The Washington herald., 1911-08-02
THE PURCHASE PRICE
By EMERSON HOUGH

ing himself the latter now IN turn be
gan shuffling a pack between finger.
short, puffy, freckled, and experienced
His stopped shoulders thrust forward &
beardless round face, whose permanent,
arched eyebrows seemed to ask a con
tinuous question. His short, dark hail
receded from high forehead, and a thicl
mid-body betokened alike middle age ant
easy living. A planter of the back coun.
try, and a politician, his capital was a
certain native shrewdness and little else
OF course, in company such as this, and
at such a day, the conversation mus,
drift toward the ever fruitful topic OF
| slavery.
| No, SIR" began the Hon. William
Jones, indulsing himself in the luxury
| OF tobacco, as he addressed his compan-
ions, there amt no doubt about It. Us
southerners orto take all that new coun-
try west of the Missoury, clean acrost
! to the Pacific"
The older gentleman smiled at him.
You forget California" said he. "She
Is already in, and free by her own vote -
An crime against the natural rights
of the South! Sir, the institution of slay-
cry is as old as history. It is as old as
the first settlement of agricultural man
Upon one piece of ground. It's as old as
the idea of sovereignty itself"
Dunwody gave sly wink at his neigh
Dor. Judge Clayton. The latter sank
back in his chair resigned. Indeed. he
proceeded to precipitate what he knew
was to come.
Sir, England herself" he assented
gravely. ''iss the Oldest of slavers
The Saxons, of whom We speak
as the fathers of freedom, were the
worst slave masters in the world--they
sold their very kin into slavery at times. =
The Hon. William Jones was impatient
OF interruption. Comm to our own side
OF the sea, gentlemen, what do we find !?
New England foremost in the slave
trade! Now York, ownin' onct more
slaves than Virginny ever did, Georgia
was fo'ced to take on slave labor, al
though she had tried to do without II.
Every race, every nation, sirs, has ac-
ceptcd the theory OF slave labor What
says Mr.. Gibbon in his great work-in
his remarkable work, his treasure house
OF learnin'-'The Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire-if had my copy here
1 could put my finger on to the very
place where he says II, .sirs Why, sirs
in the Decline and FALL could show
you the very line and chapter II had
my copy here-but it's UP in my room
could show you the very chapter on
slavery, by the Lord Harry! sir, where
Mr. Foote, of the State OF Mississippi,
In his last speech down in that country.
sirs-"
Now. now, JONES'" Dunwody raised
restraining hand at length. 'just sit
down. Don't go get your copy of The
Decline and Fall We're willing to take
some of that for granted. Let's get at
the pleasant task Of taking away all the
money of this free soil gentlemen from
the North. Non politics. non religion, sed
poker! That's why we're here
The Hon. William Jones, his eloquence
this damned up. seemed to experience a
sudden restriction of the throat, and
coughed once or twice. IT viii go against
the said poker just onct," said he; but
ahemi'
II would suggest said Dunwody.
that before we tempt the gods OF for
tune we should first pour q iibation
for their favor. What do you say,
sir7" He turned to Jones and winked
at Clayton.