The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-09
SECRETARY uOffo''
How He Paid a Free conner

cal bent. He never s.oPo - .,-,p, htl-
There is withal fashion OF sri n1 naa
nor about the Secretary. inns 'aSa ""
exposition yesterday IN hilu VI ,tai,,r
cial lesson The pupil was heilly o,,tt',ro,
son. the statistician OF INC a. Ter va
Department; the SUBJECT "
Be II known that Statistioion Robinson son
is an earnest free silver man. az
lieves In the crime oI %, ~ n,,d the dol
character OF the plutocrats anu w -
lar of the daddies. What UT. i.opiliaoi
longs for more ferventy tnan an Us rs %
political sort is TO see sh|ei 40 ~
the waters of life. s,..o,,-.. ,or-
ton does not share his statsticians 81
yer excitement, but leans ehuIe'y u '"1
golden end of the argument .,,,,
The past has witnessed many tu' IT,
discussion between the Secretary ana lne
sfatisficjan. wherein the secretary up
held gold with his usual Vigor. anu M.
Robinson did doughty, vaiorous ra,,ie lo'
the pure white monrw now iha s "a. ~
as he declares I'm slavish bonds pE lnc
money task-masters of Wall street FROM
first 10 last. Mr. Robinson has consist
emily denounced this serfdom on silver
and declared for its emancipation. 49,.
The ardor OF his statistician wrousIt
on tho Secretary TO such an extent Tia
he deemed IL a shame tnat 50 sVou d no, a,',',,
and so valued an Official snouiu lio' 80
his way For Mr.. Robinson. at leas',
silver should be free; his hearts h'nsti
should be fed slavery In nnance nEouln
be for MIN abolished. So resolved "le
Secretary. .. -. fro
mari of Secretary Morton were arrived az
during the past thirty days, wnlle MI.
Robinson was abroad in the land on LIS
vacation. In their fuliillment Se-retais
Merton sent over and drew MI hoDah-
sons etipend for the last month. The
Secretary reasoned justly tnat the H'st
thing a man OF Mr.. Robinson nioau
sort would need after his return i so bs
vacation would be his salary. 20 ne
thcughtfully got it ready. 49,
IL was all in silver: for. as stated. the
Secretary was confident Mr.. kopluson
would be glad to have II so. He woum
not only get his money, but would tIl-
umph In seeing It freely paid to him IN
the metal for which he thought ana
Mr.. Robinson's salary for a month
weighed about. twelve pounds. II was
tied up in a back number canvas bag
VI ich In better. happier days held pltd
shot When tightly knotted win MI.
RobinsOn's snug salary in a compact
lump. it was about the size OF Mr.. Rob
Yesterday it was that. his glad vacation
over. Mr.. Robinson returned. AS was
expected by the Secretary. he sought
his money promptly. He was told by the
dlsbursing clerk that the Secretary had
Il ready for him, and would give 1t TO
him with his own hands.
This. while II had a strange. still car
ricd an honorable sound. and Mr.. ROBIN
sc n repaired to his friend OF the CABINET
not a little flattered 10 think the Secre-
tary took such a personal interest IN see
ing him set his money.
''Ye- certainly" said Secretary Nor
ton when Mr. Robinson appeared and
craved the wealth due him. i've had II
ali ready for week. While you were
away | was struck by the unfalrness OF
the government in not paying you silver.
| felt that il was simply just and i-ght
n Ia SnOliiU
spected. To you, with your feelings on
the subject. silver should be irce the
more especially as there are millions ana
millions of silver dollars lying idle ~ the
Treasury which the government canJast
as well make free to you as not. Know
ing from what we've often talked that
you would like II that way I've made
them give me your salary IN silver ana
here II -"
At this crisis Secretary Morton sudden
~ bestowed upon MS staustlclan the
shot bag full Of lucre. Mr.. Robinson IN
the excitement consequent on his first
feeling Of glad surprise, let The lz-pound
bundle set through his hands IL struck
the floor with a dull. sickeninS thud. La
bcTers at work in the basement came w
20 ask the trouble. They thought it was
the preliminary canter OF another tords
Theatre disaster On being told II was
only small transaction in free silver,
they shook their heads In a FASHION OF
dumb coubt: and after a bit being as
one who would be paid off that day, thCy
went back in the basement To their WORK
you don't can it, was Mr.. Robin-
sons ioyful ejaculation as the secretary
gave him his months load.
81 do. though. responded the secretary.
BE careful there. Robinson. you'll lei IL
fall on your feet We don't want you
crippled lust as YOU return. And surely
we don't want YOU 20 fall a victim 10
your loyalty 10 free silver.
Mr. Robinson laughed what he meant
should be low, Joyous, laugh. Good
iudces who listened said however II
sounded hollow and held a note OF pain.
1t was the melancholy laugh which a
boy emits when he has his head in rain
barrel.
he concealed it, even as the Grecian
youth let the fox eat his heart out before
he would disclose how he felt about II.
Taking his onerous stipend in his hand,
Mr.. Robinson bore IL 10 bank. lie
would change IL into paper or soln' oi
something less emphatic.
But the bankman took no JOY in silver.
He wasn't a plutocrst. but he didn't
want Mr. RobinsOn's silver. He said ne
didn't want II for the same reason that
he didn't want ton or COAL ne hau"
room for It.
Mr.. Robinson tried another bank. ana
still another They shook their sage,
money-counting heads. They didn't yearn
for silver. IL was too yolumin0us. too
vigorous. and too majestic money ior
them. They wanted money Wnicn, "hle
assuming less and taking up less room.
meant more on the counter and In the
vault
For perspiring hour Mr.. Robinson ran
about with his shot bag full OF salary.
weighing twelve pounds. IL was like the
old man of the sea. and Mr.. Robinson
felt like some Sinbad OF silver.
1t was breaking him down. yet he
couldn't get rid OF II.
At last he went 10 Dank Where
friend prevailed as cashier.
II want 10 remove this transaction,
said MIR. Robinson, as ne mopped MS
face and looked sadly al his cashier
friend. II want 10 remove TINS trans
action from what we might call the realm
OF business and put IL on the plane OF
charity | merely ask you as friend
to take this stuff from me and give me
bills and drafts instead. Do this In SIM
ME mercy to a man whose sufferings are
more than he can bear. I've carted TINS
dead weight around for an hour; l can't
get rid OF 1t. rye debts to pay out OF
town. As a refuge and last hope turn
10 you In you love me relieve me OF TINS
dread shot bag and give me paper. goIa'
rreenbacks. anything but silver"
As a favor not as a transaction In bus
mess. the cashier whose heart was
touched by Mr.. Robinson's distress. re-
iieved him OF hts load and gave him the
paper he asked for