The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-10-02
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
VARIOUS TOPICS DISCUSSED BY
THE PHILOSOPHER.
People and A fairs of the Day Handled
In Vigorous Style.


he, rted man by the name Of Colonel
Griffin living at Gainesville, Ga, and
his hearts desire was to see peace on
earth and good will among men. His
hand was open as the day to charity,
but his chief, delight was to reconcile
those who were at enmity and make
peace between nabors. He worked dill
gently along this line for several years
ana was called the peacemaker, but in
course of time he seemed to lose his
Influence, aud if he succeeded in smoth-
erIng quarrel it broke out again.
Politics got rampant and church mem
bers got at outs, and it took a good
deal OF his time visiting around and
pleading for peace. At last he pom
dered over the matter and, like old
Rip Van Winkle, he ''swore of" "I
can't do it, judge" he sadly con fessed
to his old friend, Judge Lnmpkip, 81
can't do it. I thought could reform
mankind; but I can't. They get worse
instead of better. Society is like a
mill dam. 1t is always springing a leak,
and as fast as you stop one hole it
breaks out at another. Nothing but
the grace of God can keep peace among
the people, and even that does II OF seem
to circulate in this region, and SO
have quit"
The Judge comforted him and told
him not to despair, but Griffin retired
from the contest u sadder and wiser
man. The strife and sander and
backbitlng went on, and it took peace
warrants to keep the peace. No one
man can reform society, and with
many reformers it is soon discovered
that they need little reforming them.
selves.
Henry Ward Beecher was great
preacher and a reformer of social con-
duct, but he fell from grace just as
Solom on did. Most of these reformers
are in earnest, but they are cranks and
are righteous overmuch. Parkhurst
brought schism and discord in his
church by excessive zeal. Tom Dixon
is doing the same thing by dnbbling
into politics. A respectable minority
of his members are silver Democrats,
and his pulpit talk has insultcd them.
When preacher assumes to know it
all hs loses his influence. Humility is
the hest credential man of God can
have, Vanity and conceit may not be
sins, bnt they are traits that nobody
forgyes. Political preachers may get
Office, but they mako enemies and that
is tad sign. Drawing crowds and rrnat-
ing sensation is one thing but saving
souls through the power of tho gospel
is an,ther. l wish that every preacher
wOuil let politics alone, for when he
abuses the Democrats he makes them
mad. and it does not reconcile them if
be abuses the Republicans and the Pop
plists, too. Ii is as if he said: every
bcdy is rascal but me-" OF course
We all get more or less excited about
politics and let our prejudices get the
better of our judgment, and Mt suoh
tines it becomes the preachers to be
calm and serene and tolerant and to
keep She peace. l see it charged in
the northern press that We have no
fair elections in Georgia. | deny the
allegation and defy the alligator.
have been on the watch for years and
have had no reason to suspect that any
man, black or white. has been dcfraud-
ed OF his vote in my county. l believe
that men have voted who were not on
titled to vote, but it was no part Of
scheme by the officials or managers,
and was wholly u,known to them. /
believe tEny the elections in Georgia
are as fair rs in any state in III. Un-
ion. The d, feated party always cries
fraud. but never proves u. SANDER is
II cheap holace, but is ha-i t. undo,
and the further from home it travels |
the deeper it settles in the public |
mind.
Intolerance is tho hnnc of society,
both In church aud state. | was read. |
ing today some bitter things against
riding bicycles, and in the
same paper temprrates nsible article |
III defense of the Sex. 1t was written
bya woman-a lady.-anl concnro:i in
all she said. | can see nothing im-
modest in girl riding if she is mod
pstly dressed in skirts and depor.s her
'elf modestly. A fast girl will be fast,
whether sho rides in skirts or bloom
,rs, or don't rile Mt ali. There is more
mmodesiy IL promiscUous surf bath
ng and In the round dances of the
ballroom than in riding the bike, even
n bloomers. A few years ago | was
hooked at the idea of any decent girl
iding the wheel. but my prejudices
AVE passed away. 1t now seems
,raceful thing to do, and 1 adm ire the
'oetry Of their motion. My wife is
love with the wheel, and says that
she could call back forty or fifty
ears she would have one. Two
f her grandsons came over from
some on their wheels, and one moon
ight night she remarked that if there
'as nobody to SEQ her she would 60
own to the tennis court and take a
ound on the sly. "Merciful fa-
hers! Horrible dictui Sic
emper tyrannisI' 7 excIaimed