The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-10-05
CANADA.
Some Thoughts on the Subject OF An.
nexaHon offered by the Poet
Of the Sierras.

Joaquin Miller.
How heartily Ihate that kind of patriotism
winch refuses to see any good outside of our
own 1nesl a must be the kind of patriot
Ism OF which DR.. johnson spoke as being the
last refuge of a scoundrel. 1 found this a
charming, almost matches land to summer
IN when l came here a month ago; 1 found 1
lid not have to pay q hotel IS a day for a
brass band and the almost equal terrible ma
laria, nor half that sum. / dared to say SO
to about five millions Of my friends in the
states through this paper, and for this 1 see L
am being pounded fearfully. Such nonsensel
We have 100000 900 of people. These people
must pour out to the sea. Well, we have no
seacoast for summer except that little lying
between Cape May and Maine, and more
than half of that is malarious, SO 1 have
suggested Canada That is all
One American patriot demands vigorously
why l count Canada so much better than
Mexico for annexation. Briefly 1 answer,
because Canada is healthy physically, socially,
and morally, If not politically. Most i'm
portant all this, and this is obviously why I
have tried to call earnest attention to this
country of the great river. We have plenty
OF malaria without going to Mexico for
more; plenty of political corruption, plenty
OF dynamite revolution, Of instability, ire
hgion.
oeheNe ne, my Irlends, L nave no ends to
serve; l seek only the health, the happiness.
and the solid comfort of my kind. Ihave no
home here-I have no home anywhere. One
spot of solid good mother earth is as dear to
me as another, if well and happy there. But
now that some of you have been finding fault
witt me for finding that good things can
come out of Nazareth, l am going to advise
every one of my people making the trip to
Europe from west of New York to come by
way of Canada.
You can cross the ocean in about two
thirds the time, at two-thirds the cost. and of
course with only two thirds the discomfort.
Come by way of Niagara Falls, down the st.
Lawrence through the Thousand islands, by
Toronto, Montreal, Quebec, and then return
by way of New York. This, it seems to me,
is common sense. You certainly see much
more of the world, and for less money. than
by sailing out and returning by the same
port.
A tremendously loyal Briton writes me a
savage letter, walking over on me for nv
suggestion of annexation. Now, INV deal
sir, do not care an old rusty copper whethe,
we annex you or you annex us. Mainly wha
L want is to sweep away that standing army
OF tribute-takers stretched along 1000 miles
of line. These fellows who wake us up ar
night and shake u.s. shake out our nigts
LIZ "Abh ~ pOSSlDle nope OIL
finding a cigar or a spool of thread cotton
are a nuisance, and ought to be set to blowing
and to planting corn in the west.
Another writes to me demanding to know
Just how l would go about the matter of an
neIation. Well now, confidently, 1 will tell
you. And don't you let it go any furtherl
In the first place l know where the keys of the
great city of Quebec are kepti They hang in
the balls of Mr.. LIE Moline, your trusted his
torian. And now this is the way / should go
about annexing you would fly at once to
Washington and tell my friend President
Arthur where the keys arel Yesi And
my friend President Arthur at the ia
BILE would gently lay down his cards;
maybe a full hand, jacks at the headl Yesi
And he would rise up ana take a broad sword
and a fishing pole and he would stride out of
Washington and on and on and on till he
came to the door of Mr.. LIE Monies haIl Yesl
And he would then pound on the door of the
hall with his sword and cry what hol come
forth and bring me the keys of Quebecr' and
Mr.. lie Moline would what-ho-come-forth
with the keys laid crosswise on a silver
waiter. Then my friend President Arthur,
standing proudly erect with his sword in his
right hand and his fishing pole in the left
hand, would receive the keys with the other
and tie them to his belt with a buckskin
string. Sable John?