Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1877-11-17
MY Experience as a Politician.
BY A SWAL IOW-TAIL.

I never engaged actively in politics
but once.
From hurried interview of my e1-
perisnee of that once think may
say, and say it, too, with some degree
of boldness, that l shall never engags
actively in politics again.
Hereafter l propose to viev polite
through glass darkly and from dis
tance-ln fact as great a distance as I
can.
feel now that politicians are born,
not made, and l am quite sure that I
am not politician by natural selec-
tion as it were.
1t has, indeed, been forced upon me
with crushing and may say cruel per-
spicacity, that l lack those peculiar
qualifications of heart and soul, and
and-vell let US say stomach-which
are essential to the propagation, even
under the most favorable conditions,
of full blown politician. And then,
too, my early education was neglected,
| vas heavily handicap, I'D from tn.
start by the fact that l had not been
brought up in bar-room. did not
gamble, had never been q fireman or
even member of the police force, had
never beaten man in the public
streets, and knew in fact but little
about the more modern methods of con-
Quoting public affairs.
l had, it is true, received college
education, and | had wasted q good
deal of time over constitutional histo-
ry and political economy, not knowing
OF course that those things are entire
ly cut of date. But what did I knew
about managing primary or controll-
ing caucus or even stuffiing ballot
box9 l am ashamed to say it, but &C.
tually, I never had stuffed ballot
box and yet proposed to fling myself
into the sheltering arms of city con-
stituency
Twill tell you how the whole thing
came about. You see in nv ward it
was found to be necessary to select
as candidate 3 man who, in tbs words
Of the chairman Of the convention,
could carry some weight with him
that is but I did not know it thsn-a
man who had money. They pitched
upon me.
Of course I vas gratiisa, although
when called before the convention
dwelt at some length, as all candi-
dates ara expected to do. upon the
fact that the honor wa, entirely unso-
licited. declared moreover that l
accepted it or y at their urgent re-
quest. l have since discovered that
no matter how vigorously candidate
may seek nomination, hs never ac-
cepts, unless urgently requested"
But l did not know then why it was
that an audible smile went around
the convention when I expressed my
hesitancy at accepting 80 important a
public trust.
I may add that in accepting I was
actuated to some extent by the thought
that, if elected, might introduce
Purifying element into city politics,
and as the idea expanded I got all
afre, and in the enthusiasm of the
moment invited the gentlemen of the
convention who had voted for me into
the nearest saloon to drink success to
Reform. l was surprised to 6nd that
the saloon keeper knew every one of
my friends, and was considerably Ia
ken aback when, seizing my hand,
he cried with some sffusiveness of
manner as triumphant smile illu-
mined his rather highly colored fea-
lures,
"We'll, bounce yer, Jim"
I have since be,n informed that he
meant to indicate that he would give
me his influence at the polls. But |
was oeizsd with a cold ahudder as /
heard him address me es Jim. He
was not nv father you know, or my ell
der brother, or my intimate friend, or
even a distant relative. But / find
politicians and barkeepsrs are always
nearly related.
may say in passing, that 1soon dis
covered a curious fact. l am an un-
usually temperate man, but from the
day Of my nomination to the day OF
the election, ! was overwhelmed with
invitations to driuk-at my own ex-
pense. I believe that almost any one