Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1898-01-29
CHEERFUL MENDACITY.

/ Nluudl Will DlOou III Ills eye anu IL SuS-
picious looking walking stick burst
into our sanctum without ceremony.
announcing that he was an outraged
\ taxpayer and wanted us to stop our
measly paper instanter-
Surprised as we were and noticing
the vigorous cudgel we did not deem
/ it prudent to question his contribute
| ing to the county funds and in our
most urbanc manner we said we sim
cerely hoped that we had published
nothing to offend our honest readers
and would be glad to make satiSfac-
! tory explanations.
Apparently Modified in degree by
the fairness of our proposition our
| irate caller wanted to know if FrakeS
wasn't elected. We told him that
was our understanding of election re-
suits. ''And he's commissioner now?"
We admitted the fact ..Ain't taxes
high as ever?" We had to admit this
reductions). And the official sala
ries are even higher?'' Another adj
mission. ''And the county printing
is costing several hundred d.llars
more than it did under the dad
gummed Republican board?" The
stranger had us again. In fact, he
held the edge and the cudgel on us
all along the discussion and our ad-
missions seemed to excite him the
more.
Continuing he asked ''Doc Jones is
still county physician amt he?" Just
so, we replied. ''And he's rObbin'
us poor taxpayers right and left?"
/ NOW L want you to stop my paper
right off. You told us before election
that if Frakes was elected expenses
would be cut down. You said us tax
payers would be relieved of the bur-
dens we was a groanin' under. You
| said.
We FASTENED to say that we had
never made such rash promises but it
was OF no use. He would listen to no
explanation. He seemed to pc wound
up for IL regular wall and we thought
il dlscredit to let him run down.
~ ou said you SympathiZed with us
poor taxpayers and if we would help
! eject your man for commissioner he
would save us Il lot of money, and we
did it, and now. expenses have gone
up and Jones is Suckiu' our life blood
and you printin' fellers are the only
ones VINO nave made any money by
the dcal-except little we got for
one days work"
/ We admitted that we had read
some Suc.i assertion but
y on read it?" said he, Read it?
You wrote it and l want you to stop
sending your lying sheet. L don't
want it
we meekly explained that we were
very sorry TO lose an intelligent and
and would give us his name and adj
dress we would strike his name from
our mailing lists. He did SO but upon
close examination we found that he
had never been a subscriber to our
paper, and told him SO, which made
him madder than ever.
Nv hy," said he, gripping his stick,
Il never exactly subscribed but you
have sent the pesky thing ever since
the first number and though you said
every week for "a long time it was free
and we needn't be afraid to take it
from the Office YOU sent me dun for
it only few days ago and now L want
you to stop it, and charge the bill to
county printing"
/ We said that we had never sent him
a copy and that il was our rule never
to dun our subscribers, especially for
samples sent without their request,
and that they appreciated our paper
and paid promptly.
Our patience and his failure to get
into a scrap with US seemed to eXaS-
perate him still holding his elm club
with one hand, with the other he
drew from his inside pocket a paper
which we recognized as an ante-elec-
tion number of The independents.
ThruSting the same into our very face
he thundered out, .'aint you the edi-
tor of this thing?"
This was the straw that broke the
camefS back. Smarting with the in
dignity already heaped upon us, the
atrocity of the latter insult fairly
maddened us and warranted our
throwing the Office hatchet at his
head, which we did with all our
might, but in the excitement and
haste of the moment our aim was
poor and he lodged the murderous
missile. This was all that saved US
from the charge of juStifiable homi-
eide.
Misery loves company. Mutual ex-
plantations followed and granting that
each had abundant cause for action
we parted the best of friends.
Before leaving our new friend en-
quired the way to the den of ouEscOn-
temporary which we reluctantly
pointed out with some miSgivingS as
to our being an accessory and accom-
plice to the manSlaughter which
might follow. However, soon after
leaving us, he met one OF the very
gang he was hunting, who, seeing the
club. took the hint and gave him the
wrong directions When last seen he
was waDderinp aroupd on the SOutb