The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-09-18
A Fable for the Hour.

once upon time there was a per.
sonage called Uncle Samuel-the
same who was reported to be "rich
enough to give us all a farm.n and
from whom certain of his children
expected at one time donation OF
40 acres of land and mule each. Now
this Uncle had for many years
horse that could run tremendously
on election days, named Dem, ,"but
spent all the rest Of his time eating
oats out Of the public crib. The old
brute was chiefly made up of appe.
lite and legs, and he devsured prov.
ender until Uncle Samuel couldn't
rest, and SO good mary attempts
s.'~r- .'a--a.- s-.s ---s--a-a---s ,-,--- Oss,.
once In four years, a parcel of men
who owned parcel of black serv.
ants would come in and rub him
down and straddle new groom up.
on his back, and so, i'm what they
called the Presidential races, old
"Dem" kept coming in ahead, keep.
ing possession of Uncle Samuel's
stable and eating all the fodder as
before.
But old "Dem" felt his oats too
much and grew vicious. Presently
he began to tear down the fences on
Uncle Samuel's farm, and some of
the tenants took it into their heads
that Uncle Samuel didn't own the
farms, anyway. A number of them
banded together and declared that
each one could do as he liked with
his farm, although it was only rents
ed, and resolved to have nothing
more to do with Uncle Samuel, but
to build big barn of their own for
old Dem" to come and eat in as
long as he liked, without the trouble
Of running very hard in order to win
the races for they declared that no
other horse should run against him.
This was just what suited old
"Dem," and he was willing enough
10 60, but before starting he INDUCED
in a grand tantrum, and kicked his
stall all to pieces. and he knocked off
all the doors of the barn, and tipped
over all the barrels of oats, and fl.
nally managed to set the whole con.
Germ afire, and then he trotted off to
the secession stat le, with his head
and tail In the air, and snerted so
loud that he frightened Ben. Butler
and several Others who had groomed
him little at one time or another,
but did not seem to realize how bad
ly he could behave.
There being nothing left of old
"Dem" in Uncle Samuel's dominions
but an evil odor, which some called
a 'putrid "reminiscences" of course
he lost no time in getting a new
horse, and his name was "Rep."
Now Rep was horse that obeyed
his master, and didn't tear down
fences or kick stables to pieces, and
although he ran nightly on occa-
sions he did not always have to be
headed towards the cribs in order to
get him to do anything. He bore his
masters soldiers into the war against
the rebellious tenants; drew his plow
in the field where the grain grew land
hauled rails to mend the broken
fences nay, he bore the great rail.
splitter himself from farm to farm,
until at length all the fences were re-
stored and made good and strong as
they we're before they were torn
down. Uncle Samuel did not forget
the good work that REP" had done.
and so he put him in his stable,
(which had been rebuilt) gave him a
striped blanket with some stars in
one corner, and took him out for q
race once in a while, and gave him
plenty of exercise all the year round.
The oLher day man with a blue
coat on came into the yard leading a
quadruUed all covered by a military
blanket, and stumped Uncle Sam to
change horses. The Uncle lifted a
corner of the rag and exclaimed, IL
know this ugly beast well enough
it's old DEM that raised hob with
me SO many years ago. He's got the
hind legs of kangaroo, the fore legs
of u giraffe, the back of camel, the
stomach OF an ostrich and the mouth
of a crocodile. I've had enough OF
him and besides, my horse Rep is
good enough for me-"
But" said the man in blue,
you've had Rep for twenty years.
It's good plan to change once in a
WHILE"
"Well," said Uncle Samuel,"I had
DEM most of the time f)r thirty
years, and l think l know his gait.
He knocked everything to flinders
when he left, and l wouldn't trust
him again."
"Ips all in the rider" said the