Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-03-19
SPECIAL MESSAGE.
NuDpIementaI 10 the Governors
Former Message, Which Was
stolen.

Inc - P -
special message" signed Country
man" which appears in the American.
of the 18th:
Gentlemen ofthe Senate and House
of Representatives = Circumstances
render it necessary that | should trans
nit to your honorable body a supple
mental message in regard to some
matters which have arisen since my
former message was written, and also
as to some matters mentioned in that
former message which some of my
friends think might possibly bear the
criticism that the idea" wore the
toga OF ambiguity.
l desire first, however, as a little
matter Of pleasantly, in order to show
you that | am not above entering into
your little amusements to congratulate
you on your visit to Washington, and
TO express the regret ielt by the whole
people Of the state that your stay could
not be indefinitely prolonged. | trust
you have returned with enlarged views
upon all the questions which demand
your attention. OF course you will, in
a great measure, cease to share the
unreasonable prejudice Of the common
people against railroad corporations,
for their little attentions must have
been very gratifying, and convinced
you that they are ne wholly bad, and
none of you ought to take exception
to the freedom Of the passes they
make at you"
| hope your appearance in Washing
ton partially removed the impression
entertained north that very few people
south can read and write.
The first question | desire to call
your attention to is the theft Of my
former message, and to suggest some
remedy to prevent its occurrence
Perhaps if you would authorize me to
offer a reward of a sum eight or ten
times the intrinsic value of the prop
erty stolen it might induce some man
to lose a day work in hunting for the
parties who got it. 1t is not so much
the value Of the thing stolen which
ought to control your action in this
matter, but it's the principle. If par
ties are permitted to steal messages
indiscriminately, after awhile they
will get bold enough to take one
which really has something in it.
1t is true that this message was in
tended to be given" to the public,
but at the same time it was intended
that the gift should come from me
mot some other fellow; and while my
contribution might be of very little
value, still it's mine, without regard
to the question as to whether it would
operate as an injury or benefit TO those
who actually donated it to the public.
Besides this, two of the most impOr-
tant features we're destroyed: The
surprise" which it unfolded, (which
is the soul Of WITH and its dramatic
effect by the too previousness" Of the
denouement.
| suggest that you change the law
and make it larceny, whether the
thing stolen has any value or not, or
whether it is carried away or left
with the owner. | lost it, yet it re-
mains with me; it lost nothing in
weight or value, but the spirit had
fed.
It's extremely difficult for a man
like me, raised in the country where a
man might write a Fourth of July ora
ton and leave it on the head of bar
rel in the backyard during the whole
summer uumolested, to understand
these town ways.
When | finished that message | put
it under me in my chair, holding one
end Of it in each hand, and at night |
sewed it up in a sock and put it in a
"hair.rOofed chist," but next morning
some fellow stuck a newspaper under
my door containing my message, and
when | came 10 examine my sock there
wasn't a stitch busted" yet the two
messages were just as much alike as
twins. | could only account for its
goneness by the supposition that in
reading it over to mys If, some of these
ley -fangled telephones may have got
ten hold Of it, and gave it to the
American.
This is a matter which should inter
est each Of you, as you may wake up
some morning and find your speech
published before you have written it
out.