Delta chief., 1884-04-30
PECK'S BAD BOY.

Il don't hear much about your pa
lately" said the groceryman to tho
bad boy. as he showed up one morning
before breakfast, to buy q mackerel.
He is alive, amt he' Is he in politics
yet?" and the groceryman took . small
rusty mackerel by the tail and slapped
it against the inside Of the barrel TO get
the brine Of, and wrapped il in some
thick paper. heavier than tho fish be-
fore he weighed it.
Hold on there. please" said the
boy, who Was watching the proceedings.
and then weigh the paper. and charge
yourself. That IL all right. Yes. pa
wns throwed cut of politics head first,
on two occasions the night before elec-
ton. You see. pa is An enthusiast.
Some years he lis in one party. and
some years in another; just which party
gives him the best show to make
speeches. He has got speaking on the
brain. and il he can get up before
crowd and say. .feller citizens and
not get hit with pieoe Of bricA house.
that is picnic for pa. This spring be
went with the temperance and saloon
people. You know the temperance
people and saloon people sort Of united
on a candidate. and pa WAS red hot.
He wanted 10 speak. The fellows
showed pa that he had got to be care
ful and not get mixed. and they turned
him loose to speak. Tho night before
election pa went in hall where there
was to be n meeting. and he got up and
said wha, the people wanted was the
highss, possible license. enough to
drive out half the saloons. He was
lust going on TO demonstrate what n
blessing il would be IL there WAS only
one saloon. when some one took him
nv the neck and threw him throagh =
winuow. II seems that il WAS n meet
ing of people who were opposed TO any
license, and who believed everybody
should be allowed to sell liquor for no.
thing. A policeman picked pa mp and
took the window sash of from over his
neck. and picked the broken glass out
of his vest and pants. and walked him
around, and told him Of his mistake,
xnd pa admitted that what the people
wanted WAS fee trade in whisky He
said now that he thought of 1t there
was no justice in making people pay
for the privilege Of engaging in com
mcrcal pursuits, and II the policeman
would take him back TO the hall. he
thought he could set himself right be-
fore the assembly. We'll. tho police
man is the meanest man in this town.
He took pa to another hall, around a
block. where thcrc WAS n meeting of
the high license people. and he went
in. thinking il was the one he was in
first He was kind Of surprised that
they did not attack him. but they were
too busy signing petition for high IL
censc. Pa waited minute. oRhink up
ssncthing TO say, and then he got up
on chair and said. Mr. Chairman.
this is matter We are all interested in
and the humblest citizen may
speak. After studying this mat
ter thoroughly, looking at ii
in all its bearings. and sum-
ming up an experience of forty years. I
have come to the conclusion that the
city should not grant any licenses at
all That ticklcd the crowd, cause they
thought pa was in favor Of stopping the
sale OF liquor altogether, and they
checrcd him. Pa got his second wind
and continued: AS long as liquor is
recognized as an article OF commerce,
like sugar and meat, and soap. every
man should be allowed to sell II with
out any license at all. Let everybody
be free to sell liquor, and we shall"
Pa didn't get any farther. Somebody
rthrowcd wooden water bucket at his
head, his chair was knocked out from
under him, and several men took him
by the collar and pants and he went
through another window. The police
man met pa NJ he came out the win
dow. and asked him II hc didn't find II
congcnial in there. and pa SAID It was
too darned congenisi He said it seem
ed rs though there WAS no suiting some
people. and he asked the policeman to
take him home. They passed n hall
where there was another meeting, and
the policeman asked pa II he didn't
think he better go in and try II again,
but pa went on tho other side Of the
street. He said II hc wanted to go
through any more windows he could
jump through them himself, as no knew
better which end first he liked to 90
through windows, and hc thought one
man better than six when II comes to
making an exit from public hall. I
noticed pa came home early that night,
and he sst thinking 3 good deal. and ]