The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-09-20
A ReminIscence.


out " occasionally through poor, perverse
human nature. A man or woman especi-
ally recollects and feels a disposition to
retribute, any insult or injury done, for in
stance, by some strong and overbearing per-
/ son when the subject was young and weak;
or in adversely when the purse was poor
and the spirits borne down by bad luck or
in sickness when the body was enteebled.
! There is an instance PARALLEL to these
which we wish to recall
Last winter just before the State Con
vention of the 22d of February, meeting
Of the Opposition of this county was called
to meet at the Court House, for the purpose
of passing resolutions expressive of the SEN
timents of the persons composing the meet
ing, appointing delegates to said State Con-
vention, and transacting such other BUSH
ness as might seem proper. The call which
preceded the meeting was signed by some
Of the most respectable citizens of the
county-Republicans, Americans, and
Wings, and everything connected with the
assemblage was of such a character as to
have elected respect from anybody but a
dyed-in- the wool Locofoco, pampered by
years of fat feeding at the peoples crib, and
arrogant and unthankfnl toward those who
fed him.
At the appointed time those taxpayers
and part owners of the Court House pro-
ceeded to that building to hold their meet
ing. They were met at the door by a man
they had employed to take care of the
building and do other "Chores," whose
name was John Smith Gavitt. This man
informed them that they could not have
the use of the Court House. The applicants
thinking it very strange that they couldn't
have the use OF their own property, wanted
to know the reason. The Sheriff began to
get uneasy when he discovered that the men
he had to deal with were in earnest and not
10 be trihed with. He then consented that
the citizens should use the Court House on
the picayune condition tnat they should pay
for the gas and fuel, and for making the fire
and lighting up. The meeting assembled.
The Sheriff was on hand with three or four
of his parasites, posted in the middle of the
room, TO make confusion and ridicule the
proceedings. He was the leader of the Dem
ocratic party, and the Democratic party was
in a large majority in the County. He
could, as he supposed, get office for the mere
asking. He had d life lease on an office
worth, according to bis frequent boast, from
$4,000 TO $4,000 year and if a man
couldn't smite the hand that fed him and be
arrogant and dctatorial under such circum-
evidently " felt his keeping" The men who
proposed to meet in Gavitt's Court House
were nobody but Black Republicans
Federalists,' know nothings" etc, and in
his opinion had no rights which the Dem
ocratic party and its grand wire worker
were bound to respect. The Gavitt party
were in a large majority, and could run
over the " small fry" and they couldn't help
themselves.
To show the spirit of the Sheriff and his
hangers-on, they commenced during the
progress of the meeting to make sport Of
the proceedings and to render themselves
nuisance generally So unbearable became
their misbehavior, that one of those COM
posing the meeting arose and called atten-
ton to the interruption in n determined
manner when they became quiet.
The Sheriff having stated that the County
Commissioners had passed an order forbid
Al. of4 .
meetings, committee was appointed to as
certain whether the room couldn't be pro-
cured for an adjourned meeting.
The adjourned meeting was held a few
days subsequently in the afternoon. Ii had
been ascertained that no such order had
been passed by the Commissioners and that
nothing of the kind was on the records of
their proceedings.
The Sheriff by this time discovered that
there was probability of losing some votes
when he might run for office again-votes
that would count as much as Democratic
votes. SO all at once he became very COM
PLEASANT. But it was too late in the day TO
act cleverly, when his interested motives
were so apparent. Why didn't he act like
a public officer should act, in the first in
stance? His conduct showed the nature of
the man. 1t is just such circumstances that
develop the kind of stuff men are COM
posed of.
Since that time, the Republicans, who
composed 4 portion of the meetings, have
used the Court House but once or twice
They were independent, and have rented
quarters. The Bell men have used the Court
House when they pleased, as they have
erfeot right to do, the Sheriff interposing
no objection, because he ,oaats their cotes.-
The Democracy have been using that build
ing for meetings, and the jail, we learn, for
a store-room for lamps and transparencies.
The prisoners may, for aught we know,
II 9 n.