The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-08-14
Our New Congressman.
BY MARCH wEsTLAND.

"Well, our party has beat, and Mont
rose is elected, certain" was the an
nouncement with which Edward Stearns
sat dowl to his pleasant tea-table.
"You don't mean to say that you have
voted for that bad man?" exclaimed
his wife.
"Voted for him! why, certainly
did; he is the nominee of our party,
you know; and it is not tue mans NOR
ats, but his politics we have to do with.
He is a staunch Republican, and a
splendid fellow in debate. Why, he'll
lust make the old halls ring again, from
sleeper TO rafter. He'll make n sensa-
tion down in Washington, / tell you;
and as to our town improvements, he'll
hurry them through like a ship on fire.
You might as well put box OF nitro
glycerine in the sleepy old chambers. l
warrant you he'll wake them up"
"And this magnificent candidate of
yours Is the same who cheated a poor
soldiers widow and four helpless chill
dren out of their pension, last fall the
man who has TO have a delegation of
his friends escort him home, every now
then, TO prevent his rolling in the gut
ter; the man who holds the purity of
woman lighter than thistle-down, to be
blown away by his foul breath. Is this
the man you have voted for as your
representative TO Congress? Edward
Stearns, / am ashamed of you!" Eunice
Stearns said this with her great earnest
eyes dilated, and fixed on her husbands
face as though she would read his very
soul through and through.
Till this moment, no suspicion of the
integrity Of his thought and principle
had crossed her mind; but now her
pure, wOmanly instinct took the alarm,
and she questioned i'm her heart whether
one who could thus uphold in society a
vile man, from whose atmosphere she
shrank with lOathing, could be true and
uncOntaminated as she deemed her idol
TO be.
"Well, don't look so serious about ii,
little wife. We must use such timber
as we have. You know mahogany and
rosewood don't grow on every soil
Aud, after all, Montrose is a first-rate
fellow-gave thanksgiving dinner to
dozen poor families, just before cleo
tlon, besides distributing two barrels of
apples among them; and"
Yes, and four or five Kegs of beer, If
| may Judge from the number OF his
constituents who were rolling down the
street, drunk, after the polls closed"
"Well, | tell you the man has some
fine natural traits, after all; and we
must have man with some fire and
spunk in him. An old fOgy, with his
lucifer matches and tinder-box is of no
account in this fast age-we should lust
go to the wall, railroads, bridges, public
buildings and all. Why, it takes a
maelstrom to stir them up down yon-
der"
"Do you think it would stir the m up,
If your splendid candidate should roll
out of bis seat drunk one of these days ?"
"Well, it might make q small sensa-
tion; but they are used to IL. Why,
some of the members think nothing OF
tossing off a whole bottle of champagne
before they take their seats-they can
talk better for it,"
"And this is your Congress that is to
decide on the appropriations for the
families Of our dead sOldiers-on the
resolutions for the better observance of
the Sabbath, and the suppression Of
ribald and obscene literature, and the
woman's bill. How many cases OF
champagne do you think it will take to
get them through ?"
"Well, now, darling, these questions
are too sober for you; hurry and put on
that pretty cashmere / sent you the
other day, and do up your hair i'm that
new French braid, and we'll go and
AdhS a rue dlleI Tea anu uOil-I trouble
your little brain with Mrs. Cady Stan
toms notions any more. ] presume
Congress can take care of itself"
Edward, do you suppose any think
ing woman can walk with her ewes
shut, when right from our midst you,
committee of intelligent men, and
church members, select for your repre-
sentative man notorious for his inn
moralities, and call him honorable, and
toast him in your feasts, and teach your
daughters to sing and play for his
amusement, and your sons 10 consider
an introduction TO him their highest
honor? IL some OF our noble bows
should graduate in the saloon dram
shop, one of these days, instead of cali
ing il an inscrutable allotment of Prov
idence, you may consider it the crop Of
this days sowing.
Edward, / have been thus far a
happy home wOman-my life and work
have been in my home, and | have
dreamed of no mission beyond; but
from this day forth-so help me God
| will work with hand and heart and
pen, In helping to stem, with my weak
fingers, that tide of vice that is sweep
ing in on our land. And may heaven
speed the day when the government
halls OF our land shall cease TO be a jeer
and laughing-stock for the world-when
thelr floors shall be emptied, swept, and
sarhlshed-no matter whether the Tevo-
iuIlon be won 10y the hand of man or Of