The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-09
A Working Mans Reason for Not
Fighting,

"A Working Mans Reason for Not
!, Fighting.
The following extracts from speech
delivered many years ago in the Town
] Hall, Hull, by working man named
Scholey, appeared in the arbitrator in
1872. We have several times been
urged to republish it. and now comply
with the request:
II feel inclined to give my opinion
on the subject of peace, and, as mem
ber of the working classes, wish to
say I sllan't fight. If all working men
were of my opinion there would soon
be an end of war. But, however that
may be, shan't fight, and any man
who does fight, who has nothing TO
fight for, in my opinion is fool. l
have nothing in the world to protect
eXcept my share in I'll e national debt,
and / don't care if the French come
and run away with that. I, like my
worthy friend opposite, lived at the
time Of the last war. It's true work
ing men got better wages then than
they can get now, but hasn't the pres
ent misery arisen from it? l recollect
the peace of 1901, and l recollect the
rejoicings we had at that time, when
the country was one continual brlst-
ling of bayonets. You couldn't have a
walk without seeing them in all direc-
tions. Young men couldn't walk out
with their sweethearts. They couldn't
90 where somebody with bayonet
wouldn't disturb them. 1t was impos
sible at that time. Then as for the
Sabbath-the day of rest and comfort
which The poor man may enjoy along
with the rich-you couldn't enter a
village, but before you were in sight OF
it. if you stood for minute, you would
-right-left - right - left - eyes
right-dress-and so ON. This was the
occupation of the village ut that time,
and it wasn't great village either. 1t
had no matter of population, but II
was a beautiful little village, and a
stiller, quieter, and more peaceable viii
lage you could scarcely find. Well,
EVERY MAN IN 1T WAS FORCED TO
BECOME A VOLUNTEER.
Strange thing as it appears, so it was.
It's q fact incontrovertible, that q man
would have been ousted out of society
III he hadd't become volunteer. NO
religious scruple was allowed to inter
fere with man learning the discipline
on Sunday. x So the war
went on, and it's true that flourish
ing time it was. You couldn't 60 to q
town where you wouldn't find banners
fiying, and drums beating, and trum-
pets Sounding, and all the inhabitants,
from Youngest TO oldest, up in arms.
) A rare time for our trade 1t was then.
But what was the consequence? Is not
our present misery, our present wretch-
edness, the consequence? And the
people in the country were demoranZ-
ed; for the army wasn't school 1ronl
which young men came back pet'er
than they went. IT a young man
went and Joined the army, and stop
ped but very short time, he very IKE,
Iy came back with wooden leg, ana
only wanted one shoe; but besides
this, and worse than this, he had learn,
ell to swear q round hand. They had
learned to make use of expressions
+ which made the people of the village
shudder to hear them. Many OF these
EXPRESSIONS are now common, such as
"bioody" this, and "bloody" that, and
many other expressions which ]
shouldn't like to mention, but which
we are constantly in the habit of hear
ing. But they wasn't known i'll that
peaceful district before the war. These
things, however, constituted the prln-
cipai part of the soldier at that time.
] was quite young, and nearly oil my
nlaymates all who were boys at the
same time I was boy myself--neariy
all went to he soldiers, and some, as l
said before,
CAME BACK WITH A WOODEN LEG
AND SOME HAD LOST THEIR HEADS,
aud stopped to bear them company.
Be il as it would, they almost all went,
and frequently l have known hne
Young men Of fifteen aid sixteen, aye,
and some Of twelve and thirteen, for
they would take them us low as that
then-I have known that, three or four
months after they had enlisted, we
had Il letter, perhaps from Spain, that
they were shot; and then what work
there was with mothers and sisters
weeping. There was all this trouble
then but paying parts in our time.
Now, ] object to paying. / won't pay
'tif can help, because, / say, there is
no wisdom in men going to fight to
protect what they have not. Let them
fight if they like, but not such as me
who have nothing 10 fight for. l
should be very sorry to put myself IN
such u ridiculous position as to 90 TO he
shot at. Irecollect that asses spoke in
ancient times, and they had a deal
more sense than many men now.
Now, you remember the ass in the fa-
bic. His master flogged and said,
Look sharp on, the enemy are near
behind, and we shall certainly be taxi
ell prisoners" Then spake the ass
and said, "Shall l have two panniers
to bear tnen instead of onew "No," "
said the master. "Well, then, thou
mayst shift for thyself; what matter
does it make to me who's my master,
so long as have no more panhiers 10
bear" This was sense, and we see
that sense Of justice even emanated
from an ass. Well. Balaam's ass spoke
too, and very sensible was that ass al
SO. "Am not thine ass have L not
carried thee ever since was thine ass
What have done unto thee that thou
hast smitten me these three times ?'
He was smitten only three times, and
yet he aesented it.
We, asses, haze altDdys carried the
urtStocracy on our backs to the battle,
and yet we have to be smitten many
times a day. II we raise Il meal. we
have to be smitten in our tea, In our
sugar, in our coffee, and indeed In alr
most everything we have; and though
smitten in this WaN though Smitten