The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-11-26
SINGLE TAv DEPARTMENT.
TIE DEVIL TO PAY.

question OF state, the devil came to him,
not in dream, but in sober earnest
And the devil, as is his habit, went at
once to business.
You are in trouble, sir" said he to
the King; shall 1 help you out of ito"
mo, thank YOU" replied the King,
''you charge too much for your help. |
do not forget that my father is still
working out a debt to you which was
beyond all proportion to your service. >"
Yes" said the devil. II did charge
The old man about all the traffic would
beae; but have tried to be considerable,
and although he is still working out the
debt, let me assure you that his position
is TIE most com Portable, in winter, in
all my dominions But that is beside
thequestion. Your treasury is empty, and
can fill it. / will make no conditions
You may command me freely. What
say you?"
"And has the devil turned saint?" the
King inquired.
'tNot by long shot. shall get my
pay; though not from you, from your
subjects"
my subjects be -"
"Stop!" interrupted the devil, 'that
sentiment is not original with you. 1t
is the motto of my kingdom, and won't
permit it to be appropriated with inn
punity, Come, what do you say; shall l
tell you how to fill your treasury"
Yes" Tie King whispered.
'Then, listen. All your subjects have
plenty, have they not?"
"rhey have There is not poor man
in my kingdom. except myself"
GLOW do they get ito"
''They work for it."
''Why do you allow them to work?"
at is the command of God -''
''Silence" the devil screamed, his face
purple with rage and his tail flashing the
floor of the palace till the air was laden
with sparks.
well, them gasped the frightened
king, "they would starve if | stopped
them, and what good would that do
me?"
SIT would do you no good if they
starved" the devil answered, as he gath
cred his tail under his left arm and
opened the window to let out the sitting
fumes. ''But it would do you some good
to charge them for working, wouldn't
it? They would pay rather than starve,
eh?'
Good idear' exclaimed the king.
Il thought SO, ~ said the devil. Now,
suppose you issue proclamation that
no ono may work without a royal char
ter"
yes" the king interrupted, impa-
tiently.
'And then suppose you sell charters to
one man to work in q certain territory
and to another man to work in another
territory, and so on"
"Yos."
'And suppose you allow the owners of
these charters to farm out the privileges
under them
eyes"
"And suppose you issue no Charters
ut all for some of the best territory;
NOli y Ou oOO pilaU .NOu III ECU " lpG VI
ready money from the sale of charters
and have permanent income from the
territory reserved, and be favored with
wealthy leisure class in whose society
you may enjoy yourself?
"Capitalw exclaimed the King, but
before the word was out of his mouth
the devil had vanished.
The King lost no time Having is
sued his proclamation forbidding his be-
loved subjects to weary themselves with
work, he sent for his Encouragement
and ordered that functionary, on the ba-
sis of contingent fee, to draft form
of charter. 1t read in substance like
this: BE it known that his pious and
gracious majesty, Impecunious X. hav-
Ing from love OF his faithful subjects
forbidden them to work without his
command, does now, by these presents,
confer upon his well-beloyed Bylighoto,
lord OF Towmaytokahn hill, his heirs
and assigns forever, full power and au.
thority to permit the good people of all
that territory known as Quad, and
bounded, etc, etc, etc, to work or not
to work, as to him may seem best, and
on such terms as to him may seem just.
Signed, sealed, etc, etc, etc.
The proclamation caused an uproar
among thereople, for the seeding season
was just opepihg; but when Lord Byli-
ghote appeared with his charter in Quad,
quiet was restored and terms were made.
III will give SO much a year to be allowed
to work." said one, and 81 will give SO
much" said another. And in this way
it won't, until Lord Bylighote had ar
ranged with all the people in his terri
tory. And while Lord Bylighote was
adjusting things in Quad. Lord This and
Lord That and Lord Tother were doing
the same in Guam and Quinn and Curl.
And so it was that the Kings treasury
was full from the sale of charters, and
the Lords, instead Of working as they
used to do, lived on what the people
paid them for the privilege of being al
lowed to work, while the Attorney Cen
erals contingent fec was big enough to
make shyster respectable. And be-
tween them the King, the Lords and the
Attorney General enjoyed their leisure
amazingly.
But as the Kings subjects increased
great many could not buy the right to
work and had to hire themselves to
those who could, and many of these
could not find men to hire them, and
many more found it easier to follow the
example of the Kings and lords and live
on plumber than either to buy the right
to work or to hire Themselves ont And