The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-10-09
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
tories DISCUSSED mp
TuE Philosopher.
People anil Analrs Of the Dny Handled
Ia Vigorous t-ylo.

One time thCre was r. generous. biz.
/ he,rted mau by Che nome ui Colonel
Griffin living at Gainesville, Gu, and
bis hearts desire was 10 SEQ peace on
earth and good win among men. His
hand was open ns the day 10 charity,
but his chief delight was TO reconcile
those who were at enmity and make
Ipoaco between nabora lie worked dill
gently along this line for several years
ana was called the peacemakcr, but in
course Of time no seemed TO lose his
influence, aud 1.-The succceded IN smoth-
ogiug a quarrel 10 broke out again.
Politics got rampant and church MON.
beers got nc outs, and 10 took n good
deal Of bis time visiting around aad
pleading for peace. At last lac pom
dered over the matter aud, like old
Rip Van Wrinkle, he "awore of. " 81
can't do IL, judge" he sadly confessed
10 his old friend, Judge Lumpkin, 81
can't do it. / thought 1 could reform
mankind but can't. They get worse
instead Of better. Society is like q
mill dam. It is always springing leak,
and az fast as you stop one hole it
breaks out ut another. Nothing but
the grace Of God can keep peace among
the people, and even that does not seem
70 circulate in this region, and so I
have quit.
The judge comforted him and told
him not TO despair, but Griffin retired
from the contest a sadder and a wiser
man, The strife and SANDER and
backbiting 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 a little reforming them
selves.
Henry Ward Beecher was a great
preacher and a relormer of social con-
duct, but he fell from grace just as
Solomon did. Most of these reformers
are in earnest, but they are cranks and
are righteous overmuch. Parkhurst
brought schism and discord in bis
church by excessive zeal. Tom Dixon
is doing the same thing by dabbling
into politics. A respectable minority
of his members are silver Democrats,
and his pulpit talk has insulted them.
When a preacher assumes to know it
all he loses hisinhuence, Humility is
the best credential a man of God can
have, Vanity and conceit may not be
cine, but they are traits that nobody
forgives, Political preachers may get
Office, but they make enemies and that
isG bad sign. Drawing crowds and Great
ing o sensation is one thing. but saving
couls through the power of the gospel
is another. 1 wish that every preacher
would 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
ulists, too. II is as if he said: every
body is q 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 at such
, times it becomes the preachers to be
calm and serene and tolerant and to
keep the peace. see it charged in
the northern press that We have no
fair elections in Georgia. I 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 defraud-
ed Of his vote in my county. believe
that men have voted who were not en-
titled to vote, but it was no part of q
scheme by the officials or managers,
and was wholly unknown to them. ]
: believe that the elections in Georgia
are as fair as in any state in the I'M
ion. The defeated party always cries
fraud, but never proves it. SANDER is
a cheap Holace, but is hard to undo,
and the further from home it travels
! the deeper it settles in the public
mind.
Intolerance is the bane of society,
| both in church and state. I was read
? ing today some bitter things against
{ women riding bicycles, and in the
, same paper temperate sensible article
in defense of the sex. It was writer
, bys woman-a lady-and I concured il
all she said. can SEQ nothing i'm
| modest in a girl riding if she is mod
estly dressed in skirts and deports her
: self modestly. A fast girl will be fast
{ whether she rides in skirts or bloom
{ ers, or don't ride at all. There is more
immodesty in promiscuous surf bath
ing and in the round dances OF Thu
/ ballroom than in riding the bike, ever
/ in boomers. A few years ago I wa
| shocked at the idea of any decent CIR
: riding the wheel, but my prejudice
have passed away. It low seems
graceful thing to do, and I admire tn
poetry of their motion. My wife i
in love with the wheel, and says tina
!. 81 che cnnll call hnclr forty or fit,