The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-06-29

Peck's Bad Boy.
Packs Sun

Peck's Bad Boy.
Peck's Sun.
"Hello," said the grocerymaB, as he
stopped marking higher prices on the
goods. and put the pencil behind his ear.
as the had boy entered "got back, have
you? Now / suppose we shall hear
nothing but California for the next y0.r.
What kind OF time did you have p
Tell US oil about it," and he came around
from behind the counter and offered the
hoy piece of dried apple.
80, don't want to bore you ah1u,
California" said the bad boy, as he flip
ped the dried apple cut the door and cut
off ripe banana from a bunch, and hr.
gan peeling it. "What you marking
your goods up for P'
"On account Of the strikes,' said the
groceryman, as he watched the banans
and wished it would choke the boy You
see everybody is on strike, and busi.
ness is bad, so just mark groceries up
about twenty-five per cent: 10 restor.
confidence. You see, il man quits
work voluntarily and won't let his neigh.
bor work, they can't buy goods. go !
have TO make it up on you folks who
can bny. En- ?"
"Well, that settles you. You are boy.
cotted from this minute" said the bad
boy, as he threw the banana peel on The
floor. us boys will stand at the door
and tell everybody that you have mark.
ed your goods up twenty five per cent.
without jus, cause or provocalion, and
you will be the lonesomest man in the
ward What do you say? Will you
sell goods at the old price, until this la.
bor question is settled, or shall | blow
my whistle FOR the gang7" and the boy
pulled out dog whistle and began 10
blow the dirt and lint out of the holes
preparatory to sounding the loud tim.
brel.
81 surrender" said the groceryrnan.
and be began 10 remove the marks on
the tea chests and things. II don't want
no boycott, not if l know it,"
"Now you talk sense" said the bad
bov, as lie tried the raisins to see II they
were as good as the California article
Nv bat ,ou and all the rest of the blokes
that make living ont of the trade OF
lahoring men want 10 do is 10 lei nature
take her course and keep your bands of
IN this fight between labor and capital -
If everybody ~entto marking goods up.
great injury would be done. These
strikers believe they are doing what is
best for their interests and the interests
of tie whole country. They won't TO
work less hours and have more time to
go around and look the ground over
If laborer's wife or child cores here
to trade, you sock it 10 them for all that
is out, and take all the money they have
got. If the laborer can have an hour
or two 10 spare and come around here
himself, and do the marketing, and keep
his eye on you, you don't dare bea, him.
He watches the scales, and is onto 3 GU,
and if you attempt to play any monkey
business on him, he will put head on
you. He will do about as much work
in eight hours, il be gets as much pay,
as he has beretO'ore done in ten. He
is going to be on the jump, when at
work, instead OF working to kill time
So you fellows keep cool and don't throw
DO obstacles in bis way. Another thing,
pa heard you say the other day, when
the strikers were marching around town,
that you wished they would get in a row
so to Lave an excuse for the police and
the military to 60 through them. don't
want to hear any more of that sort of
talk, either. Calling out the military
means funerals, and widows and orphans,
and mourning, and bad feeling and riot.
ing. AS long as YOU ere not in the un.
dertaking business you must not give
way 10 such sentiments, or will have
the bod carriers come in here and talk
with you. 1t is not so many years since
you were laborer yourself. I can re-.
member when you used 10 drive dray.
SUI pose you had struck for less hours
work. and the man you bought meat Of
had raised the price of meat on you.-
What would you have done2"
kicked him in the head" said The
groceryman before he thought. IA
market man who would do that would
be villain"
"Sop' said the bad boy. "And a gro
ceryman, who was once laborer, who
would put up the price OF tea and sugar
because workmen are on a strike, is an
honorable gentleman, eh7 Not much.
He is a hoodIum," and the bad bov
pierced the groceryman through with q
glance, and pinned him 10 the cheese
box, in his mind.
"Well, hold on now." said the grocery.
man, "no more lecture. No more high.
priced goods Now, tell me, did you
have any fun with your pa while you
we're out west2 Did you paralyEe him
any in the old-fashioned way, or we're
you truly good while you we're gone ?"
20, wasn't any too good. l don't
think boy who has been on the war
path for several years can easily break
himself OF having fun when he gets a
chance ] meant to be good, but there
was so many chances to make pa jump
like box car, that bad picnic all the
way TO California. PAS anxiety was to
see some cowboys. He had been read
ing about how the highwayDen robbed
train. and how cowboys stopped train
op which there was an opera troupe, and
compelling the Indians to climb mp on
the wood.box in the car and sing, at the
point of revolyers Pa said If passen
gers would stand up for their rights In
such cases, and not be afraid of cow
boys, it would overawe the cowboys, and
they would stink away and let the train
alone. He said If anything OF the kind
occurred he should try and rally The
men in the car, and drive the cowboys
away. Well, one day we passed lots OF
Indians, and pa was getting nervous ]
told him the train men expected the train
would be attacked that night, and they
wanted to know II there wasn't some
brave passenger who would lead them to
repulse the cowboys or Indians. as the
case may be. Pa got kind OF pale. and
eaid he didn't feel very well, and told
me it was not necessary for boy to be
hla hh;nr ohopt hio father,a hravorv oil