Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-06-10
For the Chronicle.
The LOafer'S SOIIIOquy.

saBad Men better than Good Men,
Blow me if we amt a ~persecuted peo-
plea despised race,-a d~own-trodden
community. Honest men look down
on US as an inferior order of humanity.
"0nly a loafer." is a common expires
sion, if any one condsscends 10 notice
us at all. If we are detected in any of
our tricks, "be's a great losfer, send
him up" is all the sympathy we re-
ceive. The news papers are down on
US so are the preachers.
Who could succeed with such a load
to carry ? No wonder welook detected.
No wonder we are low spirited. No
person speaks for us, every body against
US. But, q new day has dawn'd. The
clergy have espous'd our course. Rev.
p bless his name, says we are the
best class of citizens outside of the
church, this is news to the most of US,
but he ought to know:) He says we are
far better men than the honest, moral,
upright, industrious, sober, frugal, lib
ersl, charitable, truthful men, who have
been (erroneously) calrd the best
citizens"
Bully y / knew it would come to
this, I've felt it in my bones these many
years, that we were better men. Now
the world knows it, and | hope every
body will believe it. Now. l can con-
vince Kate, who hes been ding-donging
at me these many years, to quit drink
ing, fighting. lying and stealing, and
to 90 to work like an honest man, and
earn food and clothes for our half-starv-
ed and naked children, till indeed l
had about concluded to try her plsn,)
but, now | can prove to her that Pm q
better man than Nj. A. whose children
are nicely dressed, and whose wife al
ways looks pleasant and tidy. Yes sir
Pm a better man, spiritually, and that's
the main point. Away with your
boosted morality! What does it all
amount to? Far better be a drunken.
profane, lying, disappearing, thieying
fighting loafer, than the best moralist
outside the church.
I'll be blamed if l can see it, but l
know it's true. for the preacher says il
is, that the better a man is, the lOorSs he
is, and the WoTSe 3 man is the better he
is, if he don't belong TO church. Queer,
it?
Now I've a club to beat those fellows
with, who talk to me about getting
drunk, and abusing my family. Pm
a better man than they are, and l
stoop so low as to heed your adj
ThatIl be a settler.
Hereafter. Marshal Baldwin will be
very careful not to arrest such good
as We are, and Mayor Dawson, will
not be very likely, as has been his
habit, to send US up to the county
nuisance" for ten days, on bread and
Won't that be a relief tho p
There is hope for US yet.
But, what If the scales have not drop
ped from the Mayors eyes, sufficiently
10 let in this new moral light? What
if he still sticks 10 his OLD fogyish no.
lions, that bad man is not a good man?
All ! that's an unpleasant picture to
look at, and it would be just like him.
'or he is a good deal set in his way, and
aas always been q lion in our path. l
.hink it would be well 10 have a COM
appointed to induce Rev. P.
labor with the worthy Mayor. and
convince him of the truth of this new
Its q matter of the greatest
consequence to US that he be set right
IN this important subject.
Hopeful for the future, l am
one OF THEN.