Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-12-07
For Principle.

through his distr ct for the purpose of
slim ulsting polit ical activity. drove In.
to the big woods near Franklin. Dis
covering an old negro. who. sitting on
a log. was anxiously gazing into tall
tree. Inc called out:
elbow are you. old manp'
"Do. sab; 'bIeeged ter you"
81 say. how are youP"
'.Fust rate. sab; 'bleeged ter yer.
sab. Good day."
Here. old man, don't want any OF
your foolishness. aud do not propose
that you shall dismiss mo with such
unceremonious dodgng. What are
you do ng hereP"
"Waii. sab, Use watehin' fur err
COON"
where Is hep"
up yander in dat tree"
"How do you knowp"
"Caze my dog put him up dar bout
two hours TO day break"
"Hsve you been here ever since"
"Yas sab. has dat"
where is your dogp"
''De trifiin' scoun' al dun lef me-
Left you?"
"Yss. sab. lef me. Run de coon
up de tree, staid yere erw' lie. an den
went OFF down yander in de bone-yard
ter eat some kyarn-some o de flesh
o. err dead boss Oar oughter be er
law ergin SIGH er perceedin' ez dat. too.
| tell YOU. Man ia SO er dog like he
wuz er chile, an den he 'glect his biz.
ness an run of after strange meat.
Dat dog mout er knowd | wanted dis
yare coon. but stead o dat, he traipses
off down Wander
"a Young dog. | suppose.
No. he amt Young. He's plenty
ole eruutf ter know better den do sch
err caper as dis yere. Come liftin' or
mans speck tat ons up dat er way, an
den Hingin' EN- down. 'sp re fur anv
fool thing ter ack dater way. IF he d
or staid yare an KEEP his eye on dis
coon | coulder gone on erbout my biz
ness. but stead o. dat he got ter 90 of
down yander an drag the j'ints o da,
olo boss all erroun."
what do you want with the coon.
old manp"
II wants his hide. sab; OATS whit
wants."
How much is the hide WORTH"
Bout twenty-h cents
How long have you been watching
this treeP"
bout five hours"
what is your time worth an hour?'
'Oughter be worth ten cents"
We'll, at that rate vor have given
fifty cents worth of time for twenty
five cents worth of proba bilities.
"How's datp"
"Whv. you say that the coon skin i:
only worth Twenty-Five cents"
"Yas, sab"
"And you conclude that the five
spent in watching for the coon il
worth fifty cents"
"Yas."
"Well. then. at that rate even il
you had the coon now. You would
have lost twenty-five cents"
Oats all right frum er money pin
o. view. but whar's the prime ple?"
IL don see that there is any prin-
ciple involved"
you doan see datP"
mo. do not"
"Didn't my dog tree de 'coon?"
IL suppose he did"
"Doan dc coon know it?"
Yes"
b "Wall. den. ef / 90 on erway an
leave dis coon doan you think da
eber after dis he'll think he ken out
stick er man an darby cause er mar
ter lose principle?'
Nonsense.
''Ob, it mout be nonsense wild yo,
but it amt wild me. IF we gifts e.
coon up er tree it our duty ter Sc,
dat we gifts him down, dat's all.
"Old man. there's an election TO day
and YOU ought to vote.
KANT hep it, sab. Is after di
coon"
IL have a friend who is running fol
commonwealth attorney. and if YOU /
vote for him ! will more than pay Of
for the coon SIX and the time which
you have spent at this tree"
mighty good offer. sab, but d,
principle is still at stake"
There Is no principle involved.
mot fur you but dar is fur me-
wy, sab, ef | wuz ter go erwav frum
yare now dat dog neber would hab nc
mo- conference in me. He could o,
long er treein' an know dat | nebe
would sta, dar but err little while
Atterw'ile he'd fool me jes fur de fur
o. de thing an after er time couldn'
put no conferences in whut he said
L would like ter vote fur yo' man
boss; like ter 'comerdate you, but iii
ware thing o principle cuts err might,
broad swath in our curmunity. III
wuz at de polls I'd vote-wall. Civ,
me three dollars an I'll let de primo.
pie CO."
"All right"
'Dat settles it. Principle suffers il
dis yere nelghborhood it amt m,
fault "-ArkanSa,0 Traveller.