The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-10-23
Fable Number Three.

In the sunny South there Is Il Dedutllul Cltl,
called Tallahassee and it is the county seat OF
the noble old county of Leon, which is the
garden spot of the State of Florida. In this
city, on Monroe street, is an inclosure, and in
this Enclosure are grown peculiar species OF
Cabbages, which are known as County Ofhces
From the year of our Lord One thousand Eight
hundred and sixty eight up to the close OF the
year one thousand eight hundred and seventy
six, this Garden was operated by corrupt and
dshonorable set of Gardeners, who were called
Republicans These Gardeners kept going from
bad to worse. They drew heavily on the people
for funds to buy Fertilizers to put around the
Cabbages, and, instead of using these funds hon.
estly for the purpose intended dropped them in
to their individual pockets and only gave the
Cabbages an occasional light scratching around
The result Of this was, Of course, that the Cab
bages began to go to decay for the want of atten-
tiOn and, notwithstanding the fact that the Re
publican Gardeners were drawing a heavy Fer
tilizer Fund from the people on each one hun
dred dollars worth of property that they owned,
the Cabbages were, in the year one thousand
eight hundred and sevcnty-siX, nothing more
than sickly, struggling worm eaten stalks. The
people had stood this oppression, fraud and cor
rupton from the Gardeners as long as human
nature could endure, and near the close of that
year they rose up in mighty indignation and
threw the Republican Gardeners over the Garden
Wall They then employed as Gardeners num-
Der of men who were called Democrats. The
new Gardeners went faithfully TO work, and I'M
der their hands the Garden took on new life
the Cabbage began to grow and form into solid
heads and with each year the demands Of The
Democratic Gardeners for funds to Fcr,ize
the Cabbagcs grew less. The people were well
pleased they saw that the Gaydcn was being
faithfully cultivated that the Cabbage were
becoming larger and tirmer each year, and that
100 at much lighter cost 70 them for keeping
up the Garden than when the corrupt Rcpub-
licans were allowing The Cabbages to 60 0 decay.
But what had become Of the cX Gardeners
who were called Republicans: Had lhcy lett
the country in shame: Some had bat others
remained behind and each year they would Sip
around and try to pull down the Democratic
Gardeners fences; but the Democrats were on
the alert, and whenever the Republicans sue
ceeled in pulling off paing they good ma
turedly walked up and nailed it back When
the Republicans saw that the Democrats looked
after their Fences carefully they almost lost
hope But, in the year one thousand eight hun
dred and eighty eight, the Cabbage had grown
so large and tempting that the Republican cx-
Gardeners felt around for some scheme by which
they could catch the Democratic Gardeners off
tneir guard. Finally one Jonn f .gan hatched
up what he thought to be dandy dodge He
n
and they danced in diabocal glee; for they
thought it would surely work. The scheme
this: La the county were number Of sim
pie, blind Molcs, who had nothing much to offer
in the way of special shTcwdness but they we're
gifted with the power of burrOwing under ground
and this was just what the Republican schemers
wanted-they wanted the Moles to burrow un-
der the Democratic Fences and get into the
Garden where the Big Cabbages grew. They
saw the Molcs and the poor simple, blind things
were deluded by the promise of the nice, tender
Cabbage roots that they would find in the Gar
den The Republican scheme was for the Moes
to burrOw under the Fences and nibble away
the Roots of the Cabbage, which as we have
said, were of the County Office variety, and,
after the Roots had become weakened, they
would creep up to the Fence pull off paling,
and with Crooked Sticks, pull the Cabbages over
within their reach.
The Moles started out on their underground
journey to the Cabbage Patch, and felt good over
the tempting meal which they thought would
soon be theirs, but they doomed to a bitter
disappointment. At the root OF each Of the
Cabbages was a strong steei-trap, which was
called Public Opinion, and, as the Molcs showc,
their noses above ground, the strong laws of
the seel-traps closed down upon them and
crushed them into the dus: When the Demo-
cratic Gardeners made their daily rounds of the
garden they found the poor wounded, dirt
bedraggled Moles, and threw them over the
Fence. The Republican ex-Gardeners, who
were sneaking around outside, instead of feel
ing sorry for their poor simple Tools, pounced
upon them with cruel cuffs and blows, because
they had failed to capture the Big Cabbages for
them. The poor Simple Moles then skunk off
to themselves, conscience stricken-but too
late.
moral They who blndly allow themselves
to be made the tools of evil minds must expect
to be crushed into the dust by h-nest public
opinion.
Laundried and Unlaundried Shirts.