The Portland daily press., 1869-01-28
A Little story for ro.i,sc,aus-The Fate
of Willie Cumback.

Once upon time, not great many years
ago,-in fact, no longer ago tran last year.
one Conrad Baker was Governor of the good
State Of Indiana Now Mr. Baker desired to
be reelected Governor at the election held in
the fall of that year. But Mr.. Baker was
good mana man who had no dealings with
rings" no hand in buying and selling offices
no taste for political bargains. There lived in
the same State another man who also desired
greatly to be Governor,-a gentleman of the
name of Cumback. But as much as Cumback
desired to be Governor. he wished still more to
be United States Senator and to be elected "
that ofsce IL 1869 by the Legislature NO" ~
so happened that he had an impression .na'
Gov Baker would have to make an aPpoih'-
ment Of Senator for a short terin' III conse-
quencs of the anticipated resignation OF Mr..
Hendricks the present incumbent of that
office He had an idea that whoever got the
appointment for the short term would have
what is known among politicians as the SIN
side track for the election for the long term.
So he dropped a pleasant and affectionate lit
tie note to Gov Baker saying that if he would
appoint him (Cumback) for the short term,
thus giving him the much desired "inside
track" for the long term, he would withdraw
; from the Gubernatorial contest To this the
good Gov. Baker-the same man who stood
out so valliantly against admitting to bail two
notorious prize-fghters who had had their
amusement on the soil of the Hoosier State
replied that he considered the proposition cor
rupt and disgraceful, and that it shamed him
that any human being should think of him so
unworthily as to sppose that he would enter
tain it for a moment. . This retort cut poor
Cumback to the quick. and he incontinenty
pstitioned that his written proposal might be
returned to him in order that the sharp-eyed
newspaper men might not get hold of it and
make trouble for him. But it was too late.
The sharp-sighted "lazzaroni Of the press" did
get hold of the correspondence, they did make
trouble, and when the angel who has charge
of such matters recorded the names of those
who might be Senators, 10, the name of Will
liam Cumback was not there!-but in its place
that of the comparatively unknown d. d.
Pratt.
This was probably Cumback's first offence,
for he had been known previously as man of
Integrity aud general worth of character.
When he was in the National House of Repre-
sentatives, some years ago, he was very highly
esteemed. But this Baker correspondence has
killed him, politically speaking, SO dead that
he will never stir again, to use the felictous
expression of the classic Mr.. Mullins of Ten
nessee, "till Gabriel snaps his resurre ction
gun"
Moral-Don't base your action upon the n.y.
pothesis that "alli fair in polite" that
1.-THE people are fools"-or that "the people are
knaves." There is such thing as public
conscience, and when it is once awakened it
makes wild work of the schemes, bargains and
jobs of politicians. The most successful poll
ticians of the last decade were honest men, and
they were successful primarily because they
were honest For the next decade it may be
confidently predicted that no man who does
not observe with considerable strictness the
requirements of the moral law will be the re-
cipient OF any distinguished honors in the gift
of the people.