Clemson University - Taps Yearbook (Clemson, SC)

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THE CLEMSON COLLEGE CHRONICLE 383 at about the height of a man ' s head. Regardless of the im- pending danger, the drunken old pedagogue rushed beneath the over-hanging branches. The horse emerged on the other side but the rider was nowhere visible. His head had slipped between two forking limbs, his support had passed from beneath him, leaving him drunken, half-frozen, half- stunned ; hanged by the hand of fate. Three days later the body was found hanging from the tree. The eyes were pro- truded, tongue hanging out, with his bony hands firmly grasping the fatal limbs. The public was cordially invited, by the student body, to attend the burial on the following forenoon. At the appointed hour, a vast concourse of rus- tics were assembled, foremost among which were the stu- dents of Peg branch school. Some were equal to the occa- sion and shed tears of genuine sympathy, but others could only assume a grieved look, and with hands stuffed deep in their pockets, a straw in their mouths and head cocked to one side, they viewed the ceremony with silent unconcern. To-day, in the northeast corner of Tabernacle church- yard, stands a small marble slab bearing this inscription : Richard O ' Bryan, Born — God knows when. Died — From drinking one X gin. D. H. S., ' 02. Speech on the Philippine Question {Resolved, That the United States should continue to pur- sue its present policy in reference to the Philippines. ) The past three years have been momentous ones in the annals of our country. During that time, history, rapid and unusual, has been made. The surges of events have beaten upon the olden shores. War, waged upon abnormal and

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382 THE CLEMSON COLLEGE CHRONICLE At twelve, the signal for recess was given by ringing an ancient dinner bell, and ere the echo had died away, the school-room was empty. Each pupil betook himself to some friendly shade tree, and there with his tin bucket be- tween his knees, made short work of his noonday meal. The school-master, by virtue of his position, remained in- doors and dined as became one of his dignity. Perched on his elevated tripod with his tin bucket firmly clasped between his knees, he searched the inmost recesses of his food recep- tacle with his long, bony fingers. Xow this old school-master ' s only joy was his rum bottle, to which he made rather constant visits on those days when the weather was especially inclement. When in one of his semi-intoxicated conditions, he became very gay and witty, but if he chanced to overestimate his capacity for strong drink, he became contumacious and actually cruel in his treatment of his pupils. It was in one of these savage spells that the old man last parted with his pupils. On a bitter cold day of December, ' 93, after school had been disbanded for the day, the old school-master stood in the door-way of his school-room and looked out upon the snow-covered earth, shivering at the thought of his three mile ride. To keep out the cold he frequentlv resorted to his gin bottle ere he departed on his homeward way. Xow on this par- ticular occasion he so greatly overestimated his capacity for cheap gin, that his reason was completely dethroned. He staggered out into the blinding snow and by chance found his faithful Locomotive. After many futile attempts, he succeeded in getting astride his charger ' s back. He reined into the first opening which presented itself to view, which chanced to be a bridle path leading into the woods. The old man with whip and spur urged his horse to its top speed. After about a mile of this mad gallop, they came to a large oak, whose lowest branches spread fan-shaped over the path.

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3S4 THE CLEMSON COLLEGE CHRONICLE exceptional issues, has broken in upon the even tenor of our way and disturbed the usual serenity of our reflections. When the treaty with Spain was signed on December 10, 1898, and the Philippine Islands were ceded to us, it be- came necessafy for the United States to formulate some policy toward the islands. Upon the question of what that policy should be, the two great parties of the United States held opposite views. Democrats advocated the granting of independence upon the ground that it was the only consist- ent policy, since we had been their allies in their late war with Spain ; Republicans, I know not why, advocated the governing of the islands as a colony of the United States. The Republicans being in the majority in Congress, obtained the adoption of their policy. Accordingly, the President published a proclamation to the Filipinos asserting the sov- ereignty of the United States over them. It is true that the advocates of this colonial policv did not then admit that it was the intention of the government to hold the islands in perpetuity, but there is not a single advocate of that policy to-day who will deny that such is its intention. The bills introduced in Congress which have reference to the Philip- pines are as permanent measures as any ever enacted in our legislative halls. As soon as the Filipinos perceived that it was not our inten- tion to grant them independence, which they had just won from Spain, they took up their muskets against us. The President, alarmed at the position they had taken, issued a call to a liberty-loving people for seventy-five thousand vol- unteers to crush the spirit of liberty in the hearts of those people of the far away islands. Thus was begun a war which will leave a black spot upon our country ' s hitherto stainless character. Volunteers many in number were called for. and now after three years of hard fighting the Filipinos have been almost overpowered. The Administra-