The progress-advertiser., December 31, 1903, Image 1

About The progress-advertiser. (Lexington, Miss.) 1902-1903

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THE PROGRESS-ADVERTISER.
.
Largest Circulation—Guaranteed—of An/ Country Weekly Published in the State of Mississippi.
VOLUME LXVI.
LEXINGTON. HOLMES COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, THURSDAY, DEC EMBER III, 1903.
NUMBER 39.
HOW AND WHY
The Romans Became Masters of the
World.
When one thinks of th* Immense
historical significance of the word
' Rome," when one reflects upon the
*ordly city that c^jwned the Seven
Hills, and upon the imperial facts and
forces of which that city was the cen
ter—the emperors aid their splendor,
the senate and its dignity, the forum
and its eloquence, the legions and their
victories—and when, Anally, we be
hold the mighty establishment tremb
ling and failing, we are naturally
moved to ask, first: What led to the
upbuilding of the great domain? and,
secoid: What led to its fall?
Why was it, then, that the Romans
were able to build up that marvelous
empire of theirs?
In the first place, the early agrarian
laws were such as to foster and main
tain the most perfect love of country.
The lands of me republic were divided
among the citizens in equal shares.
All had land, and each one had the
same amount. The inevitable result
of this was a double iicentive to pa
triotism. All had an interest in the
republic, and all had the same in
terest.
Owning their country, the Roman
people were only too willing and glad
to fight for the advancement of its
power and glory.
Then, again, all through the loig
period of laying the foundations of
their splendid dominion, the Romans
were an exceptionally temperate and
moral people. Morally clean and phy
sically robust, they were able to en
dure any amount of hardship—loss of
rest, cold, heat, hunger, thirst—any
thing and everything that came along.
The man who transformed the little
camp on the Palestine Into the capital
of the world was every inch a man.
Behold him—the Soldier of the Le
gion! The contracted brow declares
that storms of battle have beat upon
it often. The glare of that overshad
owed eye throws contempt on death.
The inflated noBtril breathes a steady
rage. The fixed lips deny mercy. The
rigid arms and the knit.joints have
forced a path to victory through
bristling ramparts and triple lines of
shields and swords. There is a gen
eral hardness of texture that seems
the outward expression of an iron
strength of soul.
A natural born soldier, you say—a
conquerer by the very caste of his
physique!
And the splendid physical fitness
was reinforced by the finest disci
pline.
The ancient Roman believed in law.
and, what was better still, he belieeved
in obeying tne law.
The celebrated legion, the wonder
ful organization that broke to pieces'
the mighty Macedonian phalanx with
which Alexander the Great had
marched from victory to victory, was
as perfect in its movements as any
machine. Each man in that marvel
ous organization had his place, whlcn
place he kept, no matter what came,
insubordination was unknown. The
obedience was perfect.
Hence it was that the legion march
ed to victory with the orderliness and
precision of a planet rolling along its
orbit!
But discipline Is impossible without
a certain amount of character behind
it. You cannot discipline a pack of
constitutional weaklings and cowards.
Behind the discipline that endures
there must be a plenty of true soul
courage.
This the Roman soldier had in abun
dance. He was a machine, it is true,
but he was a machine with a soul that
was ablaze with enthusiasm. He had
great faith in himself. He firmly felt
that he could whip any man on earth.
Fate might fling at him her blackest
frown, but he still believed that Rome,
with her Romans behind her, was in
vincible.
Many readers of this article will re
call in this connection the sublimest
page in all history.
Over and over again we have read
the story of Hannibal—how he ei
tered Italy, from the north, and, in
battle after battle, beat down the-ar
mies of Rome. That supreme military
genius—the greatest that the world
has ever seen—seemed to be in a fair
way to wipe the republic from the map
of the world.
That he would do so seemed almost
certain after the dread day ot Cannae
—the most crushing defeat in history.
Eighty thousand Romans—the flower
of the youth and manhood of the re
public—annihilated at one fell swoop,
and the awful Carthagenian at the
very gates of the city!
It was the darkest day that Rome
ever saw. But under the black cloud
they looked into one another's eyes
and said: "Nil desperandum"—there
is no cause for despair!
-With a sort of ironic magnanimity
Hannibal offered to treat with them,
but the senate voted to entertain ao
proposition from an enemy so long as
that enemy stood on Roman soil!
Then, braeiqg themselves, they went
out after the terrible Invader; fought
him for thirteen years on his own soil;
pushed him into the sea, followed him
across the sea, aid in his own land, at
Zama, annihilated him!
Such was the spirit that animated
the Romans, and such was the spirit
that made them unconquerable.
But we must not forget the main
fact of all. The three centuries from
the secession of the plebs to the close
of the second punic war was a virtu
ous period. There was no divorce in
Rome through all that time. The
home life of the people waB clean and
pure. Men and women respected the
moral law and respected it because
they venerated it.
Throughout this long period the
life of the Roman people was one of
temperance, frugality and simplicity.
Rufmus was degraded from the con
sulship for possessing ten pouids of
silver plate when the law allowed him
no more than eight ounces. Atilius
received the consular dignity behind
the plow. Regulus, though twice con
sul, possessed no more than one lit
tle field. Fabricius and Aemelius pre
pared their simple meals with their
own hands.
Cincimatus. once consul and twice
dictator, after delivering his country
from her enemies, retired to ids small
tract of land, upon which he main
tained himself by his own labors. Fab
ricius, consul and victorious general,
cultivated his own little field with his
own hands.
OUR COUNT
OFFICIALS
J. E. STANFIELD, Sheriff.
J. h. Stanfield will enter upon the duties of Sheriff of Holmes eountv
for Ihe second time on next Monday, January 4, 1904.
Mr. Stanfield tv.u- born in Brooksville, Fla., May Hi, 1851, and moved
into this county when quite a young man, and has made it his home
since. He is u man of fine executive abilities, possesses a genial and sym
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pathetic disposition, and is popular with all who know him.
bring four years' experience to aid him in his second term, and having
made e good officer his first, he will make a slili better one during his
second four years in office.
PARHAM WILLIAMS, Chancery Clerk,
\YY.s the choice of the people of Holmes county for the office of Chancery
Clerk, and comes of an old Southern family. His grandfather, Bolin
Williams, came to ibis State from Abbeville district, South Carolina, in
1828, and he is the son of Jeff W. Williams, who for several terms served
his county as a member of the Board of Supervisors and was president of
that body for two terms, l'arham Williams was born February 4, 1858,
and like many other men who have attained success in life, was born and
routed on the farm, remaining there until lie arrived at manhood's
tnte. He used every effort to upbuild his father's fortunes that had been
swept away by the Civil war and never allowed a spare moment to
pass without endeavoring to improve his own educational advantages.
During his early manhood lie was engaged in merchandising at Franklin,
being associated in business with Col. J. I). Powers, afterwards engaging
in farming five miles southwest of Lexington. For the benefit of h.
es
is own
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interest, ns well ns the community in which he lived, lie added a complete
ginning system and saw mill to his farming interest, and improved the
condition of his own country home, as well as those of his fellow farmers
of the same vicinity.
Owing to the continued ill health of his family, and for the con
venience of better school facilities, he moved them to l/oxington three
years ago, and takes an active interest in every movement calculated to
build up its moral and material welfare.
He is a Mason and a mein tier of other fraternal orders, and with his
family are members of the Methodist church. He feels proud of the
position to which his fellow citizens elevated him, and will manifest his
appreciation of the honor conferred by devoting his entire time and best
efforts to the execution of every duty pertaining to the office of Chancery
Clerk.
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CA8CARA BARK
Has Become So Valuable as to Be
Worth More Than Gold Ore.
The sudden advance to 14 cents and
better for cascara bark, which a few
years ago sold at 1% cents and that
last year was 2% and 3 cents, has
made transactions very lively and in
teresting in Corvallis, which is some
thing of a center for the product.
Local dealers will ship this season ten
car loads or more of the bark. It goes
in car load lots to Hamburg, Ger
many. to London, to the East and San
Francisco. The present scramble for
it is intense, and it has brought buy
ers into the field from all parts.
Early in the season a Salem drug
gist contracted for six tons at 4 cents,
and turned over a check to bind the
bargain. That was at the rate of $80
a ton. and he can close out now at any
time at the rate of $250 or more per
ton, realizing $1,500 from an invest
ment of only $480.
A man on Big Elk, west of Corval
lis, sold the bark the other day from
his own ranch and with the proceeds
bought his neighbor's ranch. Charles
Overlander, in the same vicinity, with
his partner, contracted to slash the
brush thereon for the chittim bark on
the Dalaba ranch. In Toledo the oth
er day they sold eight tons of bark
for a little less than $2,000, which is
acounted more than the ranch is
worth—and the, bark sold is only a
portion of what they will get from the
place.
Two small boys appeared in Elk
City the other day with a few sacks of
chittim bark in the bottom of their
boat. They rowed back up the river
with $63 In their pockets, the proceeds
of the sale of their little jag of chit
tim. The cash looked almost as big
as the pile of chittim, and suggests
that the fashionable may yet wear
chittim rather than diamonds for jew
elry.
Less fortunate than either of the
above was the case of a man who
bought a ranch on Nestucca. He was
an amateur in the business, with di
version and experiment as his mo
tive. He stocked it with 230 goats,
purchased at a high price, and with
visions of future prosperity sat down
to wait for his profits. One day the
news came to him that all his goats
were dead. When other brush and
pasture gave out they ate chittim
bark in overdoses and died from the
effects.
Various stories are afloat as to the
occasion for the sudden and enormous
jump in prices of cascara. One is
that chittim brokers have sold short,
and are now forced to bid up to get
the supply they have agreed to fur
nish. Another is that the native sup
ply is fast nearing exhaustion. In
either event the nnpularlty of the bark
for medicinal purposes is fast grow
ing. Once it w if? m'erely an ingredi
ent of patent nostrums. Now in tinc
tures, tablets and other forms it has
a place on the shelves of every up-to
date pharmacy, and all physicians use
it extensively in prescriptions. Prop
erly applied it is said to be a positive
cure for chronic constipation.—Port
land Oregonian.
Why His Marriage Was a Failure.
He regarded his children as a nuis
ance.
He did all his courting before mar
riage.
He never talked over his affairs
with his wife.
He never had time to go anywhere
with hsi wife.
He doled out money to ljis wife as if
to a beggar.
He looked down upon his wife as an
inferior being.
He never took time to get acquaint
ed with his family.
He thought of his wife only for
what she could bring to him.
He never dreamed that there were
two sides to marriage.
He had one set of manners for
home and another for society.
He paid no attention to his personal
appearance after marriage.
He married an ideal, and was disap
pointed to find it had flaws.
He thought his wife should spend
all her time doing housework.
He treated his wife as he would not
have dared to treat another woman.
He never made concessions to his
wife's judgment, even in unimportant
matters.
He thought the marriage vow had
made him his wife's master, Instead
of her partner.
He took all the little attentions lav
ished on him by his wife as his by
"divine right," and not as favors.
He always carried his business trou
bles home with him, instead of lock
ing them in his Btore or office when
he closed.—Orison Swett Marden, in
October Success.
Finest Home in England.
If you were to ask: "Which is the
finest, country residence in the United
States?" no one could give answer.
If you ask: "Which is the finest cas
tle in Great Britain?" those in the
know will say "Alnwick, the home of
the duke of Northumberland." This
is stated so positively that I suppose
there can be no doubt about It. Aln
wick Is 600 yqars old, and was a ruin
till 1854, when the present owner's
father sumptuously restored it and
bestowed upon it its ancient char
acter. Its massive walls bristle with
turrets, embattled and machicolated
and support no less than sixteen tow
ers. The barbican at the entrance is
guarded by stone effigies of men-at
arms In various warlike attitudes,
which from a distance have the ap
pearance of living sentinels. There is
a wonderful well let into the wall.
A magnificent marble staircase, the
steps of which are four yards wide,
leads to the upper floors. The castle
also possesses a famous library an
Egyptian museum, a museum of Brit
ish and Roman antiquities and a rare
collection of ancient and modern
arms. Its gardens are of great beau
ty.—New York Press.
Miss Kidder—They've only been
married six months, but whenever her
husband goes away on a business trip
she's delighted and prepares to have
a good time. Miss Meanley—Aha! Do
you know I suspected something like
that. I always said—. Miss Kidder
—Yes. You see. he takes her with
him.—Philadelphia Ledger.
JOHN H. McBEE, Circuit Clerk.
Mr. John H. McBee, Circuit Clerk of Holmes county, was born Aug
He received bis education in this county and is one of the
list Ih, 185(1.
best Circuit Clerks in the State. His father, Col. J. T. McBee, commanded
the 28th Mississippi cavalry regiment, as fine a body of cavalry a- the
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South hail in the service. Mr. McBee. the subject of this sketch, married
Miss Alice Cunliffe in July, 1880, and was elected Circuit Clerk in 18811,
and has held the office continuously since. He is a prominent and popular
member of a number of fraternal orders.
HON. SYDNEY M. SMITH, Representative.
Hon. Sydney M. Smith was bom in Lexington, Holmes county,
Mississippi, on April 9, 18(19. He attended the public schools in Lex
ington until he was graduated from the Normal College here with a good
record for scholarship. He was then admitted to the law department at
the Cniversitv of Mississippi, where lie spent two years in law, grad
uating in that department in June, 18911. After being admitted to the 1
bar, he formed a partnership with Hon. J. W. George, of Yazoo City,
where, under the firm name of George & Smith, he did well. In 1895 Mr.
Smith returned to Lexington, where he formed a partnership with Hon.
W. P. Tackett under the firm name of Tackett & Smith. This partner
ship has continued to the present time and enjoys a splendid practice. On
April 9, 189(3, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Mattie Smith, of Crystal
Springs, one of the most charming and cultured women of Mississippi.
In the fall of 1899 Mr. Smith was elected a member of the legislature
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from Holmes county, and although ho lmd previously had no experience
as a legislator, he at once took high rank in that body, and by liis con
servatism, hip devotion to duty and his splendid ability, he soon became
one of the acknowledged leaders of the house. He is faithful, pains
inking, industrious and accurate as a lawyer, and these qualities were soon
recognized in the house, and lie at once took a prominent and distinguished
part in shaping the laws of (lie State, In November last, he was again
returned to the house and will take his seat in January. He is a prom
inent candidate for the speakership, and his friends confidently expect
him to be elected. We learn that most of the old members will support
Mr. Smith, and as he is a young man of magnetism and aliBity, he will
atlml a following that will put him in the speaker's chair. He pos
sesses all the qualifications necessary to make a model speaker, and we
sincerely hope to see him triumphantly elected to that honorable and re
sponsible position. ,, %
PRIVILEGES OF WOMEN.
They Are Not Losing Them as They
Gain Legal and Other Rights
A while ago a woman pretended to
have a child, in order to secure a for
tune. She was acquitted, but two
male accomplices were convicted.
"Who had that child, any way?"
shouted a bystander. Time and again
women on trial for murder go free on
evidence that wsmld hang a man. If
a woman assumes the privilege of
walking up to a window and buying
a railroad ticket, while twenty per
sons wait their turn, it is an excep
tional clerk who will tell her to take
her place at the bottom of the line.
"When lovely woman stoops to folly"
and divorce results the husband fre
quently assumes the guilt. Women
are gaining rights without losing priv
ileges. Men now treat them as equals
intellectually, but they do not in re
turn demand social equality for them
selves. They still hold open the door
for them to pass. The part of the
Servian tragedy which aroused most
indignation in this country was the
murder of the woman. The cause of
this fine treatment is not to be sought
alono in chivalry.
Woman's modern privileges are due
less to her physical weakness than to
her physical charm. A portrait of a
pretty woman sells for more than
double the price of a male portrait by
the same master. Mon walking for
pleasure on our streets look at the
women, and the women, instead of re
ciprocating, observe their own sex.
Pretty girls are the persuasive inter
est on the stage, in the street, in the
illustrated press, in art, or wherever
there is an answer to the public taste.
Whatever may have been true of oth
er times or places, the most charm
ing object to an American of today
is woman's beauty. The professor
and the man of action discuss it, as
well as the college boy and the other
women. No wonder, then, that, the
rule of force being abolished, this con
quering charm subdues juries and
renders docile husbands and all man
kind. The only male who consistent
ly resists this fascination is the judge.
If evidence were estimated by the
court, instead of by the jury, sex sym
pathy would give place to rigorous
equality. More women would see the
scaffold or jail, and such a lovely com
edy as the aforementioned trial would
be lost to the annals of human folly.
May the spirit of chivalry flourish for
ever in the hearts of male America—
but not at the expense of justice.—•
Collier's Weekly.
Getting at the Facts.
The street car company had been
sued for damages in a personal injury
case, and the president of the corpor
ation was on the witness stand, says
the Chicago Tribune.
"Now, sir," said the attorney for
the plaintiff, in cross-examining, "in
order to determine just how far you
consider your company liable for dam
ages in any action of this kind, let
me ask you—do you aim to t un you*
road to please yourselves or to please
the public?"
"Hold on!" exclaimed the attorney
for the defense. "You needn't an
swer that. I object to the question,
your honor."
"State your objections," said the
judge.
The lawyer rose.
"We object, if the court please, on
the ground that it is immaterial, irrel
evant, entirely aside from the point at
issue, foreign to the matter in hand,
and has nothing to do with this case.
We object, your honor, because it has
no possible bearing on this action.
What difference can it make, one way
or the other? It is purely an academic
question. It is a point that was not
brought out in the direct examination.
Asld^from all this, your honor, we ob
ject for the reason that the question
is not pertinent. It is wholly extra
neous."
Here he sat down, and the other at
torney rose.
"We insist, your honor," he said,
"that the question is entirely relevant.
It is a part of the res gestae in this
case. We want to know, your honor,
whether this man thinks he owes any
duty to the public, or whether he owes
no duty to anybody but himself and
the stockholders of the road. We have
a right to establish the fact if he holds
the one opinion, and we have a right
to establish the fact if he holds the
contrary opinion."
"You may answer the question,"
said hte court.
"Now, then, sir, I will ask you
again: Do you run your road to
please yourselves or to please the pub
lic?"
"We don't run the road at all, sir,"
replied the witness, wearily. "We
run the cars."
1
Obliging Highwayman.
Ex-Congressman John Beil tells a
story of a time when he once got into
a grave peril on account of his nose.
He was going to I^eadvllle in the early
days on a stage coach which was held
up by highwaymen. The passengers
were ranged in a row outside with
their hands up, the familiar attitude
being enforced by a gun in the hands
of one of the gentlemen of the road,
while the other went through the va
rious pockets at his leisure.
In the midst of the ceremony Mr.
Bell's nose began to itch with that
maddening persistency calculated to
drive to insanity or the grave if not
relieved. Involuntarily
began to lower itself to the seat of
trouble.
"Hands up, there!" called the man
behind the gun, sternly.
Bell's hand shot back into place, but
in a moment began to lower itself
again.
"What's the matter with you?" in
quired the bandit. "Are you anxious
to become a lead mine?"
"My nose itches so I can't stand It
any longer," said Mr. Bell. "I've sim
ply got to scratcn It."
"No, you baln't," replied the road
agent, "because I'll do it for you."
With which he proceeded to scratch
the prospective congressional nose
with the muzzle of his shotgun.—New
York Times.
"Telegraphing without wires is no
new thing," remarked the gray-haired
passenger. "Isn't, eh?" queried the
drummer. "Not by a jugful," contin
ued the old man. "Why, sir, when I
published a country newspaper forty
years ago I got nearly all my tele
graph news that way."—Chicago Dal
ly News.
his right hand