The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-29

|
The Introduction of my P. and p.
| bill brought a storm of ridicule. Men
| who ought to have been equally inter-
| ested in the domestic economy of the
state and looking ahead to benefit it
were among the first to term me a
crank. The public press seized upon
the incident to cartoon and lampoon,
and some of my constituents feared
that / might be driven to resign my
| SenatOrShip. simply waited and said
nothing, but when my fellow legiSla-
| tors and a smart newspaper or two be-
gan to refer to me as 'Possum Persim-
mon Bunker L thought it time to move
| in the matter.
In those days, sub, had a little
way with me. 1 may not have lost it
altogether yet, but thirty years has
made a change When I was ready to
act walked down to the office of the
Daily Beacon and into the sancturn of
the editor and said:
"'Suh, you do not seem to know all
about possums and persimmons, while
have made a study of them. Why
walk into the country with me? We
will make up a little party of four, and
we will take my duellingf pistols along
to bring down the game
" Good Gawd, colonel, but what do
you mean?' he gasped as he became
interested all at once.
q I mean sub, that I would like you
to study the posSum and the persim-
mon in their native lairs for the benefit
of the public. I have a bill befo' the
senate for the protection of both, in
order to protect our negroes. I wish
you to come out and look into the mat
ter and post yourself. and should we
incidentally measure off IL PAGES and
stand face to face
The next issue of the Banner con-
tanned column editorial in support
of my bill, and some of the editors
statistics were even stronger than
mine. He estimated, for instance, that
in case my. bill did not become a law
there would not be a persimmon nor
possum nor colored man left in the
state at the end of another % years.
He referred to me as earnest, conscten-
no further cartoons of possums hang
ing by their nails to limbs of persim-
mon trees appeared in his paper.
$50 far so good, but there was still
work to do. Senator Jim HarkinS was
bit Jealous of me as a leader, and
had determined to take advantage of
that P. and p. bill to drive me out of
public life. Ridicule was the weapon
to be used and as he was something
of poet and an artist he flooded SEN
ate and house with pictures and verses.
A score of them came into my hands,
and one day 1 called on the senator at
his rooms and said:
" Senator, 1 have come to congratu-
late you on your talents as a poet and
an artist. This work of yours is really
good
L
actly how to take me.
" But have been wondering, sena-
tor, If your skill stops at pen and pen
Gil. Could you, for instance, hold a
pistol steadily enough to wing or kill
a man at IL paces?'
t"'I could try it, colonel he an
swered as he saw my drift and shut
his teeth hard.
st like to recall that affair, sub. The |
senator was a game man, and there !
was no tedious delay in carrying out |
the arrangements. When I observed |
that there was no special reason why |
duels should be fought at sunrise in
stead of any other daylight hour he /
replied that he had often specialized |
over the matter. When 1 further OBJ
served that it was always my desire to
have such affairs over with, and off
my hands with the least possible delay +
ne answered that he was of the same !
We were in perfect ac-
cord, if not in sympathy, and within
TWO hours we were facing each other
on the field of honah.
cit was said of that affair, suh-it !
was remarked of it that it was the
quickest, neatest little affair of the
decade. The senator had his dignity
With him, and / had not left mine at
nome. and the seconds were gentle
men who knew just how and what to
10. There was no theatrical display
10 posing to the gallery Under the .
the senator could have
1ut forward an apology, but he at
empted nothing of the kind. On the
contrary as I saw by his eye, he in
ended to at least grievously wound
ne, and on my part did not mean
or him to escape without a reminder.
I'VE took our places and waited for the
,ount and the word, and was never mo
Iteady in my life. The senator was pale
nut cool and there was no hitch. We
both fired at the word and while l. was
srazed along the arm the senator fell with D..
bullet in the leg, just where I had aim
ID to hit him. When the seconds had de-
Jared the affair off L walked over to my
ival ard expressed my sympathy and Of
cred him my hand, and lying right there
N his back, with the surgeon probing for /,
he bullet he looked up at me and said:
% Colonel, you may be right ABOUT those
,oSsums and persimmons.
" I am suah that I am, Senator, re-
yes, you may be right. 1 will look
nto the thing and see If I can't give you
ny support
fsAnd he did, sub. and though he did
lot appear in the senate again that ses-
ion he let it be known that he was a
warm advocate of the measure. OF
curse the affair of the duel became the
tate's talk and it quickly put an end to
IL opposition. My bill became law, but
vas never operative. It was declared UNI
institutional at the first test and per
aps it was, but nevertheless it acted to
make the people mo- careful of persim-
mons and possums, and it has held our
olored population within. our confines as
10 other measure would have done.
tory Of the P. and p Bill and the duel
nd as this dryness of the throat is some
What uncomfortable, and the hour
GEMS propituous, and as"
And the colonel got it.-(Copyright, 1904,
" t. c. McClure.)
TOWNS FOR MEN ONLY.