The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-12-10
"GNAWETH A FILE"
SOME SAGE IsEFLECTIONS FROM
BILL ARP

on IN Careless HanuS-GOOd Au-
vice for Mr.. Blaine and his Fol
1owcrs-Arp in Hunt of Sinccurc
and the Result OF his Search.
And he gnaweth file. Well. it is
right hard vittcls, | know, but some
times it helps man to explode, and
thrash around under great disappoint-
mcnts. 1t sets the pcnt up bile to work.
ing, and when he gets rid Of it he feels
better. Mr.. Blaine feels better now, I
reckon. May be that Augusta speech
saved his life, for heard folks say that
he was very sensitive man and if he
got beaten he would kill himself. But
the danger is all over now and the crisis
is past. Let us have pity on him. Let
us pass resolutions Of sympathy, for n
great man has fallen this day in Israel.
Well, he fell several years ago, but he
didn't fall so far nor SO suddenly, and
the whole nation did rot see him. 1t
was an awful shock this time, and he
had to say something. lie had to abuse
somebody. He had Bcccher and Burch-
ard and Mast and the Harpcrs and the
Times, but he vas afraid of them. and
so he takes the Solid South for his vic
tim-thc old martyr that has stood the
brunt Of thousand ISLANDERS and still
lives. Thank the good Lord, she still
lives! They have thrown boomcrangs
at her for twenty years, but the BOOM
crans is dangerous weapon in careless
hands. They tell me that n man can
throw it clean round q house and it will
come back and hit him if he don't dodge.
Better quit throwing boomerangs. They
threw one at us when they gave the ne
gro the vote and it has just got back and
hit them terrible blow. 1t hit Mr..
Blaine in the pit Of the stomach and
hurt an he gnawcth file. And it hit
Murat Halstead, and he gnaweth a file.
And that Milwaukee fellcr gnaweth n
file. I'm afraid that files will be scarce
up there, and rs they seem to like such
vittcls: | think | will send them few
old ones from my blacksmith shop-I
reckon they arc good eating to folks who
like them.
But | am sorry for Mr.. Blaine-I real
ly am-and I hope our folks will give
him the charity OF their silence. Say
no more about Mulligan, or Hooking
Valley, or Joy, or Fisher. Don't kick a
man when he is down. Don't punch n
poor coon just to see him bite the stick.
They punched US after they whipped US
and never could understand it unless
it was like the fellow who killed n dog
for biting him, and after the dog was
dead he kicked him and mangled him
and cursed him until man who stood
by said, ''Don't you See that brute is
dcad-what are you kicking him now
for ~ :'Dog on him. said he, II want
to teach him that there is little hell
and punishment after DEATH"
But now let us all have peace. Let
us return good for evil. We have got
friends up there, and for their sakcs let
us forgive and forget. l wish We had
invited Mr.. Blaine down to our jubilee
and got him to make another speech.
Maybe our sunny South and our hospi-
tality would have affected him and set
his liver straight. We could have given
him some S. S. S. besides and sent him
home better and happier man.
| wonder what office he would like
under Mr.. Clcveland--some little thing
to taper off on-a consulate to South
America, Brazil or Terra Del Fueso, or
maybe the Cape Of Good Hope. Good
hopes arc good things for disappointed
man. There would be a wide field for
his philanthropy down there, for the
people are black-solid black. think
it would harlnonizc Ilalstead and COM
pany to give them an office, and we will
have lots Of Offices. was afraid we
wouldn't have enough people to fill
them, but reckon we will. Our boys
seem to lie right patriotic. There arc
fifteen volunteers already for the Car
tersville post Office, and l feel cncour-
aged. They are all good men and will
ing. | hear that one man came hun
dred miles to take it as soon Us it was
vacant. Such patriotism ought to be re-
warded. l was thinking about snug
little sinecure myself, and went down
to Atlanta to see about it and offer my
services, but man tackled me us soon
as | lit off the cars and took me away off
round corner and said he was after an
Office, and wanted me to help him get it,
and told me how that he had worked for
the party for 20 odd years, and never
had had nothing, and he was poor and
needy; and when asked him what Of
flee it was, he named the very ono was
after. Well, I am easily overcome by q
friend in distress, and so promised to
do all ] could, and in ten minutes after
left him met another friend who want
ID