The Labor enquirer., 1886-05-15
A PARABLE.
Tho Trespass Board and the JacAaSses
Who Kicked Each Other.

A certain Trespass Board obtained pos
session of lot pasture, on which herd
of COWS grazed. A number of Jackasses
browsed upon the road. Seeing chance
for profit, the T. B. engaged the services
of ]. to facilitate the delivery of the
product, promising better diet than the
road afforded But, after time, the
animal complained that the oats rations
we're to short, and the route too long !;
and that he was little better off than
when he lived on the ditch grass. Alleg-
ing that he was desirous Of cultivating
his intellect, he said that if the route
could be shortened he would be willing
to work for proportionste oats.
To this the T. B. responded: 1t takes
q ten hour route to supply my customers !;
lfyou will not work 40 long must get
me another Jackass. There are plenty
of them grazing on the roadside. Be-
sides, don't see what your intellect has
to dS5Bith that. You don't pull the
wagon with your intellect.
But the Jackass was 80 impressed with
the need of cultivated intellect that he
refused in the morning to be hitched.
The T. B. then engaged another ami
NAL whose hard fare upon the roadside
had made him scabbv and more anxious
2 to fill his belly than his brains.
However, in consequence of the strike
the T, B. charged his customers l cent
more per quart, and they all blamed the
original Jackass for that. He, hLwever,
haw-wawing, took the vacated place
upon the roadside. There with abund-
ant leisure he 80 well cultivated his in
tellect that, in the evening when his
brother was being led to his stable after
his DAYS work, the intelligent animal
cautiously approached him and unex
pectedly kicked him violently.
His reason for this conduct being
asked he said that it was case Of the
survival of the fttest, and in accordance
with the Darwinian theory, that if he
could so iucapacitate his brother the
T. B. would be obliged to engage him
again, and for the eight-hour-route. And,
that after awhile, when his intellect was
better cultivated he would, when he had
frightened all the Jackasses upon the
road so that they would be afraid to be
hitched, be would again strike the T. B.
for his former rations.
The 1nterlocutor asked then, why do
you not use the intellect YOU have in
stead of waiting, hoping to get more ?
Why do you not 90 and Craze upon tie
fat pastures where the COWS are2 If
there is not enough for both, show that
you have studied the Darwinian theory
and drive the COWS off it. The T. B.
feeds you with oats he buys from the
sale of the milk its grass makes. Why
not go and eat the grass at once2 The
T. B. will never give you any larger ra-
tions than are needed to give you the
strength to haul his milk wagon, and
the rations for eight hours will be scanty.
The law Of the survival of the fttest
does not apply here. 1t relates to ami
mails of different species, and the Jackass
you kicked was your brother.
But the Jackass, in heat, said: That
is against the law. Don't you see the
Trespass Board forbids it? Can't you
read? All the Jackasses respect the
Trespass Boa rds, and was in the act OIL
turning himself so as to bring his argrl
mentative end to bear upon his evil
counsellor.
Whereupon the Interlocutor went his
way and soliloquized: 1t is evident
that the lrespass Boards are litter to
survive than the Jackasses.
The Trespass Board overhearing this
expanded its constitutional smile and
chuckled, Il will be able to hold these
fat pastures while the Jackasses kick
each other" GEORGE NJ. SLOAN.