Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-03-11
BUYING OFF
A REBEL
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1914, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

John Noyes. farmer, had lived to be
forty-five years old without finding
much to kick at. He had a good wife,
good health, and he made d profit ev-
cry year.
Sometimes when election came
around he drove to the polls and vot-
ed, and sometimes he didn't. He had
no interest in politics. He belonged
to certain party because his father
and grandfather had. If his party won
out all right; if it lost all right 1t
was nothing to the farmers gain either
way.
Take it all in all, John Noyes was
as content as any man in America. and
when he happened to think Of it he
said to his wife:
Il guess it's purity good country
to live in"
And they went right along believing
that and wondering why other folks
kicked until one fatal night when
tin peddler was taken in as a guest
The peddler was Ii man of CAB out
side of the CAB he had to use in his
business. He was also a politician, or
thought he was. He likewise boosted
that he was a Socialist of the deepest
dye. and he carried with him and
handed out to whoever would take
them a stock of pamphlets entitled:
Are You Slave" rs Freedom a
MYTH" did Our Grandsires Die In
vain" "Will You Tamely Submit to
the YokeY'
That evening the peddler told John
Noyes and his wife some things to
make them gasp. and he had the doc
uments to back up what he said.
This was a government composed of
few rich men. and they were sworn
not to let the poor man get fair liv-
ing.
All the judges were bought and sold.
The great burden Of taxation was
borne by the poor.
The rich were entirely to blame for
the high cost of living.
Let rich man steal 100000 and
the Judge let him OF with a mild rep
rimand and divided the plumber with
him.
Let poor man steal a frostbitten
potato for his starving children and he
was sent to prison for thirty years.
There was much more of the stuff,
and when the farmer and his wife had
read and heard they were aghast.
The farmer had been placid and COM
tent for long years He had had little
to worry him. and no one could remem-
Der when he had been seen to lose his
temper. Such man goes all to pieces
when the change comes. He slept very
little that night, and next morning he
did not go to work. He sat down to
read those pamphlets through and
through. He got worked up as he read.
He exclaimed; he swore; he felt blood
thirsty; be pounded with his fist.
Il wouldn't get all het up over it."
said the wife as he finally got up and
stamped around.
But them burned rich men. Mar
thar
hAOW, uut LlGDDc Lucy Cuu uctp
it"
And them blamed tyrants"
'They haven't tried to boss us any"
"And them judgesT'
"But we don't have any lawsuits"
81 tell you, Martha, the people are
being driven to desperation, and the
cry for blood will soon be heard all
over the landr'
"Well. We'll stay home and mind our
business"
Once started on the wrongs Of the
people, John Noyes was a fanatic.
He could talk of nothing else. He be-
gan planning how to right those
wrongs He finally sent communi-
cation to the county paper reciting the
wrongs of the people and offering him
self as a leader in the movement to
redress them. He defied the powers
of the United States and went so far
as to dare the government to arrest
country would be struck when min
Ion OF the tyrant at Washington laid
hands on him.
After his defy John Noyes loaded his
shotgun and retired to a straw stack
to wait for recruits and the army of
the United States. Neither the re-
cruits nor the army came.
Better give it up, John. and go
back to the cornfield." advised his
wife.
But I'm here to help redress the
wrongs"
But it looks as if the people didn't
want them redressed. and that corn
needs hoeing mighty bad"
The farmer held out for another day
and might have made it day and
half had not Deacon Travis. who lived
a mile away, come over to say:
Hey, John. ! don't want this coun.
try all mussed up jest now"
But the tyrants must be wiped out"
was the reply.
81 know, but don't wipe 'em jest
now. Put it off another year."
II don't see how ] can"