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LET US HAVE PEACE.
Over in Africa there is a people called the Abys
sinians, whose skins vie with the charcoal in color
scheme, but their hearts are stout and their arms
are strong. Until a dozen years ago very little was
known of them, hevond the fact that their ruler
was called King Menelik and that they devoted
themselves principally to the pursuit of minding
their own business. Italy was seized about that
time with a longing to appropriate a slice of Abys
sinia and sent ten thousand troops to pull off the
appropriating stunt. The Italians knew in advance
that Menelik spoke with a soft voice, but they were
vet to learn that lie also had a big stick concealed
•
about his royal person. The acquirement of the
last named information cost Italy 11»<* whole ten
thousand troops, in killed and captured, and the
overthrow of the Italian ministry responsible for
the expedition. But it convinced her that she could
get along very well indeed without the slice of
Abyssinia formerly coveted.
It was at Menelik’s door that four missionaries
knocked for permission to come in and convert the
heathen. Thev were sent bv the Catholic Church
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and three branches of the Protestant faith, respec
tively. The King said they might come in, and he
would see about the converting business. Shrewd
questioning elicited tin 1 admission that the four were
not quite agreed among themselves, that is, that
their respective churches were not entirely united
as to ways and means in the rescue of lost souls.
Menelik told them that thev were entirely welcome
to go amongst his people on their mission of enlight
enment of the heathen, provided they should first
agree amongst themselves upon articles of faith, so
that the heathen might not be confused by having
four different brands of doctrine handed to him at
a time. He pointed out that more or less skepti
cism was apt to greet the advocacy of a belief, when '
the advocates themselves confessed that no two of
their number believed exactly alike. The four mis
sionaries did not remain in Abyssinia.
If any moral may be attached to the above true
narrative, it would seem to be “In unity there is
strength," or “United, we stand: divided, we fall.”
This sentiment is respectively commended to the
careful consideration of Dr. \Y. N. Ainsworth and
the Hon. J. Randolph Anderson.
The Reason begs leave to suggest the possibility
of escape open to an enemy when the forces in pur
suit of him divide and train their guns ‘on each
other. This is precisely what Inis happened in the
ranks of the most active foes of intemperance oper
ating in this city. Both divisions claim alike intent
upon the annihilation of the common enemy, and
the disagreement would seem to relate altogether
to the tactics to be used and the route to be traversed
in the assault.
Dr. Ainsworth favors a frontal attack, with
closed ranks and banners flying, and the immediate
cutting off of all supplies from the besieged; Mr. An
derson, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce (?),
inclines to a flanking movement which would involve
less strenuousness and greater prospect of a blood-
THE REASON
less capitulation on the part of the attacked, after
having been thrown upon reduced rations for an
indefinite period.
The Reason’s sympathy fluctuates between
Messrs. Ainsworth and Anderson with scrupulous
impartiality. Its condemnation is allotted with a
similar regard to equity. The same measure of cen
sure is incurred by Mr. Anderson, The Reason be
lieves. when he suggests that a ministerial reformer
should provide himself with facts and figures with
which to support his utterances and writings upon
public questions, as should be meted out to Dr. Ains
worth when he brings charges of transnocturnal
conversion against Mr. Anderson and the highly
respectable and chaste ('!) commercial body he rep
resents, and cynically pokes around in search of ulte
rior motives for such conversion, and, finally, elimi
nates the said commercial bodv entirely and singles
Mr< Anderson out personally as the target for his
hot shot.
Mr. Anderson, The Reason respectfully submits,
should not lose sight of the fact that custom has
made if common usage that, when a minister speaks,
the layman shall maintain complete silence, unless,
from his heart as well as from his lips, he may give
forth a hearty “Amen!" “ Tis not his to ask the
reason why: but his to do or die,” or else find out
from some other source. Mr. Anderson has men at
his command —for tin 1 price—that ought to find out
all lie wants to know.
Without impertinence, Dr. Ainsworth's attention
may be called to Mr. Anderson’s action in seeking
a conference with the former, as a manisfestation
on the part' of Mr. Anderson of his entire sincerity
in taking up the cudgel against intemperance in
the use of alcoholic beverages. Nothing is risked in
venturing the opinion that the Doctor let a golden
opportunity slip by him when he failed to take
advantage of this overture to arrange a truce, based
upon concessions granted by either side, under the
terms of which all of the faithful might now be
marching shoulder to shoulder upon a dastard foe.
Let all hope that it is not yet too late to get
together.
Meanwhile, gentlemen, until the movement upon
the enemy is on, let us have peace; if all may not
clasp hands, at least let them not grip each other’s
throats.
Why Doesn’t the League Proceed?
There are difficulties in the way of ascertaining
the exact amount of consternation which was spread
amongst the alleged violators of the prohibition law,
past, present and prospective, by the advent of
Savannah’s Law and Order League. In the first
place, said violators, if such individuals run and
roam at large in Savannah, are coy about confessing
themselves as such to the impertinent inquirer and,
it is suspected, are holding out against the ignominy
of being discovered by ordinary mortals, in the fond
hope that, when they are finally unmasked and
brought to account, the proceedings shall be engi
neered and executed by past-masters in sleuth ism
under the director-generalship of the Chief High
Leaguer.
This marked compliment, it is averred, is paid by
the hunted to the hunters in admiration of the un
paralleled valor displayed by enlistment under the
banner of the League of persons—nay, Knights—