HENRY THOREAU
through its official, “No, I wash my hands of you, and won't contribute my mite to your wrong-doing.” What if nine tenths of the money were well spent; he felt it was the only chance of protest a citizen had thus to show his disapproval of the low public measures of the day. It was the act of a poet rather than a logician — symbolic — but read his paper on “Civil Disobedience,” and, whatever one thinks of the conclusion, one must respect the man. I must not fail to record the pleasant circumstance that the tax collector, good Sam Staples, also constable and jailor, before arresting him said, “I'll pay your tax, Henry, if you're hard up," not understanding, as he found by Henry's refusal, and, later, by Mr. Alcott's, that “'Twas nothin' but principle.” He always liked and respected Thoreau, but when he told me the story, he added, “I would n't have done it for old man
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