Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-10-22
COMMUNICATED.
WHAT AN OLD NAN HAS SEEN.

| have seen the frosts of many winters
and the happy returns of spring. and
have observed all along the line of
life the changes as they come and as
they go. Human nature has been nv
favorite study. Being IA man myself. /
have studied him, and have tried TO find
out all | could about him. Some one
wrote many years ago that the proper
study of mankind is man. and it struck
me when very young that in these few
words there was a great deal of mean
ing, and so have found it. Ihave seen
him in all the different stages of life.
and have scanned him closely. often
when he was not aware OF il, and nv
conclusion is, upon the whole. that man
is rather Il selfish animal. although he
he OF the highest order. No sooner does
reason dawn upon him than he begins
To show kind of selfish love. How
soon he learns how To- keep the largest
piece of the appi. :or himself when
sharing with his little brother, and so
this passion follows him To manhood
and generally speaking all along through
life. Religion, which teaches the love
Of God and neigh5ar alone curbs this
passion, and even with that should i'm
agine ut times the battle wakes hot.
As these are days of political strife. |
think | will mention something about
the gentlemen in that respect. Begin
ming at home we will not. as Democrats.
excuse ourselves, for each and every
man carries his share of this venom-but
think it can be better applied to the
other side when the greed of gold and
thirst Of power is SO plainly manifested
but | must first tell a little more of
what | have seen. as NV readers will
suppose | have seen a great deal. and
have. more than ! would like here 10
mention. In my Younger days have
seen our dear country in a far better
condition from what il is now. In DAYS.
mean, when its people respected its
founders. In days ~hen its representa-
tives were following in their footsteps.
carefully observing the fixed laws of
those heaven-guided men, by which a
nation would prosper SO long as obsery
ed. They felt that they were treading
upon sacred ground and were careful TO
make no blunders. have seen in those
days the poor fettered man, though wear
ing his chains OF slavery, seemed hap
pier than now, for then he knew nothing
OF his mental troubles of today. He
now bLeathes the air of freedom like 9th
er men, but, unfortunately for him, he
Is yet slaye-a political slave-the
worst kind Of slavery. He is following
his political masters, helping to plunge
the country into utter ruin. and 10
make matters worse for himself and
for the plain white people who have
always been his friend. They knew
how TO feel for him in the DAYS of his
bondage, for they toiled as well he All,
i have seen in these days the master
grasp the hand of the servant, and for
what purpose we all know. IL Is plaip
that what is good for the poor man in
cludes the colored man. II he would
open his eyes TO that fact perhaps he
would be little wiser would ask CIV
cry laborlEg man TO consider before he
casts his ballot. We get no gold by vo.-
ing for it, but rather remove il the fur
thur from u. 1t is fortunate for us that
we have Bryan who has opened the
private ways to the dens of those men
who so fondiy cherished the monster
above mentioned in their cold and lev
hearts. and it would be the more fortu-
nate still if the plain people would come
and down by their ballots these
men of greed, who are seeking TO deyour
the country, and thereby reduce the poor |
man, black as well as white. TO a mere
serfdom, as is plain for everybody to see
who wants TO see it. would advise NV |
young readers, especially, to pay a little
more sttention to what is going On
around them. Man is the masterpiece
Of creation. Don't forget that. Watch