Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-23
TIE COUNTRY~HOME


In my time, a little less than ninety
years ago, person who called southern
gentleman a liar would be called to account
for it. Somebody would appear with a de
mand for retractiOn and separations. This
would be handed to the aggressOr by the
second" of the injured party. Then trip
to Sand-Bar Ferry, in the vicinity of Au-
gusta. Then before breakfast meeting
then a duel with loaded pistols if the 'sec-
onds" did not succeed in. compromise pro
ceeding which often happened.
Thus a bona fide southern gentleman pro-
ceeded to maintain his honor.
Once upon a time, l listened to a discus
sion on the. code duello, and the principal
speaker was Hon. A. II. stephens, then
member Of congress in Washington city. He
had little respect for court trials for dam
age to character, private or political. He
said there were some insults money couldn't
pay for. He thus illustrated:
eff 1 had daughter" Che was CON
firmed bachelor) land her trust in a man
had been violated and her life Swallowed
by his refusal to marry her, I wouldn't go
to court for damages; but that seducer
would have to die or I would be the suffer
ef in an open duel. He and [ couldn't exist
on the same planet, even if he had been
my otherwise nearest friend"
And our "Uncle' Aleck" challenged lIon.
Benz. II. Hill to a code duelIo combat be-
cause + the younger man had said some
not ''red hot" for duels. He preferred to
talk it out, and is reported as saying he
"had a conscience and a family. He couldn' t.
stoop to fight a man who had neither
This enmity went along viyaciously for a
number of years, until Senator Hill decided
to make up and establish a political peace,
although [ continued to believe it an
EARNED peace" on the part of the aged con-
gresham. If death had not entered and a
grave closed up the differences there would
have been another catastrophe in plain
view In this day and time, any legislator
can get up in congress and state legisla-
lures and say any manner of raw things
about their political opponents and get
away with it. AS long as his term of serv-
ice lasts he is immune to the law of the
land. Any political coward can vent his
spite that way. Dr. Frank Crane has sized
up the social situation in the following
words: "The gentleman values are the
strongest in the world. If you can make
your son into asGentleman, you will not.
have cause to worry about him. He may
not have it in him to be a great man, but
he will always be a safe man, just man
and a much respected man, if he becomes
a gentleman" I note this with some in
terest because a legislator from Fitzgerald,
in the state of Georgia, decided to blast me,
your humble scribe, a few months ago, and
being immune to punishment correction
or rebuke, he got away with it. The time
has. been when a decent white man in
Georgia legislature would have felt ashamed
of himself, that he had no provocaton. and
apologized for his error and looked like a
gentleman by so doing, but he pursued the
uneven "tenor of his way to the Madison
Square Garden convention and made by his
unftness a record of inefficiency on that
occasion. His name was continually print
ed as "absent' when more heroic souls kept
vigil during long days and nights of
''watchful waiting" I am aware that min
II Of+ -1o clo1
of the Griner variety, but I am surely priv
LEGGED in defense of myself to remind the
gentleman from Fitzgerald that he should
have been present when he was voted in
New York although he was often absent
and left his job to men and women of more
heroic type, his own vote being, neverthe-
less. recorded by the chairman of the
yentiOn.
Along the ages, to be traduced is the
penalty of greatness. From the dawn of
history this has been the penalty meteG
out to those who have devoted their lives
to the betterment of mankind but l am
satisfied that gentlemen are born and not
made according to various patterns in
this modern age" Julius Caesar was
slain in the house of his friends. Blame
less Socrates was compelled to drink
hemlock. st. Paul suffered many stripes
before he put to death. St. Peter was
crUcified with head downwards. Christ
was nailed to the cross. Columbus was put
in irons Raleigh was shamefully beheaded.
Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Mary
Stuart a queen, was beheaded because she
was beautiful Thomas Jefferson was rated
as an atheist along with Tom Paine.
Jefferson Davis was the yicariOus sufferer
for the Southern COnfederates who voted
for war between the states. He suffered
Imprisonment in Fortress Monroe. while all
the rest went free. Innocence always suf-
fers with the guilty.
Penitentiaries hold some lifetime innocent
men, whose lives have been sworn away by
interested and guilty people, but | believe
the prisoner has the advantage in the en-
jOyment of his self-respect, and the perjured
ones will be given the merited punishment
here and hereafter. DR.. Frank Crane speaks
truly of gentlemen. In the days to come
Georgia people must rise up because of
patriotic love of country to rebuke wrong
doing in high places as we'll as low places.
With the best of friendly good wishes for
Mr.. W. J. Bryan, I cannot but feel sorry
he felt obliged to denounce that upright
gentleman that so many Southern Demo-
Gratis will support as the Democratic Presi-
dental candidate in this good year 1924,
and it looks bad that Mr.. Bryans brother
should be thick with Wheeler and La Fol
Iette
scious of the curious eyes of the servants.
David led the way to his study, and shut
the door
''You may as we'll tell me anything you
know" he said abruptly.