The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-07-29
ARP SAYS IT'S SAD.
Degeneracy and Decay of Rural
New England.
%assnchusetts Folks Told How
Wicked and Depraved They
Are by One of Their
own Preachers.

HOW QOtn history Tepeat llSelI. IL
Goldsmith had have lived to our day he
might have written those lines about
New England. Was there ever such a
sad and pitiful picture drawn of any
people as that New England preacher
has drawn of the country people of
Massachusetts and has published in the
Arena? We wonder that the editor of
that heightened magazine would dare
to expose the descendants of the Puri-
tans in all their hideous deformity and
10 broadcast it amoGg the citizens of
cultured Boston. The story of their
degradation physically is worse than
what we read about OF the goiter dis
tricts of Switzerland. Six fingers on
each hand, six toes on each foot, cross
eyes, hare lips, club feet, muffle chops,
mutes, dwarfs and idiots seem to be
common in every rural community.
But the degeneracy morally is still
worse, for this preacher says when
there is gathering from neighboring
towns at a cattle show or other attrac-
ton you will see as wicked throng of
human creatures as ever gathered at
Whitechapel or the Five Points, and
that the pens or prisons built for drunk
en- rowdies are filled before nine o'clock
in the morning, and these hoodlums in
suit every woman they meet, and when
night comes both men and women revel
in the wild orgies of promiscuous
dance. And yet some of those Boston
editors are still crying stop theft"
to distract public attention from their
own shame. Once before have alluded
to Mr.. Stetson's statement that the mar
riage relation in Massachusetts is al
most nullity, and that separations are
more common than legal divorces. Not
long since another New England writer
astounded the public by declaring that
in many towns and villages the sound
of the Sabbath bell was never heard,
nor the church door ever opened, and
religion was going rapidly into disuse
and innocuous desuetude.
What does all this mean? Has the
Almighty God turned His back upon
that historic ground and given the devil
free reign over its people? Has it come
to this, that man who breaches holt
ness or sanctification is lynched with
tar and feathers and made to leave the
country? If negro commits an out
rage in that once holy land. does it
take guards and police and the militia
to keep the mob off of him? And yet
the Boston Transcript says tina. Georgia
is several generations behind New Eng
land in refinement and morals. ''How
are the mighty fallen!" When we find
that in the Arena preacher is al
lowed to take for his text THE Degen-
eracy and Decay of Rural New Eng
land" their condition is amazing, pa
thetic, helpless. The land of Webster,
Choate, Pierce and Hawthorne is now
"to fastening ills prey" for as wealth
accumulates in Boston men decay
around it. This preacher says 1.-The
mills are built, but the farms are all
mortgaged." Then what will become of
the factory girls when the mills are all
moved south to the cotton. where they
are obliged to come or close? Not long
ago travelled with my good friend Cal
loway, of the Macon Telegraph, and he
talked in raptures about new book
an Englishman's history of tho United
States. Percy Greg has written two
volumes about us. and it is mastery
Notwithstanding so thorough, so
philosophical, so just to all the factors,
old England, New England and the
south, has ever been written. The au-
thor is an Englishman, a noted traveller,
scholar, heightened, unprecedented and
as entertaining as Macauley. sent to
Richmond for it to the Everett Waddey
company, who published the American
edition, and eagerly have perused and
enjoyedit. This edition has an admirable
preface by Gen. Wado Hampton. This
book is too comprehensive for the
schools, but every man of leisure should
have copy in his house to feed upon
to feed mind and memory, and be es-
tablished in the faith of our fathers.
From my Utmost heart l thank Mr.. Greg
for writing this history while | still
live, for / feel that at last the south
has been indicated by master mind.
Every page gives comfort, and that por-
ton about our civil war and its causes
and consequences makes the southern
spirit burn within you, and feeling
of thankful pride is revived in the south
ern breast. Yes, it makes me feel calm
and serene.
Here is another book Mat the author
has Just sent me through the mail. Its
title is 1.-The Case of the South Against
the North" by Hon. Is. f. Grady, a cul-
tured son of North Carolina and late a
member of congress from that state
and n confederate veteran OF four years
soldier service. / have only had time to
glance over its contents, but have read
enough to know that it will be another
valuable educator in our schools, and
will establish the truth in the minds of
eur young people. The long-behted
south is making her own literature now,
thank the Lord for His mercies. Here
is beautiful little book of poems by
Rev. L. A. Wingard, of Columbia, S. G.
My friend +. A. AIll, of the Newberry
News, published it and sent copy TO
me. These poets seem TO come up in a
night. This Lutheran preacher is no