The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1844-03-28


vhichlbey may nationally see who is really the best
man toserve his country faithfully Instead of going
down to brutalze himself and his constituents, he lifts
both himself and them up and acts and leadshemo act
like men standing upon their feet Thus he is safe from
the peculiar temptations attending an eeconeerngc can
yass. Men who cannot think for themselves, or who
are really too indolent do can be elevated to see
tonal truth inthe light Of other mems minds and thus be
ledto do the truth in right cause And for this reason
men can as readily be led to vote right from seeing the
truth as from mere blind prejudice or brutal nfatua
lion.
Delaney, otherwise clear minded, was 50 eager to
succeed, that he did not see this To readily he was
ledto the vicious practice of being allthings to all men,
OF fatterng the weak and drinking. with th lover of
drihk-the latter class'a very numerous ;one. Alas
more than once did ne SO far indulge this habit as be
come unconscious of any thing
Alice who was watching the progress Of the canvass
with an eager heart that bed with every sneer every
false accusation made in the opposition papers against
her husband found new cause Of anxiety in his chan
ged appearance and manner when he was most Of his
time engaged inelectoneerng through the county The
alnature ofthis change evenher quick perception had
not made out when her attention was arrested one NOR
ming by the words in an opposition --aThe Drunken
kCaLdidaten Quickly letting her eye run over the par
]agraph theyh headed, she read as follows:-
'"We are told thai the great mass meeting 50 much
dragged about at the Gross Keys, was signal fail
ure Delaney drunk that his friends had to take
him from the stand amid Kisses and groans This is
the third time he hasbeen much intoxicated during
the canvass, obe unable to speak. We are sorry
for him. But we told some OF his best friends, when
lthey proposedto bring him out, that he was weak
man, and would disgrace himself and them in some
way. He hasdone it, now, effectually. Both he and
his party are dead We shall carry the election BY an
overwhelming MAJORITY"
The newspaper dropped from the poor wfes hands, she
sat for long time motioness and fearless The shock
paralized at first both mind and body When perfect
consciousness again came back, Alice had keener
heart-achetha she had ever feR The peculiarly in
her husbands appearance, that had troubled her. was
all explained Intoxicated" Could it be possblel
was she really awake or dreaming2 While such thughs
were passing through her mnd her husband came in,
Unexpectedly He had been away for week, and she
ddnot oRlook fothis return for two or three days He
greeted her afectonatey yet with something of embar-
rassmentin his manner. while his eye glanced about
with an anxious expression. 4
"a cursed, lying wretch" he muttered between his
teeth his brow darkening into an angry scow as he
perceiVedahe newspaper which had fallen from his
wifeshand upon the foor andknew it TO be the one in
! which scandaous paragraph about himself had beer
e inserted
Don't talk So husband Alice said, in deprecatine
tone, her face becoming still paler than it was when
! Delaney came in. ft satt
"Why should / not2" he returned, much excited
: Sam made ofiron brass? Can bear to see such
scandalous lies published about me- and not be rousec
into indignation? would not care SO much for my
self" he added, in subdued tone-"but such al
legations go beyond me. Such arrows lodge in anohe
bosom-in your bosom, in fact Alice. saw the para
It graph last evening" and at once returned home to as
sure you if that were necessary that it was base
falsehood As to the election going against me-ha
is all nonsense. Our party was never so sure of sue
cess. shall go in by an overwhelming majority"
As Delaney uttered the closing sentence, he elevated
his voice. while assumed the attitude of speaker ant
gave it with true stump-oraorca effect Alice looked
at him Tor instant or two with painful surprise unit
she was made fully certain that he was even then strong
y excited by drink This broke down her spirits com
pletey. Tears gushed fom her eyes, and she buriet
her face in her hands and moaned sadly.
II is not intention to follow the candidate step by
step, up to the time when the voice of the people pro
himther representative in the general assembly
State Enough that he gained the election but
great sacrifice the loss of domestic elictythe sacr
flee of his wfes peace. He gained the election but in
the struggle he lost those high toned feelings that Alice
had loved. And worse than all, he acquired habits,
and formed associations, that made him less active
Four months at the Capital of the State his thoughts
during the whole time excited from various causes ten
ded rather to wean his affections from his wife, than to
bind him closer to so e-minded being She resided
u with him at H, during the session ofthe Legsla-
ture and noted with feelings that it would be hard to
imagine hisgradual declension from the elevated hon
est manliness of character for which she had at first
loved him. He had become an ambitious politician,
eager for distinction and too regardless of the means
whereby that distinction was gained.
AT the next election, he was again the partys candi-
date and Notwithstanding the most vigorous efforts
gans him. he was chosen TO represent the people
Three years from that time, he was placed on the
ticket for Congress- During the period that elapsed he
had changed greatly for the worse His habits had be-
very irregular and his temper soured towards his
wife, whose pae sad heart-broken look reproved
him when in her presence. They had two children, a
boy and girl, the eldest four, and the youngest two
years old Lovely children they were but their lowell