A Question of Privilege
By Bret Harte (Francis)
It was Andrew Jackson Sutter who, despising Mr. Cutter for remarks he heard him utter in debate upon the floor,
Swung him up into the skylight, in the peaceful, pensive twilight, and then keerlessly proceeded, makin no account what we did To wipe up with his person casual dust upon the floor.
Now a square fight never frets me, nor unpleasantness upsets me, but the simple thing that gets me now the job is done and gone,
And weve come home free and merry from the peaceful cemetery, leavin Cutter there with Sutter that mebbee just a stutter On the part of Mr. Cutter caused the loss we deeply mourn.
Some bashful hesitation, just like spellin punctooation might have worked an aggravation on to Sutters mournful mind,
For the witnesses all vary ez to wot was said and nary a galoot will toot his horn except the way he is inclined.
But they all allow that Sutter had begun a kind of mutter, when uprose Mr. Cutter with a sickening kind of ease,
And proceeded then to wade in to the subject then prevadin: Is Profanity degradin? in words like unto these:
Onlike the previous speaker, Mr. Sutter of Yreka, he was but a humble seeker and not like him a cuss
It was here that Mr. Sutter softly reached for Mr. Cutter, when the latter with a stutter said: ac-customed to discuss.
Then Sutter he rose grimly, and sorter smilin dimly bowed onto the Chairman primly (just like Cutter ez could be!)
Drawled he guessed he must fall back as Mr. Cutter owned the pack as he just had played the Jack as (here Cutters gun went crack! as Mr. Sutter gasped and ended) every man can see!
But William Henry Pryor just in range of Sutters fire here evinced a wild desire to do somebody harm,
And in the general scrimmage no one thought if Sutters image was a misplaced punctooation like the hole in Pryors arm.
For we all waltzed in together, never carin to ask whether it was Sutter or was Cutter we woz tryin to abate.
But we couldnt help perceivin, when we took to inkstand heavin, that the process was relievin to the sharpness of debate,
So weve come home free and merry from the peaceful cemetery, and I make no commentary on these simple childish games;
Things is various and human and the man aint born of woman who is free to intermeddle with his pals intents and aims.