The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-01

| when Senator Kirke called on me one
day. He was a fine man, suh-a Schol-
ar and a gentleman He is remem-
| bered in my state for his efforts in the
cause of education. He entered my
| room with a bland smile on his face,
and his voice was mildness itself as
he held out his hand and said:
Colonel Bunker, what friend of
yours shall I send a friend of mine
| to?"
. That's according to the business
in hand 1 replied. If it is legisla-
ton
But it isn't. I thought you might
like to meet me at sunrise tomorrow
nawnin'.'
oh, 1 see. Well, Majah Harper
will act for me-
- beg your pardon, Colonel he
went on, if 1 put you to an inconven-
fence, but 1 am a friend of the mewl,
and can't stand idly by and see him
done an injustice. Your bill strikes at
his very soul, sub. In a single month
he would not have an aim or an am
bition left. Nature made the mewl to
bray, the same as she made the night
ingale to sing His bray may not
please you, but he does the best he can
with the facilities at hand Tie a brick
to his tail and you humiliate him. Stop
his brayng and you cut out a part of
his identity. Everything on the face
of this earth, sub, has rights, and
am heah to champion the mewl in his. =
speaking in levity," said the colonel,
but before he finished realized that
he was in sober earnest. We parted
in courteous manner to meet next
naWnin' as the sun showed his face.
Being the challenged party, 1 had Sc
lected rapiers. I not only had doubt
If the senator had ever had one in his
hand, but I intended simply to disarm
him and let it go a that. He didn't
seem a bit put out over the weapons.
a a r1fe la III s.
way he handled his that he was no
stranger to 1T.
4 may tell you. sub, without
egotism, that at that time I was ac-
counted a first-class swordsman, and
would have said that there was not my
equal in the state. There was a sur
prise in store for me. No sooner had
We crossed blades than the senator be-
gan to press me In five minutes he
had pinked me twice and in seven he
ran his blade into my shoulder and dis
abIed me. My chagrin and humiliation
were almost more than I could bear.
1 was laid up for a month, a subject
of ridicule all the time and every day
the senator sent me bouquet and his
compliments. When I got out the bill
was dead beyond resurrection. Per
haps it was just as we'll. have since
had reason to know that if you choke
off the bray of a mule you kill his
spirit. The senator was also right in
regard to nature. She gave the oriole
his song and the mewl his bray, and
one has Just as much right to exercise
his voice as the other.
being reelected to the senate. had
another bill in view and in good time
introduced It. In the south, sub, as
you must know, the razor-backed
hawg runs at large most of the year.
He is expected to shift for himself and
to take care Of himself. He is a fruit
full source of temp tation to the negro.
He couldn't be run down in a hundred
years. but he can be trapped or shot
The negro who wouldn't steal bacon
from a smekehouse will do anything
to capture fresh pork He is sent to
jail for that oftener than for any other
crime. I had had long experience
with this matter and had talked with
scores of planters besides. and 1 know
what I was about when I introduced
that bill 1t was at once dubbed Bun
ker's Razor Back. It provided that