THE TIM BUNKEll PAPERS. 295 



NO. 81. TIM BUNKER ON JIM CROW. 



MR. EDITOE : It may seem an ungracious task to say 

 a word agin this gentleman, when everybody is writing 

 up people of color in gineral. Folks who, a year ago, 

 could not express their disgust of the negro, in language 

 strong enough, are now bawling for universal suffrage. 

 Such sudden conversions I never saw in camp meeting. 

 But I have been in favor of their voting this twenty 

 years ; so I ve no prejudice agin color to influence my 

 opinion on the crow question. You said you wanted all the 

 Hookertown news, especially if it had any bearing on 

 farming. Now you see, we have had a big ferment in the 

 Farmer s Club up here on this question, which is certainly 

 as old as I am, and I guess as old as the country. I 

 thought it had been settled several times, but it is one of 

 them questions that don t stay settled. I expect it is be 

 cause we haven t got upon the right foundation yet. I 

 have always noticed that any unsound opinion kept work 

 ing in the public mind like bad food in the stomach. It 

 wont stay down. Hookertown has spoke and I rather 

 think Jim Crow is settled forever. 



You see these creatures had been uncommon plenty last 

 season, and we had all suffered more or less from their 

 depredations in planting time, and this had been put down 

 as one of the things that was to be discussed and settled 

 in the Club this winter. &quot; Jim Crow, shall he jump or 

 no ? &quot; In old times in Connecticut they said no, and of 

 fered a premium on crows, and the boys used to hunt them, 

 and bring the young ones by the basketful to get their 

 pocket money. Then the men, who were science on birds, 

 thought the crows killed a good many grubs, and paid 

 their way and said we must not kill them. 



