The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-07
DOLLIE AND THE TWO SMITHS
From B'ach~ood tEdinsurgh) Magazine.
TooNoLUDED I

CONCLUDED.
Besides our agricultural operations, we arr
called upon as good citizens to devote some
Of our attention TO politics. The election
of town officers every year Is an
occasion of great excitement and
intrigue. It is here that the youthful Amsrl-
can mind acquires the rudimeDts of that ex-
alted statesmanship which 'iuds ITS full frui-
tion in the adroit acnievenDnt Of great
state or national financial frauds. A ''State"
. in America is divided into counties and
towns: the towns are in fact rural districts,
each one large enough for half-a-dozen ordi-
nary English country Parishes in each town
there may be one more villages or ham,
let's, though the villages properly 50
called require charters of Incorporation Civ
ing them municipal officers aud independent
local government. Where there is no sach
village incorporation, the town chooses an
nualy its own officers these consist of town
supervisor, road commissioners, sheriff, con-
stables etc. Politics may thus be said to ba
brought into the minutest details OF every
mans daily life.
For instance, Orange Zee, vowing ven
peance against the old man, Dollie's father,
and being also animated by the desire to at
tain the first round of the ladder by which ne
might possibly ultimately climb to the presi-
dental chair at Washington, determined to
put himself forward as the Republican
candidate for the exalted Office of
town constable. In pursuance of
which design Orange Zee donned his
go-to-meetiDg coat, and after con-
sultipg Swomp, who was going himself to run
for Supervisor on the Republican ticket, drove
to several of the leading Republican farmers,
and announced to them that he had been 50
urgently pressed by bis friends to have his
name put upon the ticket as Constable, that
he had reluctantly consented, aad that h
would consider it a favor if they would sup
port him. Meantime Swomp having held a
private caucus of his friends at one of the
''stores" in the village, decided upou the list
of officers which they would offer to the
Republican party in opposition to the list
headed by the old man, who comes for
ward as Republican candidate in opposi-
tion to Swomp. few days after all the Re-
publicans in the town rally to the Republican
tavern, where Swomp's supporters hand each
arrival ticket containing his own name at
the top and Orange Zee's name at the bot
tom; and the old mans supporters hand ga ,h
arrival list with his name ut the top, on re-
ceiving which the voters plunge into an inner
room reeking with humanity, smoke aud
profanity, where all the respective candidates
and their supporters are struggling
round table, at which are seated
the scrutineers; and, after day of
confusion and excitement, Swomp'S
supporters announce triumphantly that they
have carried their ticket and Orange Zee
returns to our longing arms, covered with
dust and glory and smelling of whiskey Bus
this is only preliminary stage. The Dsmo
Gratis 60 through the came form few days
afterwards, and then both political parties
having thus decided on their tickets try
issues with each other. 1t is only to be ex-
pected that number of the old man 4 sup
porters, disguised with their defeat, vo .
Democratic; but tiren a number of Demo
Gratis on the same ground vote Republican
so the one set of malcontents about balance
certain as it is England, because "A
vote in America is worth as much
money as it is in England, though it is only
for the State or United States Legislatures
that they are worth paying for in money: in
their local elections the consideration is
various, and may be illustrated by Orange
Zees own proceedings. He having mar
vellous faculty for diving into the private
affairs of his fellow-townsmen, went to some
who had large amounts owing to them, aud
promised, if they would vote for him, to col
lect their debts i'll his capacity of constable,
and cha rge them nothing for it; and he went
to others who he knew were over
whelmed with debts, and pro.
missed that if they would vote for
him he would always give them warning be-
fore he came to distrain, to enable
b
fact, Orange Zee managed so to Impress pso-
pie with the extent of the powers which he
could WELD to benefit those who voted for
him, and to injure his opponents. that many
who voted Democratic scored out the consa-
bles nominated on their own ticket, and
substituted Orange Zee's name. Thus it
happened that although the Democrats
ticket was finally elected, and Sgomp
and the old man both defeated,
Orange Zee came in triumphantly
at the tail of the Democrats; thus in these
early days proving political capacity of a very
high order, and inspiring both Dolle aud mo
with great expectations for the future. 1 did
not then know that Orange Zee had begun
life as a boot black in the lobby at Albany
and thus at tender age had imbibsd, a9 it
were, through the soles of eminent politicians,
those first principles which he was turaing to
such excellent account. Where life is one
gigantic system of barter, one of the earliest
lessons to be learnt is, how much ones social
position, political influence, professional
knowledge, and religious standing, are seye-
rally worth ''on a trade" Take the case of
Gouge who was elected Democratic town
supervisor against Swomp aud the old man.
Gouge was director of the Van Snookville
and Bog Hole Branch Railway. The VS. aud
B.H.B II. is Democratic; no Republican con-
ductors, porters, and brakesmen need apply
At the Siateielections the V. S. and B. H. b. e.
vote Democratic TO man; and the nomina-
tion Of the Democratic candidate in our Goa
gressional district may practically be said To
rest with the President and Board of the V. !.
and B.H.BR. Gouge had been first porter,
then conductor and finally had run a
wildcat on said railway with such
success that he waa nromotad =,