The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-03-27

Editor THE CHRONICLE:
hope you viii give me space 10 reply |
to some articles Of recent date and Co the /
aspersions hurled az some Of the citizens
of this town, through rhe columns Of your
paper. 1 desire to say TO the Missionary |
Grove correspondent that Mr., Leslie's |
record on temperance matters can not be !
Justly criticised 10y any temperance man
in the State. He has voted for every
temperance measure that has been before !
this legislature
As to the corporation of Camden, he
defined his position clearly and in unms-
taxable language in public speech here
at the courthouse before he was nominal
ed, and those who know George Leslie |
knewhe would do what he said he would !
do. He is a Democrat, and said be be-
ieved in the majority ruling, and what !
ever the majority ofthe people of Camden
wanted, with reference to said corpora
ton, he would advocate, and the charge
that che has more regard for 40 men here
than the good women, etc." is unjust,
and comes with poor grace, even from an
enemy. Mr.. Leslie does have regard for
his word-Where is the honorable man
who does not?-and all good men and
women everywhere respect honesty and
integrity. No friend of Leslie will ask
him to disregard his word-neither will
an honorable foe.
Now to the article in last weeks issue
from the fluent pen of my friend, Bertram
Sarrett. In the hrst place there is not
man in this town who will, as he says,
vote wet because the country people
wantit They have better reasons, and
| those who are so anxious to "have a
chance to strike a death blow" at the
corporation here, know but very little, if
anything, about the true conditions as
they exist here People honestly differ,
and it is not, in my opinion, a christian
spirit to impugn corrupt motives. | am
| sure Mr.. Sarrett meant what he said
about education, and is in favor of it. |
don't know just what he means by men
adopting the "habits of the lower Crea-
ton" He boldly asserts that the spider
devours the fly, the bird the spider and
the hawk the bird, throws down the
gauntlet and triumphantly asks "Should
one child be educated at the expense of
another?" thus proving that the spider
| devours or subsists on the hy.
accept the challenge and take up the
gauntlet Should one child be educated
at the expense of another? / say, yes.
This is the very essence of our public
school systematic pride of Tennessee.
This is the way our public school system
is kept up. The parents of % percent Of
the school children of Benton County pay
rs percent OF the taxes. This is educat-
ing one child at the expense of another.
This is upon the spider-hy-bird-hawk
theory. 1t is the Law of God himself that
one should subsist upon the other, and
my friend knows that according to God S
law, with which he is familiar, and sci
enCe nothing-not even an atom-is lost.
Hence the old saying one mans loss is
another's gain"
l don't know whether the "wet chris
tians" of this town are fly, spider, bird
or hawk christians, but do know that
the christians of this town of all churches
are divided on this question, as they are
bon most all questions, and they are equal
Il ly honest in their convictions. Some be-
| lieve that a man can get to heaven dry
4 while others believe that he will have to
be "ducked" and made wet before he can
ever enter the pearly gates. And they
are honest about it, too.
Hpeople differ about how to reach their
| heavenly home and the divine law gov
erning the same, they certainly will diff
fer about home here on earth and laws
made by man governing the same. These
christians have read that book which
speaks of a country without "taxes " and
, they find in that same book q warning to
{ hypocrltes, and if they believe it is to
: their best interest and to their commun-
Z ity to vote wet, they would be hypocrites
not to do so.
Mr. Editor, noticed another article in
/ your paper some days ago about "What
, Christ would do if he came to Camden,
ETC." Now all this unsolicited advice
; from the outside and from the pens Of
= people who are honest, but not acquaint-
} ed with conditions as they are, reminds
J me very much of our Northern friends adj
? vising the people of the South on the ne.
= gro question, They are not acquainted
? with the conditions, and the most of them
: change their views when they come South
/ and acquaint themselves with the true
: conditions. Doubtless Teddy would moi
2 have made his Booker Washington mis-
5 take if he had known the true conditions
/ If Christ were to come to Camden, or any
S one else, he would find that Camden has
! the best streets, the best business and the
best school it has ever had he would fine
/ as good order, good morals, that his min
. listers were paid better, fewer cases on the
! criminal docket, fewer prisoners in Jail
and that the taxpayers were paying LEST
t cost than ever before in the history Of tn,
, county.
e Some men won't let well enough alone
z Are nnVnr mint cnnAnrt or eIill.