The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-03-27
BUYING OFF
A REBEL
By N. QUAD
Copyright, 1914, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

John Noyes. farmer, had lived to be
forty-fve years old without finding
much to kick at. He had a good wife.
good health. and he made q profit ev-
cry year.
Sometimes when election came
around he drove to the polls and vot-
q, and sometimes he didn't. He had
10 interest I'm politics. He belonged
10 . certain party because his father
and grandfather had. II his party won
cut all right: If it lost all, right 1t
was nothing to the farmers gain either
way. ...-.
Take It all in all, John Noyes wa
as content as any man in America, and
when he happened to think OF It he
said to his wife:
Il guess it's 4 purity good country
to live in"
And they went right along believing
that and wondering why other folks
kicked until one fatal night when 4
The peddler was q man Of CAB out
side Of the CAB he had to use in hh
business. He was also 4 politician. or
thought he was. He likewise boosted
that he was q Socialist of the deepest
dye. and he carried with him and
handed out to whoever would take
them Il stock Of pamphlets entitled:
Are You a Slave?' rs Freedom n
Myth?' did Our Grandsires Die In
vainY" Twill You Tamely Submit -
the Yoke?"
That evening the peddler told John
Noyes and his wife some things -
make them gasp. and he had the doe
uments to back up what he said.
This was a government composed Of
q few rich men. and they we're sworn
not to let the poor man get 4 fair liv-
ing.
All the judges were bought and sold.
The great burden Of taxation was
borne by the poor.
The rich were entirely 10 blame for
the high cost Of living.
Let a rich man steal 100000 and
the Judge let him of with a mild rep
rimand and divided the plumber with
him. =.
Let 4 poor man steal q frostbitten
potato for his starving children aud he
was sent to prison for thirty years.
There WIS much more of tho stuff.
and when the farmer and his wife had
read and heard they were aghast.
The farmer had been placid and Con.
tent for long years. He had had little
30 worry him. ana NO n could remem-
Der when be bad been seen to lose has
temper. Such q man Roes oil b pieces
when the change comes. He siept veey
little that night. and next morning
did not 70 to work. he sat down
read tbo~e pamphlets THROUGH ana
through. He kot worked up II he read.
He exclaimed: be swore: he felS biooa-
thirsty: he pounded with his fSt.
II wouldn't get all het up owe a."
said the wife a. be finally got ~ a1a
stamped around.
"But them burned rich men. Mar
thai"
Il know, but nebbe they can't asap
It."
And them blamed tyrants!"
They haven't tried to boss - ang."
"And them judGes!'
But We don't have any lawsuitS."
II tell you. Martha. the people ore
being driven to desperation. and t4e
cry for blood will 500 b hea0 ~
ever the landr
"well. we'A stay home asd mi.A sw
business"
Once started on the wrongs e tAe
people. John Noyes was q fAnat1c.
He could talk Of nothing slse. He be-
gan planning how to right these
wrongs. He finally sent . commwi-
! cation to the county paper reciung Ne
wrongs Of the people and Offering him
self as q leader In the movement to
redress them. He defed the powers
Of the United States and went % fAr
as to dare the government to arrest
him. The spark needed to Ore TIE
country would be struck when . MIN
lou Of the tyrant at Washingtoa aid
hands on him.
After his defy John Noyes loaded his
shotgun and retired to q, straw stack
to wait for recruits and the army Of
the United States. Neither tie re
cruits nor the army came.
Better give 1t up. Jehn. and 90
hack to the ~corn6eld." advised bis
wife.
but I'm sere to- heap redress We
Wrongs."
"But It looks a. II the people di6D't
want them redrexsed. and that ssrn
needs hoeing mighty bad"
The farmer held ont for another day
and might have made 1t q day anl a
half had not Deacon Travis. who kved
q mile away. come over to say:
"Hey. john. I don't want this cosn-
try all unused up jest now"
But the tyTauts must he wiped eHt."
was the reply.
II know. bat don't wipe 'em Jest
now. Put 1t OF another year"
II don't zee how J. can"
John, you have a bull calf ysu
wanted to trade me for q hog. The