The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-09-21
BILL ARP'S TALK.
What's the Matter with tho World thoso
Days?
atlanta Constitution.

Days?
atlanta Constitution
II strains a weak mind to take it all
in and keep up with it. What with the
awful cholera across the seas and che ia
nina in Russia and the presidential elec.
tion and the Third Party and Hogg,
Clarke and Company in Texas and Tom
Watson and Black in Georgia and the
coal miners in Tennessee aud Sallivan
aud Corbett in New Orleans and the
Worlds Fair and the strikes and hang
ings and lynchingg and murders and sui
cides and rattlesnakes thrown on to till
ND the columns, don't know what will
become of us all. The planet Mars must
be On rampage sure enough aud is
throwing down few rocks to show that
he il mad. We see that some more me-
teoric stones are falling out West. l
reckon we had better quit reading the pa
pers and take up the Bible awhile and 60
to meeting and draw our minds away
frop, this sublunary world until some of
these things are over. Thank goodness
that the prize fights are over for seq
son. That job is done. Now lot us have
peace. reckon most men would con-
fess to sneaking desire to see q prize
fight. I do, and it is one OF the best evil
dences of original sin that I know of.
I would like to be cut of sight behind a
curtain and have peep hole aud see
how it was done. One time would do
me, for with me it is curiosity mainly.
If there wss much blood l would retire
cary, for blood makes me sick. | expect
I would take sides and want my man to
whip. Original sin makes a man or
boy love to see dog fight and a chicken
fight or bull fight or to run foxes with
hounds. 1t is cruel and devilish and har'
dens the r,sart. A cruel boy will make a
cruel man.and wouldn't want him for q
son-in-law.
But age and reflection and the grace
of God will change a man and drive out
this original sin if he is willing. The
danger is that before he is aware of it
it becomes total depravity and then he
is gone. A young man can indulge in
some vice or passon until it is his very
life and he can't quit. He can indulge
passion for gaming until it absorbs him
and he is not fit to do anything else. What
a mieerable life it is that is bet away on
races and fights and the turn of a card
When man is on his last bed what
comfort is there in saying to himself |
bet and I bet and bet. Only this and
nothing more. If our young men would
only stop and think how much better is
q useful life than to die wreck and a
nonentity!
But did not start to preach sermon.
was only Illuminating upon the specta-
Gle that the world presents to those who
see it just now as it revolves upon it's
axis. Human beings-men women and
children dying in Persia and Russia by
the thousands every day-dying of pesti-
leuce or famire-dying faster than they
can be buried, and in Hamburg at the
rate of 25O day, and all business stop
ped except funerals and grave digging
and all night long the mufled rumbling
of the hearses and carts and anbulances
and in almost every cottage of the poor
the walls and groans of misery. Pes'i-
leuce and famine are holding carnival.
These people are not our kindred ncr our
friends but they are human beings with
hearts and feelings and affections like
our own. God pity them! And as the
world turns another scene comes to view
where thousands of wild excited people
arc gathered to see two men punch each
other unto death or victory, and there
arc shouts and yells and oaths and pan
demoninm and betting high and fast and
furious and like shadow over all ID the
de7il smiling and happy and bis forked
tail is wagging calm and serene. l
runinated over this and wondered. Sup.
pose that death on the pale horse should
suddenly have appeared in thst crowd,
or the destroying angel should have come
with his glittering sword, or the east
wind should have waited there breath
of the pestilence that is raging on the
other side-would it have violated the
eternal fitness of tbingss
The trouble with all sporting is the
company that one must keep who wishes
to enjoy it. This trouble begins with
the school boy at his games Of marbles
or ball and with the young man who is
foad of baseball or billiards or cards, or
the young lady who likes to dance.
Some good pious people believe that all
such things are sineful in themselves
while some believe they become a sin
only by association and by over indul-
gence. Every man has the privilege of
his own opinions upon these things and
every parent is responsible for the good
conduct of his children but still the
preachers are right in warning and FORE
warning and if they do assume to know
more than other people it is q pardona-
bic presumption, for as general thing
they ara against vice and folly in all it's
forms. Nevertheless preacher is but a
nan and there is no greater tyranny than
the tyrsnry of priestcrsft.
I wonder what is the matter with the
people and Why they are 80 restless and
excited aud why they are all 80 split up
and toro up in politics. For the life OF
me I can't see any very great difference
between our privileges and enjoyments
now and what they used to be. Cotton
is very low, but I remember when it was
III b /, Il