Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1867-10-03
THE POOR MANS PRESENT.

Scene Bond Holdsr'S PArlor.
DTamats PsrsoHds-A gouiy Bond Holder
in his easy chair, sitting BY table drinking
wine.
A ragged man, with bare feet and tattered
garments, preceded by little boy and girl.
Enter Poor Man.
"Good afternoon, Mr.. Bond Holder,
Il have brought you a present. Here
are two little children, your slaves for
life. l give them to you, if you please,
for no fault of theirs, except they are
White! But, Sir, could not help it
they could not help it-their father
and mother, both dead, were white
These are my little innocent grand
children-all you and your party have
left me, and the bonds you hold are
mortgages on them, as upon myself.
l cannot pay the debt--take the little
ones"
Bond -Holder-"Be off-get out
take the dirty brats away from mel"
Poor Man--"Please, sir, don't speak
so harshly, 1t frightens the little
girl. The boy does not seem to start
much at your angry tones else he
would not double up his fist, but tae
girl is timid"
! nd-Holder-"G Get out-be off with
your brats, or I'll ring the bell for a
servant to put you out, you imperti-
nent scoundrell"
Poor Man-"You needn't ring, Mr..
Bond-holder The day of ringing lit
tie bells has passed away. And you
need not ring for a servant, for am
your servantl And, as you have no
chairs for servants, / will stand here
a moment before 60 and have lit
tie talk with you.
"-Once, when you were afraid of the
draft, you wore the kindliest smiles
And you patted me on the back and
said was dear, good, patriotic man
IL listened to you then and you shall
listen to me ao,oi
"Do you remember those days.
There was war. You, with your oily
tongue, helped bring it about. 1t was
more Of a war than you thought it
would be. You were coward, q
great big cowardl Don't look ugly
for l don't scare worth cent! And
you were afraid to go to war. You
made long speeches about saving the
Union-protecting the Constitution
honoring the laws-and helping the
poor mani
"You said the war was to restore
the country to peace and prosperity
You said the object of the war was
not to coerce States, nor to deprive
any people Of liberty!
"You said those who would not
fight were towards. l was no cow
ard, Mr.. Bond. Holder, so l went to
war. You were a coward, you dare
not go, and you hired me to go. /
took your money and went. And
now, when l have returned, find
that l owe you more than you gave me
and that | must now work to pau mn
self for being shot dti and to pay YOU
pig interest on the money you let me
have.
"And l find, also, that you are ex-
empt from taxation, that you hold the
wealth Of the nation in your pockets,
and that | am your slavel
"In short, Mr.. Bond Holder, you
are coward, a cheat. a swindler, a
tyrant, a robber, a great bloated aris-
tocrat. When the war came on, I was
a poor, but honest man. | knew but
little of your tricks, and financial
plans. | had wife and / loved her
very dearly. She wore no silks for I
could not buy them. We had no
grand home as you now have. We
drank milk-you drink wine and /
pay for It'll Our home was a. poor
mans home, but it was happy one.
r"Do you know, Mr.. Bond Holder.
how you whined and begged of me to
go to WARP You said the country was