The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-12-23
The Cvn1c of the ri,nes.


Even in this age of progress among
the nations, is found the discontented,
growing individual, who, sitting aloft
with head above the clouds, views dim
ly through the intervening fog the
works of less elevated mortals. At
each plaudit of the masses, he with
draws more securely within the gloom
and thus enveloped, growls forth.
Sometimes his growl is against the
nation at large. Sometimes against the
freedom of the press. when with pen
and pencil he caricatures the men
whom he calls great. At present the
growl is directd against our far-famed
courts of justice. This cynic hovers
over the courtroom and sees there a
young man placidly facing the witness
stand. Because of some mistake Of
the forefathers, law has been placed
upon the statute book which declares
that he who wilfuly murders shall be
hung by the neck until he is dead.
In accordance with this mistake an
audacious individual, ornamented with
brass buttons, has explained to the
young man that because his needy
neghbor has been so bold as to de-
mand the payment of three dollars
long due, and has persisted in that de-
mand, even using unkind words about
it, and because the young man in self
Iofa rf fha lyi nd n nd hoe
been forced to lodge FIVE bullets in the
heart and back of his neighbor. there
fore, he, the brass-buttoned individual,
must conduct him to public build. ng
of stone.
This, he of the buttons continues to
explain, is not as disgrace; but only
that his numerous friends may have
opportunity to show their appreciation
of his bravery, by overwhelming him
with flowers, fruit, and pastry. j
Who does not love appreciation?
Even this young man is not beyond it!
But the cynical mortal among the
mist has waited for the subsiding of
this worthy gush, and tries to see clear
ly the court of justice in which the an
cient mistake is explained and ex-
pounded.
The quarreling neighbor was fool
ish in demanding his own. as the only
excuse was that he must provide for
his mother, his wife, and few chill
dren. And then he was beside him.
self with brain-fire. Foolish man? But
he was shot through the heart from
the back!
Certainly. Otherwise he might have
interferred with our young man by
striking from his hand his lawful de-
fense. 4
Furthermore, in the Indictment the
word which should read manslaughter
reads murder; and this fne-faced young
man has not murdered. Not he. Has
not sharp legal-adventurer received
one thousand dollars to detect this or
some other flaw, and is he not in duty
bound so to do? OF course he is, and
he has. .
The chief expounder of the mistake
is proud to return this heoric young
man to the bosom of his native town,
there to be petted and lionized Who
would not be proud of him; has he not
made himself notorious? :.
And all this time the misty man is
growing. Now he tries to make him.
self heard as he shouts: lit is murder
and manslaughter. This young man is
fast, passionate, and coward! From
early youth he has snned against him.
self and others! lie should be hung by
the neck until he is dead! He will
murder again!" But, amid the joy of
the dispensing crowd, his voice is un-
heard save by the technical wit who,
at the last sentence, smiles and muir
murs: "One thousand more for me-"
The cynic RACES and fumes; and to
add to his wrath recalls the time when
he informed the nation that she had be-
come the worlds jest because of her
months of forbearance with the worse
than impudence of the villain who, for
notoriety, had with his bullet slain our
chief, a man of noblest type. Poor un-
happy cloud-dweller! Why not laugh
with the multitude and be happy? Art
thou so much wiser than thy fellows?
-Anna N. MatheWS, tn the Current. i