The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-05-10
DARBY VERY
MUCH ALIVE
DiscIaims Company Ascribed to
Him...fiiS Views on the Grand
Jury Investigation.
WHICH THE GREATER WRONG?
E0w the CauSs-he Has Been Reading
the fOetS.

fredericksburg, Va, May S. 1906
70 The Free Lance:
"Darby Is dead $50 reads a squlb III
the mouthpiece oi the yellow Dog cub,
and therein the writer of that sqwh Is
mistaken. and again cNcmpliie' the OLD
ada2e that the wish Is iathrr To- the
thought Darby i~ not dead, nor II lie
sleeping. lis the Yellow Dog club and
the unrightcou~ aud seli-serylrg asWra
tions of it's designing Uriglna,orS that
are dead: yea. 'tis the hopes Of hose " no
would bind their iclloWmcn with ron
clad oaths and who would threaten q. ~
To their purposes. and in iurtherancc ul
their prrsonAl schemes with the blhch
list and with reading their names out
h.fnre the meeting az traitors these are
TIA, dead, and the writer of the squlb
that DARBY is dead, ~ published III
the nOuthpiece Oi the Yellow Dog llub'
was near, very near the CORPSE "i the
Yellow Club aud oi the d, ud hopes 81 the
designing OriginatOrs oi the club, AMI
from the odnr surrounding him the para
prapher Justly came 10 the conclusion
that something was dead. Darby : was
NOT the corp-e however. since Darby,
living. has never yet been found IN such
political mongrcl company as necessarily
Inscribed To his alleged corpse, AMI were
he dead. decent scpulchre would hr his
portion.
No. Darby is not dead He is alive,
and has all the amiability usually conse-
uueut upon a clean life aud good hca TN,
and the mouthpiece's paraglupher has
again demonstrated habit ~ mistakes
i'm CONSUMING Darby silence to be- death.
Darby was amablc and charitable. and.
Therefore. silent: the Yellow Club was
dead: the false cry of graft WAS dcad.and
Darby had no desire to kick tlccarcass
aud diiiuse the odor His desire was To
leave it where il was and give the para
graphcr the benefit of II.
30. Darby is not dead; be- has spent his
silent hours since writing his last letter.
not in reading the constitution OF the
Yellow Dog Club but, 10 make con
fession. be- has been reading the poets
those enduring writings OF master minds
of by-gone yrArs-enduring because true.
aud destined 10 endure so long H. truth
lives. and the eternal years are hers.
Let me give sample from one oil the
poets
"Who steals my purse, steals trash; us
something nothing:
Twas mine. lis his aud has been slave
To thousands.
But he that iilches from me my good
name,
Rob~ me Of that which onrirh"s him.
And makes me- poor indeed.
-Othcllo. Act III. s. ,.
Another. from am unknown author IN
the OLD Southern Literary Messenger:
Oh, envy. thou are one OF the demons Of
the earth.
Thou hast peoplcd a-yums and grave
yards with thy victims,
And still thou stalkc-t abroad upon the
land
lusatiato Oi more l,gion- with which To
I'LL the places ln hell
suspect me that envy has had some
thing to DO with all this false clam"r
Of graft: and when grand Jury al hon
est FEARLESS. truthful citizens OF this city,
with Mr.. Geo W Shepherd ~ their lore
man. have most patiently investigated
every suspicion of graft and official I'M
propriety. have Intercepted those who
cried graft. have called for and gone
over books and papers, have sent out
for witnesses Whose names were given
the grand Jury 10y those previously eN-
aminrd. have given thr7-dhNs time Tor
-l-cial evidence 10 be- brought. and they
have found mo- graft. and have so re-
ported To the people of this city, then,
Darby asks. what becomes of the cry
and the crier oi graft on twill be- sad.
It's easy To graft and difficult 10 prove
graft-yes. and tis answered, II II easy
To charge graft without any knoWl'
edge or even suspicion OF graft; ana no
man. or act OF men. have any right 10
accuse who can't prove. II onrr rrpu-
tation * more valuable than one. =
money. then which j. the greater wrong.
to steal ones purse, or 10 men one :
good name?
Mr. Editor. would not hcdiscourteous
To anyone. and am an amiable person,
a. have before stated. /, therefore,
will not trespas5 further upon your
kind readers patience. have no desire to
give freshimpetns to the torrent oiabuse
and the senscless and, with strangers,
injurious cries OF graft and corruption
which we have heard. In the best OF
hJmOr. will quote some more from the
poet. (Othello. ", Sc. -, and
II will be hang'd. il some eternal william,
Some busy and insinuating rogue.
Some cOgging, cOzenng slave To get
some Office.
Have not devised this Islander.