United labor bulletin., 1913-07-26

L
IN /NN demanded to know why the sur
| IT, O:..o geon had resorted to the courts
instead of to the duel The cul-
prit explained that he had religious scruples
against dueling.
Religion" the autocrat retorted. "is one thing;
honor is another" And he commanded the
geon's resignation
In the German Reichstag Socialist recently
attacked William for the imperial sanction given
to dueling. He concluded fierce denunciation
with the assertion that were the royal exemption
from the code removed that the crown prince
might become principal in affair Of honor.
the kaiser would instantly put the ban on such
personal combats.
1t is probable that the allegation of the Social
list without any warrant and that. did honor
permit the kaiser would send his heir to the
field without whimper. But this charge
we'll as the cars pronouncement, calls attention
anew to the fact that dueling is still encouraged
by the highest civilization the continent OF
Europe. though for generations the divinity that
doth hedge about king has commanded that
the Immediate family of royalty, well as the
sovereign himself, must not be exposed to such
peril of bullet or blade. Aforetime 1t not
So Many kings became famous for proves in
personal encounters with the foe. and more than
once duel has served TO determine sovereignty.
There has been nothing of the sort, however, in
recent history. although only skilled diplomacy
avoided an encounter between George I'LL OF Eng
land and Frederick OF Prussia.
King Georges Duel
These two peppery and opinionated monarchs
had a long list Of grievances between them. At
the time of crisis the chief quarrels between
them marriages and Mecklenburg.
Finally they agreed to settle their disputes by a
personal combat according to the code.
King George chose. his second. Bngadier
General Sutton. while Colonel Dersheim to
serve Frederick George was in residence at
Hanover. The Prussian monarch at Saltz
dahl which is Brunswick. Arrangements
for the duel were formally completed. and Hide
sheim. on account Of its convenient location. was
selected for the place OF meeting. Naturally
those in the confidence of the two sovereigns
were in a state OF frightened suspense. and every
effort was made to prevent the fight These fail
ed, however, until the Prussian minister to the
court of St James by a ruse secured slight de-
lay. The interval sufaced to remove the causes
OF bitterest contention. and the monarchs grew
calm enough to hear reason.
Under all the circumstances, that would have
been the most curious of duels had It been
brought to pass. The outcome might have been
either farcical or tragical.
For the matter OF that. there have been actual
meetings aplenty OF either kind the ludicrous or
the CHASTITY.
Combat In the Tree-Tops.
Perhaps the absurdest duel was fought in the
eighteenth century. The Marquis Merle de
SainteMarie was an indefatgable duelist An
other gentleman almost equally busy on the field
Monsieur Pierrot dIsaac. Now, pierrot In
French is sparrow. and merle is blackbird. Out
of these seemingly innocent facts came combat,
for dIsaac, on a visit to the nobeman delivered
himself in this wise:
81 Bonapartist monsieur le marquis: you
are Royalist- the sparrow: you are the
blackbird Isn't there one bird too many7'
The marquis gracefully accepted this suave
statement OF the situation.
"Precisely," he agreed. MY choice is pistols -
And he added, "As is appropriate for birds OF
our species. let us fight in the trees"
This whimsical suggestion was carried out.
The seconds had their places the ground, but
the principals were aloft in the branches OF trees
that stood the requisite distance apart The in.
sugator of the duel was the victim. for at the
first fire dlsaac received n bullet in the leg,
which sent him crashing through the branches.
He managed to seize one of the lower limbs. and
from there helped down by his seconds
But the marquis failed to be discreet in the
time of victory. Seeing his adversary aid low.
he began twittering joyously, Initiating the song
OF blackbird. D1saac only waited for his leg
to heal before issuing a challenge on account of
the offensive chirping. and In this second en-.
counter, which lacked any bizarre feature, except
its cause. the Marquis de SainteMarie Sc
verely wounded
duel more amusing In a wholesome way was
fought In our own country some seventy-hve
years ago. An itinerant preacher named Brown
used to travel through Kentucky. He was a man
possessed OF mighty sinews, and. too. of Ger
tain skill that would have delighted league
manager as the event showed. In his exercise
OF the ministerial function. he ecathingly rebuked
a man of notorious prohigacy, who retorted with
q challenge.
The parson. rs the challenged party, had
choice OF weapons. He selected for each com
Blatant a halfbushel of Irish potatoes-large ones
solid and well rounded. The further stipulations
of the engagement were for a distance Of fifteen
PAGES and the taking of only one potato at a
time from the receptacle.
Tho pronigate protested but In vain Event
ually the two met in accordance with the clergy
mans requirements. When the word was given
the parson instantly hurled potato. which
caught his enemy in the ribs before the man
could lay hold a missile.
Tho nrst was followed by 1--WE others and