Dante, Sidney Lanier. and King
David"
It mattered but little with the ladies
If they were apparently interrupting
spicy conversation. Their delicate
hands were red with applauding. The
Jew evidently felt sick, but he still
showed fight.
In tantalizing way the Bishop moved
on: The South has produced not only
the greatest orators and poets of the
world. but the greatest warriors, as
well, he declared.
The ominous "Who?" of the Jew
again arrested attention.
Alexander. Caesar, Bonaparte, Rob-
ert e. Lee, and Joshua" was the promps
raply, followed by the sympathetic
hand-clapping.
The good Bishop, seeing his antagonist
about vanquished, had no desire to pro-
long the discussion, but perhaps was
somewhat like the Irishman who, when
asked why he had struck man, an
swered: Faith. and it's nothing, in
dade, that I've got ag'n him. | was
obleeged to hit him, he lay so fair. So
the Bishop determined to fire fare
we'll shot. 'Not only have the great
est orators, the greatest poets, and the
greatest warriors of the world been
Southern men," said he, "Dut the great
est lawgivers and statesmen of the
earth lived and labored and died in the
South"
This time the fiery Interrogation of
the Jew dwindled into modest, attenu
ated "Who?"
"Solon, Lycurgus, Justinian, James
Madison, and Moses" came ASA quick
response
; The ladies were not quite hysterical
] in their laughter ndapplause, but they
; were very jubilant, and gave the heroic
defender of the South every token OF
their loyalty to him and to the people
; whom he so ably represented.
: The crestfallen Jew felt the need of 6
; cigar or some other stimulant, and re.
tired to the smoking room OF the Pull
man; the capitalist busted himself with
the morning paper; the Bishop began tt
I read book he had brought for the
; for the journey; the ladies, in cheeries
of spirits, resumed their talking ant
reading. Over all was the glorious sun
shine of golden Southern autumn; ant
y as through the magnificent fields O
sugar cane the ponderous train hurrie'
on to its destination, the very "clickety
u click, clckety-click" of the car wheel
seemed to voice tbs goodness of gra
e cious Father to his children of tn
It South. and in gentle cadences to pro
@ claim: There's life in the old lam
= yet."