The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-08-20
BILL ARP BANKS ON BRYAN.
PURE IN LIFE AND pOORIN THIS
WORLDS GOODS.
y Mans Habits and PrCjudiccS Con.
troll Him IHorthc Most Part

Ben Franklin said that man was II
bundle Of habits. Somebody else said
he WAS a bundle OF prrjudiccs. 1t is
iair TO say that his habits OutlivC his
prcjudiccs. Mine have, know. My
order Of life, my daily routine, my
food and clothing, my time to go to
bed and to rise in the morning, hold
me faster than they did thirty years
ago. Habit comes from the Latin
word "haebeo,' to hold-to hold fast.
| can't hoe or chop lcft-hundcd I'M
consciously | dress and undrcss the
Same way every time and always put
on my left shoe first. When my good
friend, Major Foutc, lost his right arm
in battle he was young and soon learn
ed to write with his left hand. If |
were to lose mine now do not believe
| would ever learn to use my left.
am too old and the habit has held me
too long. 1t is hard to teach an old
dog new tricks. Brutcs arc subject TO
the same force. | had an old mare
who contracted Il hrbit Of letting the
bars down to get into another field,
and she would let them down to get
out OF u good pasture into IL bad one.
But feel sure that ! have got oven
some Of my prcjudices. Daniel Web
stcr told his people they had conquer
ed everything but thcir pre- judiccs
Nothing but old age and reflection
will conquer them. They arc hard t,
give up, for most Of them are born will
us. Our religion and superstition unt
political faith as IL general rule, arc
inherited. Like father like son, like
mother like daughter. II the Old man
shakes Il piece OF silver coin at tho
new moon or makes cross mark in
the road when he turns TO go back.
the son will do it, too If the mother
will not begin II garment on Friday
the daughter will not. And so it is
with our religion. | am g. prcsbytc-
rian because my parents were. | could
have just as easily been Il Baptist if
they had been. Or could have been
Il Methodist or an GpiscOpalian. IL
! docs not shock mo to say so now, and |
| hope it does not shock anybody else.
Scctarianism abounds in prejudice in
hcritcd more than acquired from ra-
| tiOnal methods. One Christian faith
| is about rs gooG as another if it suits
the Christian. | would hot prosclyte
any OF them if [ could. | would not
disturb the peace OF a Methodist family
by seeking to draw away single
member OF it to my church. like my
church not because ! believe it to DC
the best, but from long familiarity
| with its mode OF worship. ! feel more
at home there. The Presbyterian
habit has got hold Of me Just Ike the
| Methodist habit has got hold Of Father
! Wiklc. In fact, believe u better
service could be made up by calling
out the best things in all the churches.
| For instance, the Meth hudi stand Epis-
COpai communion .,"'l ice iS more
solemn and impressive than ours, and
| so is kncciiDg or hOwing in prayer.
The EpiscOpal Church aAs too much
rising up and sitting dOwn--thc other
churches have too little. / would like
to sec the Litany adopted in all the
churches and hear every child join in
tho responses.
But OF all the prcjudiccs the strong
est and most unreasonable arc Of q
political nature. Political intolerance
ls not tempered or toned down Chris
tian charity. Bitter partisans may
appear to be friendly, but at heart arc
enemies. Whom q prominent one dies
his political foes thank God for that
much. Those who covct tho Offices
Will use all kinds Of hypocrisy to got
them. What makes the matter so
irldlculous is the absolute ignorance OF
the masses OF these part!sans concern
ing tho principles OF their party.
When David Bennett Hill Strengthened
up and said, am Il Democrat !" his
uttcranco was echoed from II million
throats all over this orOad land. What
did he mean? | am suro [ do not
know. 1t has boen nearly fifty years