Jim Thomas, grandpa said; and a lot of white houses, and a
big store, and this wagon shop which was also a blacksmith shop. We
separated now. Grandma and ma and Myrtle went to the store, and grandpa
and me to the wagon shop.

The wagon maker was a big man with bushy hair and he was tickled to
death to see my grandpa. The wagon was all done, all except puttin' in a
few bolts. It shone like a lookin' glass, all varnished up with pretty
pictures on the sides, and the man said it would be ready in an hour. So
grandpa said he'd go to see a man about the temperance work, and I could
go with him or stay around. So I stayed to see the wagon finished.

I hadn't noticed a man sittin' on a bench in the shop and whittlin'; but
when grandpa was gone, he said to the blacksmith, "Ain't that Squire
Kirby?" (they called grandpa squire because he had been Justice of the
Peace onct); and the blacksmith said "yes"; and the man said: "I
suppose he's sincere. I suppose so, but that ain't the whole story. He
gets used by people who ain't sincere, who want law about temperance,
but don't want it about somethin' else. It's a hell of a country," he
went on, "everybody is talkin' about law and about enforcin' the law,
and everybody is breakin' the law himself. Take Porky Jim Thomas, they
make an awful fuss about his sellin' to habituals or anything, and look
at it: who sells Porky Jim adulterated stuff, who allows it to be sold
to him? Are the revenue agents obeyin' the law? No, they ain't. Go right
down the list. Congress don't obey the law--they don't obey the
constitution. Yet they're always talkin' law and denouncin' law
breakers. Do the judges obey the law? No, they don't--they talk about it
and make other folks obey what they say is the law. And everywhere you
go you hear about law breakers from people breakin' the law
themselves--they're all breakin' it, and them that's highest is breakin'
it most--and it's just like ants climbin' over each other--that's what
it's like--and it ain't worth a damn. Look what the city folks do to the
farmers. And take the mine owners--they don't obey the law, they don't
prop their ceilin's and protect their men as the law says. And now
they're goin' to strike over at Springfield, and you hear talk of the
law and they're goin' to call out the guards. And look at me--losin' my
farm through the law--just look anywhere you want and you'll see the
same thing--everybody hollerin' law and nobody obeyin' it himself."