Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-07-19
ARP ON THE SWISS.
Reminded Of Them by the Story Of
william Tell.
Hits All the IconOclasts-says They
Are Trying TO Tear Down All the
Idols the People Have
WOrshiped.
copyrighted by the Atlanta Constitution
and reprinted by permission.)

copyrighted by the Atlanta Constitution,
and reprinted by permission.)
How the old people cling to the
stories and traditions that charmed
their childhood. Good old Mother Akin
came to see me and to comfort me in
my sickness. She has had her trouble,
but she is always bright and cheerful
and brings sushine with her. Some
how the story of William Tell came up,
and when l remarked that it was now
generally set down among the critics
as myth or a pretty fable she said
"she would not read aIy such heartless
scandals nor did she believe them"
The world is full of these iconoclasts
who would break up every idol thatwe
have worshiped. The story of William
Tell is one that is fit to be believed and
handed down from generation to gem
Grafton. Voltaire started that fable
theory because he did not like the
Swiss. Many books have been written
on both sides, but the old family tradi-
lions that have come down to us for
600 years are still as much the faith OF
the Swiss people as is in their religion
William Tell is as much to-day their
national hero and the founder Of their
republic as Washington is of ours and
the little chapel on the lake where he
was drowned is still preserved to com
memorate him."
Well, whether this is fact or fable
it is one of the prettiest stories ever
told and ought to be repeated to the
children of every household. 1t was
in the fourteenth century when Austria
had overridden and conquered Switzer-
land and had stationed her tyrant
bailiffs in every canton to subdue and
humble the people that one Gessler
placed the ducal cap upon pole in the
public place and ordered everyone who
passed to uncover his head and bow to
it. Tell refused and was seized and
condemned to death, but as he was
known to be the best bowman in
Switzerland he was offered the alter
native of shooting an apple from his
sons head. The boy was his idol and
he begged for some other alterna
tive, but Gessler refused. Sixty yards
was measured off, the boy stationed
and the apple placed. Gessler and his
cohorts looked on while Tell bowed
his knees in prayer Rising he looked
to Heaven and then let fly the arrow
and pierced the apple in its center
The boy ran to his father and leapet
into his arms, and another arrow
that had been concealed fell upon the
ground. what was that arrow for?
said Gessler. ITO shoot you, yol
brute, had slain my SON." For tina
he was condemned to prison anC
Gessler took him in boat on thu
lake, but a violent storm came VI
) and Tell was unclaimed to steer the
boat. He made for the shore, leapeC
to a rock, and with pole showed thu
boat back into the stormy waters
Hurrying along the lake he procured
bow and arrows from country
} man and shot Gessler as the boa
passed. TELLS Leap" and "Tell'
Rock" are still known to every chile
in Switzerland. Later on he lost hi
life while saving lad from drown
ing. What is unreasonable about thi
story? We had Gessler in Rome a
the close of the civil war. His nam
was de la Mesa, Spaniard who cam
over to fight for pay. He did no
hoist the ducal cap, but he stretches
the flag over the sidewalk and on
female Tells (some of whom are liv
ing yeti would not walk under II
but crossed over to the other side
J Then he stretched another across tn
whole street and they walked arount
the block. 1t was not so much 0
disrespect to the flag as it was con
tempt for the foreigner who unfurle,
it. He refused to let our wives AM
daughters receive or mail letters un
less they came before him and too
an ironclad oath of allegiance. II
had ten of our young men and sew
eral young ladies arrested for ACTIN