Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-07-15
Political Anecdotes.


er knowledge of human nature, and great
er skill in electioneering, than Hon. Rob
ert ?. Letcher, of Kentucky, the present
Minister to Mexico. Such was his suc-
cess in this line that all the traditionary
tales Of stump speeches, all instances of
uncommon adroitness, have by common
consent been fathered upon him.
1t is said, that in one canvass for the
Legislature, about the commencement of
his career, he had very shrewd oppo-
nent--a man by no means his equal in
eloquence, but possessed of winning ways
with the people. Letchers friends told
hlinj with evident apprehensionsj of his
| competitors success in the outskirts of
the country; how that by treating, log
rolling, fattering the women and kissing
all the children, he was carrying all be-
fore him. By chance, the two candidates
met at the house of very influential far
mer, whose support, each felt, would be
almost certain to decide the election
Both desired therefore to get in his good
graces. As frequently happens, "the'grey
mare was the better horse" and these
would be legislators saw that the wife must
be won. After supper they were assidu-
Gus in their endeavors to amuse their host
and hostess both exerted themselves to
the utmost, and as far as appearances went
neither seemed to have any decided advan-
tage. The children, cattle, sheep, cow, &c.
were all talked of and the pride of the
farmer and his wife duly hattered,
Bedtime came, and the candidates
went to sleep in different apartments.
Letchers opponent secretly determined
to be up betimes to assist the good woman
with her mornings milking, That, he
thought, would be polite stroke, for
Letcher, a lazy lawyer, as he supposed,
would sleep soundly till breakfast. He
arose in pretty good season and went out
to the yard, felicitating himself upon his
great shrewdness, when the first glance
at the state of affairs gave him an cleo
trio shock, and tumbled his air castles
into ruin over his head. There we're two
pals already filed with the foaming milk,
and the last COW was undergoing the op-
Grafton; as she had young calf, and was
rather restive, Letcher was making him
self useful by holding away the calf with
one hand, while with the other he prevented
the cows bushy tail from sweeping the
good woman's face! The late candidate
saw that he was "goner," and after a
few spiritless observations, saddled his
horse, under plea of urgent business,
rode off before breakfast. 1t is needless
to add that Letcher came off victorious.
On another occasion his claim to Office
was contested by man who, in addition
to various other qualifications, was an ac-
complished fiddler. His playing was
superb, but from long habit it was done
with his left hand only. There was So
cial gathering among the hills, and dan
cling, whiskey, and storytelling, together
with some quasi amatory episodes among
the younger people, were the principal a.
musements. Letcher could dance and
tell a story to perfection, or fatter a
mount belle to the complexion Of boiled
: lobster, but he could not fiddle and his
rivals excellent music was so glorious in
contrast with the scraping of gourd fd-
dies and humming of banjoes, that
the hill tigers were hugely delighted
Letcher meditated moment-a thought
occurred to him, and in few moments,
by some artful suggestions, his counterplot
was laid and commenced.
The happy fdler was drawing his long
and graceful bow in supreme good humor,
when small party of the roughest " IT,
gers" came up as though they would speak
to him. He laid down his bow, and was
just opening his mouth to accost them
when their spokesman broke out
"Now stranger, your music is good,
but you ken, do better, you've gin US E.
nough of your left-hand fddlin', now gin
US a touch of your right-hand music, same
as yer do down in Lancaster"
The musical candidate vowed that he
could not play with his right hand, that
he was born left-handed.
'No, dog on ye, folks has seen yer
fddlin right-handed in the city. This
yer think is good enough for the hills
Blast yer rufle shirt chaps, say! Give
us as good as yer give them, or by that
horn spoon your gourdll 60 to heat the
whiskey toddy blamed quick, tell YOU"
1t was of no use to reiterate his deni-
ais. The crowd, with their natural jeal-
ousy of the town folks, were determined
to decide against him. His fddling was
broke up, and to save his instrument from
the Vandals, he had to beat a retreat
Letcher remained in undistubed posses
sion of the field,