The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-24

and Brer Postum and Brer Grounding
and Brer Mole and Brer Rat and Brer
| Squrl, and Goodness knows how many
| more Of the vermine.
| And whom it is proved that Brer Rab-
bit has stolen cabbage leaves and nibbled
the young fruit trees in the nurseries,
the chorus oil Abs and says, Il told Yer
SOL and then Brer Skunk calculates, Hit
him agin."
Now, Brer Skunk entirely forgets at this
! stage Of the game that he himself Is
totally barred from trottlng in the same
class with violet extract, while Brer
Possum likewise fails to recall the fact
that he generally lunches on dead horses
and therefore is no nosegay or parlor
favorite.
And through 1t all, wh.le Brer Rab-
bits character is being proved so black
that his own ma and pa say, lie
amt no child OF our'n," there slt Brer
Wolf and Brer Fox and Brer Bar as
SNUG and as pious- looking as trio Of
saints.
Butter would melt In their mouths IL
they could Just find time to keep their
mouths off Brer Rabbit and his deviltry.
Before they get through they show. be-
You'd the peradventurc Of DOUBT that
Brer Rabbit finally got to SHINING in
his sleep-over and above his snoring,
too-and that his cussedness appara-
tus made about 5000 revolutions q
minute.
In preparing to be 'InvestieRted'-
and no one holding or intending to
hold public office these days knows
where the lightning ic going TO strike
lit is best to abstain from that
heinous offense POLITICALLY known as
grating
The exact definition OF this word,
which was .orn 80 recently that 1t
hasn't yet Identified it's etymological
parents. is hard to set, lo- none of
the dictionaries recognizes it. We all
know, however, what tho term means
in agriculture and arborculture, and
it Is likewise pretty safe to assert
that we all know what It means In
public Office. Graft-like Love in the
Little Tycoon"-"comes like q sum-
mer sigh, softly DER you stealing" only
the investigating committee usually
charges up the stealing to you, and
deprives the blessin gor all the soft
ness you once thought it had. :
(, Broadly speaking, it is something
hard II other folks know you've got 1t
and their finger isn't also in the pie.
| 1t Is siren voiced. seductive, win
!, some thing which ought to be classified
!
!, wcll-nigh irresistible and needs watch
, ing all the time. Let 1t alone, l say.
! Just when you begin to caress 1t and
| hug 1t to your bosom, the Investigating
committee steps in, and the killing be-
| gins.
Then you are sorry and realize that
everybody was looking, while the whole
world cries II saw yer" And the more
YOU explain. the worse you make
things, for pretty soon you find that
| you were guilty of other sins which,
at the time. you didn't even know you
1 were committing
I IN sooth. after one has been through
| an inquisition Of the sort now in fash
lon. one would cheerfully convict him
SELF or murder. arson, treason or almost
any other imaginable crime. On such
occasions as these there is but one
t .ning man can hope for-plenty Of
space IN the newspapers. He couldn't
find any sympathy If he looked for II
! with microscope. although this chron
lc'er sometimes feels almost constrain-
ca elot to paraphrase Pope and say that
every man is at heart q CRATER. Ger
talnly the instinct OF dendheadlsm is
rampant In us all.
!, The, truth is-thcrc's very shadowy
me mat separates the criminal rake
which comes as il token OF homes,
gratitude. True, the most torpid con.
science ought to- be able to draw the
distinction, but sometimes one doesn't
want to make distinctions. When such
IS the ease there's mighty apt to be
an inVestlgation sooner or later.
4 This article, is expected to have :
powerful Influence for good. and to.
morrow you doubtless will he unable
70 get public official to accept eve,
chew OF tobacco. Whether any Of
them would accept the entire plug /,
another matter. -
IT Is safe to predict. too. that here.
after the crop OF candidates will al.
minish perceptihly. Who knows---th,
day may come when absolutely no ma,
Will yield to the solicitations" OF III
friends and run for office. Thls rcsui
yoar-o9999. Meanwhile, beware Of be
ing investigated"
9 s - :slSsg
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