The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-04-21
BILL ARP'S WEEKLY LETTER
BARLOW MAN POSES JUST NOW AS
A PEssIMIsT.
PRESENT SITUATION TROUBLES HIM
Thoux xh II IL Springtime. william Secs No
Cheer In Genial Sunshine and
Smiling Nature.

worse, worst. remember that much
Latin. Some days we are optimists
and look on the bright side and think
tho war is about over and the milleni-
nm will begin with the new century.
Then again the news is bad, we are OBJ
liged to be pessimists until it changes.
1 am pcssimist right now, for every
thing looks dark and gloomy abroad,
though the gs nial spring sun is shir-
ing and every thing is lovely ut home.
What is all this about one hundred
thousand more men wanted to subdue
the Filipinos md our soldiers saying
they did not enlist to fight ne
groes; and what about the Samoans
ambushing our boys and cutting their
heads off and parading them through
tho streets; and what about rupture
with Germany wEile our navy is all
engaged over there in those far distant
islands? If Germany is fighting mad
what better opportunity does she want
than to turn her navy loose upon us
right now, and how DO we know that
Johnny Bull would help us?
And then again there seems to be
no real peace in Porto Rico, for one
of their late papers says, "We observe
with sorrow that the United States
troops are mass Of base and shameless
people, drunken multitude who daily
buffet and maltreat our suffering peo-
pie. They rob our servants as they
go to market; they enter our restaurants
aud take what they want by force and
then break up the crockery; they rob
~ >f, o., Xl,N
cahmen and steal everything in sight;
they insult our women like savages,
and to complain to headquarters is
like barking at the moon. If this is
oar destiny, would that we could sink
this fair island in the depths of the
sea
Another paper says: "Our people
are daily lnsulted by these ruifians,
and we have not the patience of Job
nor the meekness of the Man of Cnlva-
ry to bear these things without retail
ating."
Another paper says: "We suffered
much under the Spaniards, but our
new liberators are committing greater
ottenses and expressions than did our
former mas tosa, and we cannot submit
quietly to this Few tyranny. Never
before has there occurred in Ponce such
outrages "a are happening today.
There is safety nowhere, and our Ia
dies are ut all times exposed to the III
suits of drunken soldiers"
How is that for the American sol
der; the brave patriots whom we laud
in song and story? Nor do we have to
go to Porto Rico to find them. Only
few days ago New Jersey regiment
was mustered out ut Grcenville, ). g.,
and Immediately started their devil
ment, and their journey home was n
reign of terror A negro writes TO me
and wants toknow wherein the colored
troops were worse than the whites.
What is the matter with this gener"
alton, white and black? What is the
matter Mt Pana, and why cant the two
races work together in peace? What
is the matter Mt Weathersford. Conn,
and why won't the white people there
let the negroes bnild home for old
an invalid negroes? Carrie Steele, n
colored Good Samaritan, projected
similar home for negro orphans in At
lanta and the whites babe her god
speed and subscribed literally and
helped her. and it is doing good work
that is commended by all our people.
Have the yankees forgotten what they
fought for, or pr. tended to fight us
for? And besides all these things there
are more fires and awful casualties and
drownings and suicides and murders
than ever before known in so brief a
time, and it is enough to make hope
full man almost despair OF peace and
good will ever returning to this afilict-
ell land This is why / am pessi
mist today, but I live in hope and
maybe will be an optimist next week.
Hope is blessed thing. The first
composition ! ever heard read in
school was written by tall, freckled-
face. red-headed girl and it was on
"Hope,' and the first sentence was:
"Hope is,a good invention, and if it
were not for hope man wonld die and
woman would give up the ship. "Not
only so, but also," said Jim Alexan-
der, and George Lester whispered n
part Of his speech:
"IIopc for Il season bGdc the world fare
we'll
And Freedom shrickcd when Kos,lusko
frii."
And Remedy Butler quoted line
from his speech: ''IIope springs cter-
nal in the human breast" And bad
TO lift up my voice, of course, as l re-
peated:
" Twas ever thus in chidhood's hour,
.'I've seen my fondest hopes decay"
We smart boys had power Of fun
over that red-headed compositions and
it is still proverb among us that
Hope is good invention. And so