The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-07-17
BILL ARP's LETTER.
He has Something to say About
the glorious Fourth.

! The fourth of July-everybOdy
is dead who made it-mOst al
their children are dead. l dom
believe | know living son of &
revolutionary sire. We used to
think a good deal of the national
birthday. We always had a cele
bration. Sometimes We had a bar
becue and some big speeches, but
| if we didn't do anything more we
had a gathering at the courthouse
and had one man to read the decla
ration of independence, and anoth-
er to be the orator of the day and
make a patriotic speech and say
Washington 200 times and Jeffer-
son 100 times and this "glOrious
union" 80 times and the great bird
of liberty "ad lbitum" and wind
up with tribute to woman. l read
the declaration once and George
Lester made the speech, and he
made a good one. He dwelt on
the heroines of the revolution and
proved conclusively that if 1t hadn't
been for woman our BOYS couldn't
have fought much and The British
would have licked us. "Rocked in
the cradle of liberty" said he sew.
eral times, for his mind seemed to
run on cradles.
Well, 1 am glad that notable day
has at last come back to us, and
our people begin to feel like it was
theirs. The fact is, that it is our
day more than anybOdy's day. We
are the rebels. The only differ
ence between us and our revOlu-
tionary sires is that We got whip
ped and they didn't. The princi-
Plies we're all the same. They Sc
ceded aud said "let us alone" and
that is all we done. But it is all
working out very well Low, and so
| think we can afford TO celebrate
the day, for the day means rebel
lion against tyranny aud taxes.
The south has been down for 20
years, the bottom dog in the fight,
but sue has at last turned and got
on top, and she will be apt to keep
there reckon. lust want to brag
little to keep Murat Halstead
mad and few more like him. l
love to see them S1u:rm and
growl. We will divide the 4th of
July with them, and the bell of in
dependence, and will shake hands
aud he friends if they want to, but
if they don't want to, we don't
care.
see you Atlanta folks have got
up a big battle monument asSOcia-
ton, and got Joe johnson and
Sherman all mixed up in the con-
Germ. | didn't know that Sherman
had ever repented yet. he hadn't
when last heard from. What is
that monument to Commemorate !
Is it to be a great nOtional uniGn
to commemorate the
valor and patriotism OF dead sol
diers of both armies 7 If SO, then
that is all right, provided every
thing is on an equality. Every
thing l say. If their manned sol.
lliers aud soldiers widows are |
then ours must be too.
We want no plunkeying around. !
II our crippleS and widows have
got to sleep out in the cold we
lOn't want any monument about it.
We are tired of all honor aud no
)ay. Ii our soldiers deserve a
monument they deserve a pension
hey deserve equality before tue
lation. Better try and see how
much money can be raised for a
widows fund. DR.. Eel
on is on that line nOw-the line of
PENSIONS for manned and invalid
oldiers, and he writes most feel
ngly and eloquently about what
8 due them from the State. How
much will Gen. Sherman aud cOm-
,any give to thati viii they vote
or a national pension 7 For twen-
y years the south has been taxed
o pay pensions to the northern
oldiers and we never said a word.
low what will they do for Oursf
! nothing then we want no union
lonument. We have built some !
imple marble columns in our ceme-
cries aud they will do tor history
nd glory. Pensions first aud mon-
ments afterwards, is my motto. :
We won't demand pay for the mig
ers, for they belonged to the rich
llks, but the manned soldiers aud I
be widows are poor. 1t it isu't
ut ten dOllors apiece every year .
will be recognition of patriotic {
alor aud be more gratefully re-
eived than forty monuments, with
he taint of treason on the south
rn side OF them. The Blue and the I
ray can't mix that way-One with
pocket full of public money aud {
10 other with nothing but has to
clip fill the others pocket, Oh, I
shaw Let's quit all this foolish |
ess. We can trade aud traffic l
nd mingle aud mix and get along |
ithOut it. We can pass aud re- {
ass, as the teller said about his Z
lllj but don't manufacture senti- '
ent at the expense OF truth aud 6
If respect, There is that Bar |
Ioldi business that is straining '
10 nation. Nobody cares any i
ing aboutit. Ifthe pictmes speak
70 truth, it Is the ugliest
ing | ever saw. There is moth .
G grand or emblematical about il. 2
is q big curiosity like the sphinx b
the pyramids aud about as I