The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1880-09-17
Vidette Shoots Again,
OUTrosT, S. c., Sept. 4, 1886

Is Inat SO Ilckct! OtranSo LnaI
8did not see you there. But then, as
|, said before, I was not watching yot
y but listening to your racket. 1t may
be that you were not tthere1before /
was, Notwithstanding you say that
you were certainly there before you
Ker heard shot from my rifle. 1t
possible that the crack of my rifle
IS not become so familiar from con-
s9e4nual random shooting as to, be
readily recognized by you and tell
ing shots may have left the barrel Of
my old Enfield, and been attributed
by yon to others. Be chat as it may,
did not thrust myself "into posi-
tlon which Picket had chosen," nor,
"fire o few shots with his (my) eyes
: shut" II the first place Picket had
no right to choose place. lie should
have remained where he was stationed
by his supcriors. Vidette notices,
too, that Picket had cntrenched linn
SELF before he began all that random
Or course he had right
% do that, but may not that fact ac-
Srount for my not discovering your
SproNimity SOONER? though. you
s}werc some distance in the rear, your
grille sounded SO dcud Fidelte under
Fstands no,U that it was because YOU
were so well ,mder ground. Did you
know that you we're SO near to
Vidette? If so, then Vldette will
have to try again. Did yoa have a
8la9cciat reason for entrcnching your
3elf behind or near nc and then make
Severy effort you could to attract the
{attention of the enemy to that parLic-
''ular locality? must confess tha,
this eutrenchiug confession has fear
fully shaken my previous convictions
that you wanted to win promotion by
A'Nant conduct. That YOU wished
,romotiOn, | am still satisfied, but
{think now that "Piclset's pei idea" is
Athe old prorerb that ''everythng is
fair in love and war" Fitlc,tc does
not yet change his views so far as to
conclude that the furlough business
was in Pickcl's mind, but his irno.
rance Of the plan for obtaining fur
l'aasugh, and his giving me credit for
9originating the idea, confirms a previ-
gous "dagnosis" OF VideL:e's-viz., l.,
IsRahpt Picket is yeeruit. No sold
Sampaigner" would ever say that THAI
3dea was new. y.s'~ t',.o
] How do You reason, Picket? vi
D dette admits the allegation that he
desires popularity, but it must be q
strange compound Of which the ,peo-
pie of "onr county" are made, ii no
one desires to be popular, ,yexcept for
the very selfish purpose of being
made an officer. If one prefers not to
be an officer must he snub the people,
be cross and overbearing, selfish and
dictatorial-in short, make himself as
aisagreeubic as possible prevent
being made one nol.ns vol,nS? Have
we at last come to 'sthis COM
pieXion," that we have no higher
ERacc, nobler motives for desiring
sy be ropm!a: han shat Of fill
ing some office? Vidette's ambition
"a directed to higher and nobler OBJ
St than that Of office, yet he wants
- be popular, and when Ills friends
1if they are mistaken in his motive,
Ys.s Picket seems TO think they will
be,) seek to put him in Office they
will be undeccived by the very de-
cided, "thank you gentlemen all the
same, but No." so l cannot take
your advice on this point, Picket,
though you give it freely.
Vidette is not alarmed at the pros.
pect Of kcing left alone on sour ont
post In fact if that "entrcnched
position" OF yours is of such vital i'm
portance as soon as you get your
shonlder-straps you will order some
one else to get into it and will still
Rve neighlor. viii you he kind