234 Our Poorer Brother 



you would not again class me with those who make 

 war upon the "decencies and elegancies of civilized 

 life." And if you could attend one of my great 

 political meetings in Georgia, and see the good men 

 and good women who believe in Populism you 

 would not continue to class them with those who 

 vote for candidates upon the "no undershirt" plat- 

 form. 



In other words, if you understood me and mine 

 your judgment of us would be different. 



The "cracker" of the South is simply the man 

 who did not buy slaves to do his work. He did it 

 all himself like a man. Some of our best generals 

 in war, and magistrates in peace, have come from 

 the "cracker" class. As a matter of fact, however, 

 my own people, from my father back to Revolution- 

 ary times, were slave-owners and land-owners. In 

 the first meeting held in Georgia to express sympathy 

 with the Boston patriots my great-great-grandfather 

 bore a prominent part, and in the first State Legisla- 

 ture ever convened in Georgia one of my ancestors 

 was the representative of his county. 



My grandfather was wealthy, and so was my 

 father. My boyhood was spent in the idleness of 

 a rich man's son. It was not until I was in my teens 

 that misfortune overtook us, sent us homeless into 

 the world, and deprived me of the thorough collegi- 

 ate training my fathei^intended for me. 



At sixteen years of age I thus had to commence 

 life moneyless, and the weary years I spent among 

 the poor, the kindness I received in their homes, and 



