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6 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 % • 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—