{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/the-shafter-shafted",
 "title": "The Shafter Shafted",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "book_slug": "black-beetles-in-amber",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": null,
 "container": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1892,
  "venue": "Black Beetles in Amber (1892)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/blackbeetlesinam00bier"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/ambrose-bierce_poetry",
  "file": "black-beetles-in-amber.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4793",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12658",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12977",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15599",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof04bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof05bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof08bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/shapesofclay00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/blackbeetlesinam00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/literarycalifor05mighgoog",
   "https://archive.org/details/cali07webb"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 24,
  "n_stanzas": 3,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 53,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Well, James McMillan Shafter, you’re a Judge⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At least you were when last I knew of you;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And if the people since have made you budge",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I did not notice it. I’ve much to do",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Without endeavoring to follow, through",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The miserable squabbles, dust and smudge,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The fate of all political contenders",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Who fight with flying colors and suspenders.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Being a Judge, ’tis natural and wrong",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That you should vilify the public press⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Save while you are a candidate. That song",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Is easy quite to sing, and I confess",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "It wins applause from hearers who have less",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Of spiritual graces than belong",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To audiences of another kidney⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Men, for example, like Sir Philip Sidney.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Newspapers, so you say, don’t always treat",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Judges with respect. That may be so",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And still no harm done, for I swear I’ll eat",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My legs and in the long hereafter go,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Snake-like, upon my belly if you’ll show",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "All Judges are respectable and sweet.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For some of them are rogues and the Lord’s laughter’s",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Directed at some others, for they’re Shafters.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}