The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1911-03-16


and fight in the open, if with nothing
but his bare fists, he isn't afraid to
tackle, but the slippery, stealthy
snake, depending on it's ability to
strike unseen and to make a quick
and safe getaway, has made man
kind view it always with horror and
loathing.
There may be harmless snakes, but
they are in the class with good In
dams, and everyone knows the an
.swer to that.
Well, the anonymous letter-writer
is the human snake who, from the
safe covert of his desk, and the filthy
recesses of a cowardly brain, is able
to concoct screeds and epistles which
the fear of the Law deters him from
mailing in the daytime. The mascu-
line tense is used, but, unfortunately
there are a number of women, brainy
enough to be otherwise, who also
seek safety for their own skin, in
mailing their screeds and epistles in
darkness, and with no name attached.
1t is we'll known fact that the
average business man of today, be
he lawyer, merchant, editor, CAPT
talist or philanthropist, in order to
simplify and expedite his business af-
fairs, and to conserve his strength
for the duties of his position, will
employ secretary whose duty it is
to open and sort the mail.
A secretary isn't long on the job
before he Cor she) becomes &C
quainted with the handwriting of the
employees friends-also, and Incl
dentally, she develops an intuition
which makes her almost able to
spot the anonymous letter.
There is an individuality about
everyone's natural handwriting which
it is almost impossible to get away
from, and when a man or woman
tries to "disguise" their handwriting,
the fingers holding the pen rebel, and
the result is an unnatural, monde
script chirography belonging to no
"class"-hence, the power to recog-
nize the anonymous letter isn't so
great a stunt, after all.
The Inconsistency of the anony-
nous letter-writer is the most amaz-
ing feature: every public man and
many public women are the targets
of their nastiness and vituperation,
and yet they (the writers) are afraid
to let their identity become known.
Usually the recipient of the anony-
nous letter has dared to have opin-
ions and convictions of his own; he
comes out, fearlessly and plainly,
putting himself on record before the
world as holding and abiding by those
opinions and convictions. 1t may
have taken years of study and re-
search; thousands of dollars may
have been spent to secure the data
which will prove this or disprove
that, but he has spared neither, to
give to the world his honest belief.
Often the anonymous letter-writer
thinks his fragile house of cards was
the one aimed at, when he reads of
an arraignment by public speaker
or writer. Straightway his little,
shrivelled soul feels the brand-and
he gets busy with a pencil, in the
dead hours of the night, to stab with
a weapon he is afraid of in the hands
of another.
1t is a peculiar fact that all the
traitors in history were, for as long
as they could manage it, anonymous.
They communicated with those whom
they would serve, by means of the
anonymous letter. Their transactions,
when they sold their country or their
fellow-man, were invariably con-
Quoted at night, and as the anony-
nous letter writer belongs to the