The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-05-22
BILL ARP'S WEEKLY LETTER.
Some Remarss Concerning the Fight at
Carson.
He APPROVES OF PuGIlIS1Ic CONTESTS.
Thinks Such Sport is All Right IL the
Principals are Decent People-Says
More Men Like to See Fight than
Arc Willing TO Admit 1t.

rs it original sin or total depravity
or natural born instinct that makes
man and beast take such an interest in
q fight? Bulls and dogs and chicken
cocks dident fall when Adam fell, but
they fight st. John says there was
war in heaven; SO it seems that this
fighting business has been going on
long time. Cain killed AbeIabout 6, 600
years ago and man and beast have been
fighting ever since. The men who
don't fight love to look on or read about
it, and even woman, loving. and kind
hearted as she is, always takes sides
and urges on her heroes to victory or
death. If woman had not been behind
us the late war would have ended in a
year. Thepreachers preach peace and
love and hold up the Savior's teachings
before us. Glove your enemies, and
if man smites thee On one cheek,
turn the other to him Also" But who
would do that. / have known a
preacher to fight and boast of his vic
tory. I recall another who took of
his coat in church and dared
a brother layman to go outside
with him and repeat the offensive.
language. They were good men, but
just human. So I reckon this fight
ing instinct is part of our human ma
trre, and if there was war in heaven,
then the instinct did not come from
Adams fall, but we would have had it
anyhow. "Peace on earth and good
good will to man. is yet afar off in
the corridors of tim ;. A few martyrs
like Stephen have lived and died say
ing, Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge" but the great majority of
Christians and all the sinners either
hate their enemies or fail to love them.
The instinct of our human nature isre-
sentiment and it is so near akin to self
preservation that it seems. justifable.
A man has as much right to resent
personal injury as nation has to
fight another nation. There is no
difference in the Christian morality,
for a nation is made up of indi-
viduals. If 10000 may fight in de-
tense of their country, then one may
fight in defense of his home or his
property, or even his good name. But
both are wrong according to the Sa-
vior's teachings, and if only those
be saved who live up to those
teachings, then We are all lost.
But when one of the disciples
got alarmed and said: "Who then
can be sayed?" His reply was: with
men it is not possible, but with God
all things are possible" And on the
other occasion, when a disciple trem-
bled under his teachings and inquired:
''Lord, are there few that be saved?"
he avoided a direct answer and said:
tStrive to enter in at the straight gate,
for many shall seek to enter, but shall
not be able"
So our comfort is that if we strive to
do right we will get to heaven. Strive
is the word, and it means to struggle,
to exert ourself diligently. Let Us all
do that if we can, and / reckon we
can, or we womb not have been told to.
was Eliminating about the fight,
and my mind ran along into this cham
mel of thought. Why did l feel an
interest in it? Why did Il have lin
gering desire that Fitz should lick
Corbett? Well, I took o disgust at
Corbett when read that he had for
saken his wife and taken another with
out just cause or provocation. Ire
membered how the papers said she
stood by him and encouraged him at
Jacksonville and other places and be-
haved herself in a womanly way, and
so wanted him punished. But was
told today that Fitzsimmons had done
the same thing, and 80 now 1 don't
care which whipped. Now let some
other fellow turn up and whip Fitz
and will be satisfied Corbett's first
wife has been avenged and his second
came to grief. I don't take much stock
in denouncing prize fighting as the
worst thing in the world. The worst
thing about tits the company it keeps
the betting and gambling and drinking
that environs it. If two men want to
make trial Of strength by pummeling
each other, there is no more harm in il
than in q football game, and the sur.
roundings are not much worse.
Tnese puglIlsts never xiii one an.
| other, and the fight itself is not half al
bad as these street duels and hip pocket
| pistols that are reported every day il
the newspapers. have seen police.
man draw more blood when trying tt
arrest distrrber of the peace. 1t il
not SO bad as bull fight in Mexico
and yet every American who goe.
there attends one. if not two or more
| think / should have liked to hav,
seen the fight if I could have done s,
on the sly, and I know many good mel
and some women who would have gon,
one eye ON it if they had had chanc,
and the crowd had been decent one
Everybody has an instructive desire t,
see fight-eyen dog fight. re
member what satisfaction. we .sehon
| boys used to have in catching. the BIZ
black ants in an old dead tree ant
making them fight in mortal combat
And what fun it was to catch big b.
coon by night and see him fight til,
dogs, and how we used to get two oil;
rams together, and once we sax tw,
bulls lock horns. and it was fearful
| and thrilling.
Fighting roosters we're common i
our day. Some Of the big boysat tn
institute where went TO school use
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