The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1902-03-13
BILL ARP'S LETTER
Barlow Man Reverts to Fight
Between Carolina Senators.
HE DON'T BLAME THE COMBATANTS
In olden Times Such Incidents Were
Thought a Great Wrong, But
Politics Have Changed
Status of Solons.

was Eliminating about the fight 1t
Is common property and everybody
has the right to talk about it. Till
man did wrong in jumping over three
desks to strike McLaurin. About one
desk was the limit Of propriety. Three
desks gives a man time to cool and
that makes it against the law to fight.
AS to the time and place, that is of no
consequence now. There was time
in the days Of Webster and Calhoun
and Tom Benton and Henry Clay
when the United States senate was as
sacred almost as a church, but now
large majority OF its members get
their places by conduct infinitely more
disgraceful than fighting. Bribery and
corruption have got SO common that
man cannot get there without using
big pile of money and making lot
OF promises. OF course do not include
our southern senators, for they
haven't got the money. If we had
some millionaires in Georgia Clay and
Bacon would have to step down and
out And l am not so disguised with
.Ttllman for fighting in the senate
cp"omber. He had reason to believe
tpg. his partner had received prom
dses, and l reckon he had. He certain
ly had great expectations, or he would
not have Topped over to the republi
cans so suddenly. Politicians have to
be paid for their votes. Tillman is a
true man, but he is not great and
good man. l admire him for some
traits in his character. He cannot be
bribed rintimidated. He dares to
say what he believes and he uses his
pitchfork with impunity. He is i'm
petuous and combative, but he is sin
cere and everybody admires sincere
man. Sincere is one of the strongest
and best words in our language. 1t
literally means nsealed-Without wax
for in the olden times letters were
sealed with wav, but if it contained no
secrets it was not sealed at all, for
wax cost money. Tillman is a bold,
defiant, stubborn man, but he is not
great. A great man like Webster or
Calhoun would have said to McLaurin,
well, sir, if am liar l deserve the
epithet. If I am not, then you de-
serve it, but l shall not stoop to give
It," l wish We were all that great.
This thing of resenting the charge of
lying with a blow is a strange perver-
raion Of propriety. A man may gain
his ends y cheating, swindling, over
his ends by cheating, swindling, over
cealing the truth, but you must not
call him a liar.
He may break all the command
ments, but don't call him a liar,
though that is not in the Decalogue.
AL that I regret about the fight is
that Spooner did not call Tillman a
liar and get mauled before McLaurin
came in. l want somebody to whip
Spooner He was the teaser that
brought on the fight and was delighted
that 1t occurred between the two
South Carolina senators. With his
party it is no crime to shoot down ten
thusand Filipinos, who refuse to give
up their country, but it shocks them
awfully to have little fracas in the
senate chamber.
Well, there are some great men and
there are many good men, but great
ness and goodness are rarely combin-
ed. Addison says it takes both to
make a man complete. Such, for ex-
ample, as Washington and Robert E.
Lee Job says great men are not al
ways wise and he might have added
most of them are mean, selfish, heart
aess and ambitious. Lord Bacon, for
Instance who took brides while on the
bench, and Cromwell and Napoleon,
: Webster was a very great man and
long has been my ideal of greatness.
He was called the Godlike, but some
times his human nature overcame him.
And so with Henry Clay and Bob
Toombs. The great weakness of the
people is idolatry. Partisan or sec
4ional or religious idolatry. Every man
who climbs high up where the people
can see him is either a saint or sim
ner, according to our politics, our sec
ton, our creed. One man idolizes the
character of Lincoln, or Of Grant, an
other holds both of them in contempt.
i suppose that threefourths of the
northern people pay homage to the
memory of old John Brown for what
they call his good intentions, and ev-
cry northern history and encyclopedia
apologies for him, and even so good
q man as Mckinley excused himself
for not attending the refinement of
his bones, on the ground that the
pressure Of official duties would not
permit him to leave Washington. Most
northern men still denounce John c.
Calhoun as the author of secession
and justify Sherman in burning Co.
iumbia. Here in Georgia this idolatry
is already taking shape in our silly