Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-04-13
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
The Probabilities OF a
uar uith- Spain.
H0HITIIGHfAFFEcT lTlAHTIeeIIrsIHTEREsTs
SOME WOULD "GIT" IN CASE OF
HOsTILITIEs, BUT MORE WOULD
COME OUT OF CURIosITY-THE "wAR
SCARE" AFFECTS THE RENTING OF
COTTAGES.

Lily pIODdUluCy VI lupIODdbHlly
OF war with Spain overshadOws
every other topic of discussion.
Even the Bread and Butter Brigade
have given politics the cold shoulder
and are brushing up their knowledge
boxes by studying the Spanish
language. The vacillating action of
President Mckinley has knocked
them silly-and his f1ip-fop, with
war certain one day and peace cer-
tain the next, and neither likely the
day after, has left them without any
positive ideas; that is if they are
anxious to be be known as thick and
thin hide bound followers of this un-
certain Excellency. Now uncertainty
is not a popular quality among the
members of the Bread and Butter
Brigade Of Atlantic City and County.
They have not been accustomed to
having the plans changed on their
orders disobeyed until within a year
or two. and now to declare for war
with Spain like patriotic '.jingo,'
one day and then take it all back the
the next, and a shout for peace-at-
any-price is pretty tough on fellow
who wants to follow his file leader
when it is for his advantage to do
SO.
The Brigade has always trusted
to Major General Levi AlbertsOn to
keep the army in the right position,
to post Sentries and send out scouts
to warn them of impending danger,
but the late city election rather up
set things, and q new plan of cam
paign seems to be necessary. Cen
eral AlbertsOn on that occasion fail
ed to discover the enemy's strength
and his army was routed horse foot
and dragons. He thought Judge
Thompson was only leading a for
lOrn hope and never once dreamed
that he could storm the works OF
the old Brigade and nearly capture
their whole Outfit-including one of
their strOnghOlds-the Police force.
But Levi is a genial old soul and
quickly RECEIVERS from defeat-and to
see his daily smile no one wonld sus-
pect that his army had been defeated
from English Greek to Mays Land
ing and back to Atlantic City.
The question of peace or war with
Spain means much to this city-for
there will undoubtedly be a big
"scare" if war is actually declared.
1t will be for the advantage of all
the inland resorts to magnify the
danger of boarding at the seashOre.
Then there are always lot OF rich
fools who would not feel safe if a
cannon cracker was exploded with
in fifteen hundred miles of them
Then there is d large class OF timid
women who would sooner face a
man than hear a gun fired, and they
too would give salt water wide
berth in time of war. All these
weaklings, of both sexes, would
never trust their precious carcasses
to the possibility of having a Span
ish shot fired at them, SO / take it
we should have to try and struggle
along without their presence. On the
other hand their places would pro-
baby be taken with those with more
NERVE, and abundant curiosity,
who would come here even If they
knew that hostile shots would be
fired. The chances are ten to one
that the Spanish vessels that would
come across the Atlantic in time of
war would find plenty OF occupation
elsewhere but it isn't any use to
say that they couldn't hurt Atlantic
City il they tried to. 1t is best to
face the situation as itmay be, and re-
member that Spain is nation that
has not much regard for human life
or the rules of civilized warfare.
Real estate agents tell me that the
renting of cottages has been serious
ly affected by the "war scare" and
that the uncertainty still prevailing
makes business rather dull in their
line-fOr it is just about this time
that cottagers are looking up their
summer quarters. do not think
there is much real cause for alarm
even if war is declared this week or
next. Spain would gain nothing by
| firing upon an unprotected city. and
it would be of no strategical value if
| it was captured. If war comes, the
Dons will find all the fun they want
Idown around the gull of Mexico
when they run up against our bat
tleships, without wasting coal and
| ammunition to come to attack At
lantic City. Still verything happens
| in war that you don't want to hap
pen, and it is entirely possible that
q Spanish war vessel or privateer
might knock us all to pieces if they
| wanted to. And bear in mind they
are not bit too good to do such a
| thing-f0ra a thoroughbred Spaniard
takes to general cussedness as
naturally as duck takes to water.
At any rate j am not going to. lose
any sleep over the matter just how.
/ shall say my prayers as usual,
when retire to rest, and add an
appendix in the form of an Invocation
| to Capt. "Sam." Perry's Company,
and the Morris Guards, to protect us
| from invasion. At present, about
the only thing to be done, amid SO
many uncertainties and changing
policies, is to watch public events
closely and whatever happens say,
II told you SO That seems to be
about the position Of the new COun-
cilmanic Combine" and if President
| Mckinley desires a precedent / refer
| him to the members thereof. They
appear to be waiting g-forinstructions
though it Is not yet apparent what
| they expect. Possibly they may be
waiting to have their courses marked
out and their cOmpasses adjusted
before embarking upon an unknown
sea. OF course they may be waiting
to have some Bishop Of the Method
ist persuasion pronounce his bene
j A