The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-10-15
READING OF THE JOURNAL DISPENSED
WITH

The Southern Monthly Magazine, the
first number of which appears in Au.
gust of this year, contai ed the follow
ing capital story, which. the writer
assures MS, was related to him by Mr..
Prentice himself:
We hardly think we could inaugurate
the Spice Box with anything better
than an old story-whlch may be new
to many-c0ncerning ridiculous mis-
take once made by Colonel e Green, OF
Bourbon county, Kentucky. The Col.
was member of the State Legislature.
He had been elected by very small
majority on the Whig ticket. owing to
the fact that he had been only recent
convertGrom Democracy. The Louis
will JoGrndt had supported Green with
great ability, and, of course he felt duly
grateful to Mr., Prentice. He was
constant reader of the paper at home,
and when he went 20 Frankfort he sub
scribed for a second copy, and always
read it in his seatlifs stise House, 1t had
become .to<tln friend and selace in
| those early days of legislative toll. and
i: is needless to say he welcomed Its
| appearance every morning "a he would
the CHEEKY face of an old and kind
| friend.
Bnt there was serious drawback to
this pleasure, and one that he was max
ing up his mind at an early Jay to
squelch for yer. Morning after morn
ing, and just at the moment he was
most interested in the coluius of his fa-
voritc newspaper, some representative
would leap to the floor and cry out with
evident triumph "Mr. Speaker, |
move on, sir. that we dispense with
.he reading of the journal.
The motion always carried, and with
illconcealed disgust, Green folded his
paper and laid it aside. lie could have
borne with this better, perhaps, if he
had not witnessed all around him gem
tleman placently scanning the
pages of halt dozen other papers.
After bearing it mildly for trine
better than three weeks, he arrived at |
the sage conclusion that patience had |
ceased to be a virtue, and one morning
after grave gentleman from G reenup |
county had offered the usual resolution
which dispensed with the reading of the |
Journal, Col. Green jumped to his feet
and while his face criInsoned with ra re
and the perspiration streamed down |
his swarlhy face, said :
"Mr. Speaker, | have a right, as a
member of this House, to speake UP for
my friends, and IN the cause of lstice.
| have stood this thing little too long.
| won't stand it any longer. 1 would
rather resign my seat, sir, and go home
to constituency who love liberty and
fair play. Sensation and cries of 'or-
derry No. sir, l don't care for your
parliamentary rules, as you call them.
I'm bound to speak out against this
evil (waving the Louisville journal over
his head). Nov sir, I'm a friend to the
Journal! believe in the Journal! 1t
more honesty and truth than
all the journals OF Kentucky put togeth-
er! intend to stand up for the Jour
nal at all times and in every place
n othing can IntimIdate me as long as
know I'm right. And now, sir, |
will amend the gentleman's motion by
adding the Democrat, Courier and Gu
,lnnatti Enquirer. If we dispense with
,he reading Of one newspaper, | move
% make it general, that we may De
ust.'
The astonished members at once re-
llized the drift OF this 0ratorical out
'urst, and 1t is hardly necessary to say t
hat laughter prevented the organiza- d
ion of the House for some time. Col
mel Green treated. 9