The Grange advance., 1874-05-06
VOICES OF WORKINGMEN.
Some More Dead Heads.
BLACKSTONE AND SHAKESPEARE.
A writer evho says some things in Piokwinian
sense, and lays doacn the pen to set a hen.

Il writer evho says some things in PioksUinian
sense, and lays docn the pen to set a hen.
BY T. c. HODGsON.
Its astonishing how men love to ride hob
bies. Once fairly astride the beast you
wouldn't dismount for all the world.
" Deadheadism is splendid hobby, and
having got my feet we'll into the STIR
rups and the reins in my hands I pro-
pose to spur the animal to his utmost speed,
and if possible show to all the world the
stuff he is made Of. Deadheadism has been
riding, rough shod, over the hard-fsted
workingmen long enough. It is time to
change off and let US have ride. So jump
on kind reader and we'll take trot around
to see how the world moves.
If living men can be de.dheads it is no
wonder that they are double deadheads A.
ter they die. It is not the living dead
heads but the dead ones that has entailed
so much misery and ruin upon the present
generation, as in the case Of Columbus (?)
or Galilleo.(?) These men were rightly ~
understood by their own contemporaries,
they were known to be deadheads and
were posted as imposters by the statesmen
and scholars of their own day, hence they
were not able to do their own generation
very much harm. But who can estimate
the injury done to their successors
The literary profession has perhaps been
more prolific of conspicuous deadheads
than any other fraternity in history. II
half Of what Joaquin Miller tells us about
Literary London " is true, then the terri
bic amount of pauperism and wretchedness
of that city, is accounted for. Why they
fairly swarm the city, and having succeed.
ed in penning few brilliant sentences
that won the plaudits of vitiated press,
they thenceforth became disgusted with
honest toll and would no doubt every one
of them rather starve to death than follow
the plow or the hoe. These literary dead.
heads generally divide off into two classes
according, suppose, to the doctrine Of nat
ural selection. The one class are known
as poets, the other as prose writer's,
but in the generation just "about to be y
they will doubtless be known as "leeches
and vampires
1 shall just select one illustrious case
from each of these classes, which, l trust
will serve to show the real character of thu
whole and the influence and tendency Of
their profession. Let Blackstone be tn.
first.
You, Mr.. Editor, are a lawyer. Will yov
please give us, in the next GRANGE AD
VANCE: lst. An estimate Of the amour,
Blackstone's books have cost the world
End. "ha, the cost of putting all thI
lawyers Of civilization through course O.
Blackstone ?"
3rd. What the cost of all the court,
that have convened to decide the dispute:
Of mankind according to Blackstone2
4th. How many more books of law arr
there and have there been, that are o
Blackstone's parentage, and cost of tn,
same?
5th. How many stout, healthy younl
men, we'll calculated to pound on the anvil
or shove the plane, or drive oxen, hav'
been lured into the deadhead profession o
law through the influence Of B.
These questions. apprehend, will serv
to convince all "thinking minds" tina
deadheadism is a costly affair; but jus
hold still until bring up the pet poet o
the age. 1a'lude to Shakespeare. Perhap
not less than half million Of his books ar
sold annually at, say q cost of two dollar
each. A million dollars year for hi
} books. Another million to support the 10.
ooo actors who traverse the earth to pc.
. form his plays. Another half million t
; support the would be shakespe.res. VII
suooeed only 50 Tor Is to get rid of thei
honest share Of hard labor.