The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-12
"A MESS OF POTTAGE'

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
The cattle owners in a certain neck Of
the woods in this county becoming FESTIVE
under the constraints and compulsion Of
the cattle dipping law, "saunt the word"
and gathered together under the UNI
brageous shadows of the spreading chest
nut tree that protected the neighbour
hood smithy, resolved that the smith,.
who, as occasion required, discharged
the functions of doctor, lawyer, dentist,
undertaken. mllwright, shipwright and
minister of the gospel, be appointed a
committee of one to go into the city and
seek the advice Of counsel learned in the
law touching the constitutionality of that
law under which, will MILL. their crit
tiers" were being subjected to the
plunge the operation Of which afore-
mentioned law did not fit well with their
ideas of personal rights, and personal
dignity.
The smith, as is most likely in such
cases, sought the advice of an attorney
he knew we'll, and with whom, by rea-
son of their perfectly free and easy inti-
macy, he could indulge heart to heart
talk touching this new tangled, highly in-
vasive law. Stating the case to the att
torney, and laying far more stress upon
the outrageous vindictiveness of the law,
and with the more outrageous vindictive-
ness OF the minions of the statute, VINO
arrogated to themselves the arbitrary
powers of Roman centurion at whose
word whomsoever he commanded to go
must go, and whomsoever he commanded
to come must come, than to the operation
OF the law and its processes upon the
critters" the lawyer saw that his best
chance to convince the smith of the
inexorableness of the law would be to
give him, as it were, a epitome of the
progression of sundry laws and usages
through which this very climax of out
rageousness had been attained.
Turning to the smith the lawyer said:
Mr.. Smith, I believe you are a prohibit
ZIONIST and, being among other things,
the minister of the gospel in your COM
munity, you have advocated these laws
which have been enacted in furtherance
of the establishment Of your prohibition
Ideas and Of the inauguration of the reign
of the saints" Yes replied the smith.
but what has that to do with the con-
stitutionality of this here dipping law?"
Patience" said the lawyer, ''let us
shuttle the cards and then proceed with
the game" Well,' said the smith. II
came for your advice, and I want to hear
all you've got to say, so / can go back
Smith, 7 believe the scripture says,
Blessed is he that considereth the weak
and that He that oppresseth the poor
reproacheth his Maker and although it
be not in scripture. it Is as true as the
scripture, that curses, like chickens will
come home to roost.'
1.-THE constitutionality of this law de-
pendeth upon the constitution of your
cattle just as we'll as the constitution
ality of your prohibition laws dependent
upon the moral physical, temporal and
spiritual constitutions of the citizens. and
your laws on the subject have been en-
acted with the end in view of the health
wealth and happiness Of your brother who
differed from you, and who trusted that
the day would soon dawn in which you
would tend to your own business
LAS the poet says. If you wish me to
cry. you must first cry YOURSELF and
you have started this thing, and you
ought not to complain If it is being
brought home to you like those chick
ems which will come home to rOost. You
have enacted laws under which the poor
and the weak are searched, and cuffed.
and buffeted about; arrested, accused and
detained with 'impurity' by every minon
OF the law who has a grudge. or within.
or humor. or fit upon him; and poor.
unpretentious looking man might as well
try to enter the British Houses of Parlia-
ment with a satchel In his hand as try
to perambulate the streets Of Birming-
ham with one"
THAT mans rights against such 'out-
RACES were your rights once on a time;
but you have thrown away that birthright
for a mess of pottage, or, more properly
speaking. pot of message. and you may
go home and thank God that so far yonr
good wife has such good constitution
that some law has not been devised for
dipping her; but you can rest assured
that should the occasion require, q law
shall be enacted under which she sha1l
surely be dipped. Justice is the othT
man ssrights. and when he has none, and
you have taken them from him, you have
thrown away your own
A. LATADY.