The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-08-31
way you could tell 'em apart was
to put your finger into LENS mouth
and if he bit yer twas Dave. =
IAwiston Journal.
NATIONAL BIRD.

"A JCW O0yo 06V We AVAAAAAss"~S 49,
mosquito for the honorable office
of national bird. Since that time
we have received many communi-
cations on the subject, some agree
ing with us, some differing from US,
and one very vehemently abusing
us and our nominee. The writer Of
that communication a person asso-
ciated with the present administra-
tion) asserts that "the eagle is the
proudest bird that flies," and calls
upon US for some reason why he
should not be continued sin the
office which he has so long and so
creditably filed"
Well, there is ample reason. In
the first place, rotation in Office,
and especially rotation out of Office,
is one of the fundamental ideas of
republican institution. 1t is ut
terly undemocratic to suffer one
bird to remain in Office. until he
comes to feel that he holds the po-
sition, as kings think they hold
theirs, by divine right and appoint
ment. We might enlarge to very
great extent upon this phase of the
question and present unanswerable
objections to perennial and undis-
puted occupancy of office by any
bird. but our present purpose is to
consider the eagle PER Sc and apart
from these ojections. The ques-
tions are: Is he the proudest bird
that flies? What has he done to be
proud Off Has he administered
the affairs of his high and honora-
BILE Office wisely, honestly, efh-
GENTLY? Does he merit our re-
spect and our continued suffrage?
And in answering these questions
we must decline to grovel among
such gross partisan epithets as
those employed by our opponent
against our nominee, the mosquito.
We shall not call the eagle pol
troon. If the record of his admin
istration proves him to be one, it is
his fault and not ours. We shall
make no unsupported charges, re-
sort to no fapdoodle rhetoric, make
no appeals to the emotions of men
or their coarser passions. In short,
we shall present the eagle as he is
and let our readers judge him by
his deeds.
For more than a century the eagle
has been permitted to sit upon the
shield and hold the fasces of the
greatest nation known to history of
modern time. For more than q
century he has heard the ringing
plaudits of a mighty people. From
Plymouth Rock to proud Niagara !;
from proud Niagara to Maiden's
Leap; from Maiden's Leapto craggy
Rocky's range, and thence adown
the slope, cen to the rolling waters
of the Sea of Peace, the eagles
name has been the subject of our
songs, the theme of patriotic utter
ance. We have named him Bird of
Freedom. We have bowed within
the shadow of his outspread wing
and sworn allegiance to him. We
have glori6ed him with all the rich
profusion of the Independence-Day
oration. We have set him high
above all other birds, beyond the
ken of lowly beasts, and crowned
him with the wreath of all our
splendid victories. We have housed
him ir the palace of the sky's en-
pyrean blue and paid his rent. We
have placed within his talons the
grandest banner of all time and
bade him wave it's stars and stripes
where all the nations of the earth
might look in speechless awe or
uttered admiration. It would seem
that a bird with all this prestige
and all this encouragement could
not fail. 1t would seem that his
pride would rise above the selfish
vanity which goes before destruc.
ton. But what has the eagle donei
Now and then lie has descended
from his lofty throne and snatched
a timid, bleating lamb from out the
frightened flock. Here and there hi
has nipped a tender young Amer
lean from out his cradle meath thu
farm-wife's vine and borne him of
IN feed his flesh to other eagles
that they in turn might in like
manner pay the debt of gratitude
all eagledom so long has owed this
generous American people. Ha'
the eagle ever swooped down upor
an armed foe come hither to invade
our land? No; he has perchet
himself on some convenient heigh
beyond the fear of harm, unheedfu
where the victory might fall. w
might show that our worthy candi
date, the mosquito, is above sucl
, base practices as this; that he ha
; never suffered any foe to land upol
: our shores without assault from
: him. But we are not considering
: the mosquito. We have to do no'
: only with the eagle. What has b
: done? we ask again. just this: II
has retreated. Proud bird of free
dom Faugh ! and Pooh and Bah
The very hen has driven him, frt
from New England, then from tn
Al ~At