The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-07-31
essen to better advantage.

But let us have done with the H1ndO0
fable and its application. 1t has an
swered our purpose, and, we hape,
without imparting offence to the illus-
trious author of "Bulld0zers in the
Court Ro0m.r We shall attempt no
refutation of his able(i) article, with
it's sOnorous title which rcvives rec0l-
lection of the defunct days of Radical
ism and six shooters. You have fully
effected that, Mr.. Editor, by rolling
away the stone and exposing the inte-
rior of his whited sepulchre Of ''bloody
shirt" doctrines, and we will leave him
to your tender mercies without crying
quarter in his behalf. But we would
like to hazard few surmises as to his
motives. We have read of Greek
king whose constant good fortune was
SO extraordinary as to inspire him with
a fear that the gods had in store for
him some tremendous disaster, to
avoid which, and to mollify the sup
posed wrath. of the Olympian Synod,
he voluntarily made sacrifice of q
valuable possession. Now, we know
that the blind goddess has been re-
markably profuse in her gifts to Mr.. c.,
and that he has acquired at her hands
large property for consideration
infinitely beneath its value. Can it be
that it is his desire 70 take advantage
Of the blindness of his patron and pro-
pitiate the malicious ELF Envy by sac
rificing to Nemesis Does he propose
to make q voluntary contribution of
1.-THE of his easily acquired gains in
the shape of . tax for the erection of
supernumerary court hOusef In
majestic phraseology he tell US in his
almost scarlet dyed article that he
favOrs the erection of such, regardless
OF the necessary small expense attend
ant tllereup0n." Now, if che gentle
man is in search OF some kind of i'm
mortality, and in the attainment of
which would ascend the shaft OF liber-
atty, and exhibit himself on the lofty
summit to the admiring gaze of his
parishioners as the incarnation of phi
lanthropy, why, in the name of the
saints, let him do %. We are content
to stand at awful distance and gaze
with cumulative envy and intoxicated
delight ON the splendid pageant; but
we have neither longing nor desire to
make part or parcel Of such, or to
enjoy forced position at his august
feet. An he would enact the role of
philanthropist, why should he desire
to distribute the glory among the
vulgar herdf Why not unlock the
portal of his magnanimous heart and
make q donation of the building in
question: Why wish his fellow -citi-
zens to be unwilling c0-laborers in an
enterprise which majority of them
regard as unwise, unjust aud uncalled
for We might PROFOUND interroga-
tories ad in6Hitum, and end in the
usual
Gentle Shepherd. pray tell me why"
but We prefer to explain why most of |
essary ''small expense" As MIR. c.
does not propose to build the new
court house, we see NO other means of |
effecting its erection save through tax
ati0n-a special tax being levied for
that purpose. That is the sssmall ex-
pense" alluded to in Mr.. Cts article.
To him that small expense is mere
trife, drop in the well of his Col
conda, but to most 0f us it assumes
far more serious aspect and tangibly
upon the question Of bread and
meat, in this era of food, rains and
cent cotton. We have other need
for this ''small expense, and can apply
it to far better uses and more impera-
tive wants than the building house
tor which there is no earthly need, ex-
cept as q charitable institution where
the hypoch0ndriac nerves of our JUS
tice-loving friend shall receive no more
such rude shocks as has produced his
hysterical outburst of indignant pro-
test. As Dame Fortune did not put
as to bed in cottage to transport and
awake ua in mansion next morning,
after the manner of Aladdin
and his lamp, we have had to acquire
our mansions by more laborious and
ess expeditions process, and therefore
need that ''small expense" to aid in
our obligations to the
architects who are much less generous
md far more exacting than the Arabs
magician.
The Hebrew law-giver tells us that the
Israelites wearied of the bread furnished
hem by the hands Of Jehovah himself.
This is not surprising, for Inconsistency
md ingratitude are no small attributes in
he constituency of mans nature, and
owe Of change is potent factor in tine
OF his civilization His as
,irations should always be progressive,
nut we hold that temporary retrogression,
Ike that aspired to by the Jews, Is better
han paralytic inertia. Now, pine hills
nd pine trees, and pine gum figure
Imong the earlier associations OF Mr.. C., ,
md, as childish recollections are the most ,
lifficult to eradicate from the mind, it Is
tut natural that they should at times re-
'ur to him with overpowering effect, and
wake in him an irrepressible desire to
aste again of the fiesh-pots of youthful
ssociatiOn. The luscious fruits of his
iparian home have palled upon his appe-
lite, and the fragrant fumes Of the rosy