The news & observer., 1897-02-11
"A PRETTY QUARREL"
"WE SHOULD ONLY SPOIL iT BY
TRYING TO exPLAsN IT,"
Col. Green Calls Upon the State Press
to Let Those in the Quar- as
Severely Alono as Possible.

10 the Editor: "rhe quarrel is very
pretty quarrel as it stands; we should
only spoil it by trying to explain it,
ouoth. fiery and phiIosophic, Sir Lucius.
Res; your soul in peace, my unsophisti-
Gated friend, this one will result in as
little ignition of villainous saltpetre be-
twe.,a the doughty disputants, as did that
when "ferocious Bob marched on the
field and then marched off again. This
''veiy pretty quarrel is strongly sug-
gestiye of a triangular cur quarrel. Did
you ever see one? The creatures come
together with apparent insatiate ccaving
for dog meat, wIjn sOnorous groWl, terrific
fang and bristling name and tail. 1t
looks like war TO the unlnltlated, and
yet the quarrel is soon explained. Each
calls the other in dog Latin, = snarling
hound, and the retort courteous comes
back, You're another" and then by
common consent they settle their pretty
quarrel in the inevitable and well-known
cur style of pacifcation. 1t has its coun-
terpart in the poultry yard, when three
pugnacious turkey cocks, with tails erecr,
strut, strut, strut and gobble gobble,
gobble; but with due consideration they
respect each others plumage.
Such is the usual style of a two-legged
speciment of animated nature, without
fur and without feathers. They, too,
strut around and gnash their teeth, and
''bite their thumbs" and make wry faces
at each other until the time comes for
A r. 9TH Hav frvx-
and then they kiss and are friends again,
and then they will roar you as gently
as any sucking dove" Self interest,
real or hoped for will heal all chickering's
and heartburnings for the time. AS
poor old George, the III, once said OF
another: Fox never had any principle,
and can therefore act as his interest may
guide him."
Recurring to the quarrel OF the text.
Let casuists rejoice as they may over
the death of the duello, there are some
who hold that it was not an unmitigated
evil. 1t kept cautious tongues within the
teeth Of blatherskites in their intercourse
with gentlemen, and was a check on pub
lie mud-slinging in their dealings with
each other. Their dirty linen had then
to be washed in the backyard instead
of in public gaze, offending the eyes and
nostrils of decent people Their paltry
squabbles had then to be aired in their
own noisonle purheus for the edifcation
OF congenial souls instead of on the
house top to the disgust of passers-by;
or TO sum up in word, the better por-
ton of the reading public raise their
voice in united protest against these
windy vaporings of noboddies. They
have had a surfeit ad nanseam of them
and their doings. They call ON you, gen.
tlemen of the State Press, In sheer
desperation, to let up little upon them.
In other words, let them as severely
alone as possible. To continue ON in the
present rut might run counter to the
warning Of "Sir Lucius," of the hair
trigger, and spoil by explanation very
FUNNY, il not very PRETTY quar-
rel; if not forced under the nose too
often. Amplification of the subject mat
ter is likewise urged in bar. We crave
in pity, give US a let-up on dog-hghts,
and slugger matches, and football row.
dyisms and such hike. To such, as must
exploit themselves in print, and some
there be who must, Mirabeau's hurl back
to the mountain" when his head was
hinging in the balance, is suggestive. 81
am fully aware that from the capitol to
the Tarpeian is but a step" To apply: |
From the capitol to Bladensburg is but |
a short hours ride" and many good and |
noble men, and brave and true, have
taken it, and not a few have failed to |
To their credit, be it said, they |
spared their country, needless billings |
gate and mock heroics, and their posterity |
the imputation attendant. To such as |
aspire to follow in the wake of their par |
example on minimum OF |
essential makeup, the injunction is given, |
go and do likewise and spare the world |
further annoyance of buster and rhodo- |
montade w. J. GREEN. |
HER LAST MESSAGE.