Sons and Fathers Read online

  CHAPTER XII.

  THE OLD SOUTH VERSUS THE NEW.

  Edward had intended returning to Ilexhurst after tea, but every oneinveighed against the announcement. Nonsense! The roads were bad, astorm was possible, the way unfamiliar to him! John, the stable boy, hadreported a shoe lost from the horse! And besides, Norton would come outand be disappointed at having missed him!

  And why go? Was the room upstairs not comfortable? He should haveanother! Was the breakfast hour too early? His breakfast should be sentto his room!

  Edward was in confusion. It was his first collision with the genuine,unanswerable southern hospitality that survives the wreck of all things.He hesitated and explained and explaining yielded.

  Supper over, the two gentlemen sat upon the veranda, a cool breezewandering in from the western rain area and rendering the eveningcomfortable. Mary brought a great jar of delicious tobacco, home raised,and a dozen corn-cob pipes, and was soon happy in their evident comfort.As she held the lighter over Edward's pipe he ventured one glance upwardinto her face, and was rewarded with a rare, mysterious smile. It was apicture that clung to him for many years; the girlish face and tenderbrown eyes in the yellow glare of the flame, the little hand lifted inhis service. It was the last view of her that night, for the southerngirl, out of the cities, is an early retirer.

  "The situation is somewhat strained," said the colonel; they had reachedpolitics; "there is a younger set coming on who seem to desire only todestroy the old order of things. They have had the 'new south' dingedinto their ears until they had come to believe that the old south holdsnothing worth retaining. They are full of railroad schemes to rob thepeople and make highways for tramps; of new towns and booms, ofcolonization schemes, to bring paupers into the state and inject thesocialistic element of which the north and west are heartily tired. Theywant to do away with cotton and plant the land in peaches, plums,grapes," here he laughed softly, "and they want to give the nigger awheeled plow to ride on. It looks as if the whole newspaper fraternityhave gone crazy upon what they call intensive and diversified farming.Not one of them has ever told me what there is besides cotton that canbe planted and will sell at all times upon the market and pay labor andstore accounts in the fall.

  "And now they have started in this country the 'no-fence' idea and areabout to destroy our cattle ranges," continued the colonel, excitedly."In addition to these, the farmers have some of them been led off into a'populist' scheme, which in its last analysis means that the governmentshall destroy corporations and pension farmers. In national politics wehave, besides, the silver question and the tariff, and a large elementin the state is ready for republicanism!"

  "That is the party of the north, I believe," said Edward.

  "Yes, the party that freed the negro and placed the ballot in his hands.We are so situated here that practically our whole issue is 'whiteagainst black.' We cannot afford to split on any question. We areobliged to keep the south solid even at the expense of development andprosperity. The south holds the Saxon blood in trust. Regardless of law,of constitution, of both combined, we say it is her duty to keep theblood of the race pure and uncontaminated. I am not prepared to say thatit has been done with entire success; two races cannot exist side byside distinct. But the Spaniards kept their blue blood throughcenturies!

  "The southern families will always be pure in this respect; they aretenderly guarded," the colonel went on. "Other sections are in danger.The white negro goes away or is sent away; he is unknown; he is changedand finds a foothold somewhere. Then some day a family finds in itsfolds a child with a dark streak down its spine--have you dropped yourpipe? The cobs really furnish our best smokers, but they are hard tomanage. Try another--and it was known that somewhere back in the past anAfrican taint has crept in."

  "You astound me," said Edward, huskily; "is that an infallible sign?"

  "Infallible, or, rather, indisputable if it exists. But its existenceunder all circumstances is not assured."

  "And what, Mr. Montjoy, is the issue between you and Mr. Swearingen--Iunderstand that is his name--your opponent in the campaign fornomination?"

  "Well, it is hard to say. He has been in congress several terms andthinks now he sees a change of sentiment. He has made bids for theyounger and dissatisfied vote. I think you may call it the old southversus the new--and I stand for the old south."

  "Where does your campaign open? I was in England once during a politicalcampaign, about my only experience, if you except one or two incipientriots in Paris, and I would be glad to see a campaign, in Georgia."

  "We open in Bingham. I am to speak there day after to-morrow and will bepleased to have you go with us. A little party will proceed by privateconveyance from here--and Norton is probably detained in town to-nightby this matter. The county convention meets that day and it has beenagreed that Swearingen and I shall speak in the morning. The conventionwill assemble at noon and make a nomination. In most counties primaryelections are held."

  "I shall probably not be able to go, but this county will afford me theopportunity I desire. By the way, colonel, your friends will have manyexpenses in this campaign, will they not? I trust you will number meamong them and not hesitate to call upon me for my share of thenecessary fund. I am a stranger, so to speak, but I represent JohnMorgan until I can get my political bearings accurately adjusted." Thecolonel was charmed.

  "Spoken like John himself!" he said. "We are proud, sir, to claim you asone of us. As to the expenses, unfortunately, we have to rely on ourfriends. But for the war, I could have borne it all; now mycircumstances are such that I doubt sometimes if I should in perfecthonor have accepted a nomination. It was forced on me, however. Myfriends named me, published the announcement and adjourned. Beforeheaven, I have no pleasure in it! I have lived here since childhood,barring a term or two in congress before the war and four years with Leeand Johnston, and my people were here before me. I would be glad to endmy days here and live out the intervening ones in sight of this porch.But a man owes everything to his country."

  Edward did not comment upon the information; at that moment there washeard the rumble of wheels. Norton, accompanied by a stranger, alightedfrom a buggy and came rapidly up the walk. The colonel welcomed his sonwith the usual affection and the stranger was introduced as Mr. Robleyof an adjoining county. The men fell to talking with suppressedexcitement over the political situation and the climax of it was thatRobley, a keen manager, revealed that he had come for $1,000 to securethe county. He had but finished his information, when Norton broke inhurriedly:

  "We know, father, that this is all outside your style of politics, and Ihave told Mr. Robley that we cannot go into any bargain and saleschemes, or anything that looks that way. We will pay our share oflegitimate expenses, printing, bands, refreshments and carriage hire,and will not inquire too closely into rates, but that is as far----"

  "You are right, my son! If I am nominated it must be upon the ballots ofmy friends. I shall not turn a hand except to lessen their necessaryexpenses and to put our announcements before the public. I am sure thatthis is all that Mr. Robley would consent to."

  "Why, of course," said that gentleman. And then he looked helpless.Edward had risen and was pacing the veranda, ready to withdraw fromhearing if the conversation became confidential. Norton was excitedlyexplaining the condition of affairs in Robley's county, and thatgentleman found himself at leisure. Passing him Edward attracted hisattention.

  "You smoke, Mr. Robley?" He offered a cigar and nodded toward the farend of the veranda. "I think you had better let Mr. Montjoy explainmatters to his father," he said. Robley joined him.

  "How much do you need?" said Edward; "the outside figure, I mean. Inother words, if we wanted to buy the county and be certain of gettingit, how much would it take?"

  "Twenty-five hundred--well, $3,000."

  "Let the matter drop here, you understand? Col. Montjoy is not in thetrade. I am acting upon my own responsibility. Call on me in townto-morrow; I will put up the money. Now,
not a word. We will go back."They strolled forward and the discussion of the situation went on.Robley grew hopeful and as they parted for the night whispered a fewwords to Norton. As the latter carried the lamp to Edward's room, hesaid:

  "What does this all mean; you and Robley----"

  "Simply," said Edward, "that I am in my first political campaign and towin at any cost."

  Norton looked at him in amazement and then laughed aloud.

  "You roll high! We shall win if you don't fail us."

  "Then you shall win." They shook hands and parted. Norton passing hissister's room, paused in thought, knocked lightly, and getting no reply,went to bed. Edward turned in, not to sleep. His mind in the silenthours rehearsed its horrors. He arose at the sound of the first bell andleft for the city, not waiting for breakfast.