The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-11-15
Now That the Smoke.


: exciamation-points peculiar to campaign
: time. There will be no more solemn
, appeals therein, and naither will the
: orator wax eloquent and excessively
earnest in the gas-light, pausing at in.
tervals in behalf Of applause and bursts
of music from the band. The street
corners viii not have the usual idlers.
with hands in their pockets, earnestly
discussing the various claims of Smith
and Ferguson, and occasionally ad-
journing to the neighboring establish
! ment for the terrifying beverage.
Some men may even 90 to
work; and the good housewife
as she trims her lamp at evening
. may look across the room TO see her
J husband discussing the merits of some
book which does not treat of the issues
of the hour, the peril of the country,
and the imperative necessity of working
for some particular candidate, whatever
that sort of labor may happen to be.
But there is view which is somewhat
disrouraging We ran against the most
disconsOlate man last night that per-
haps the human eye ever dwelt upon
Some time during the canvass he had
managed to secure particularly glossy
hat, and it was in very melancholy CON
trast with the seedy garments he wore,
not to mention his dilapidated boots. 1t
was the one bright spot in a horrible
abyss of woe. He leaned against a
lamp-post and looked as if he had lost
his last friend, and likewise his last
dime-if he ever had one. .t-
"An' it's all over, is itP'' he said, sad
ly. "Knew it couldn't last always, of
course; but feel lonesome. Banquet
hall deserted. Lights all out-not so
much as tallow-candle. Dry-not a
4 cent left. No more patriotism. Loyalty
gone up. jug broken an no whisky
behind the bar. No nothin'."
+" Do you refer to the Russian, warp"
we said, kindly.
"Lectionin he remarked. "That's
What's er matter. Y mus be crazy
Talk about Russian warm lection time!
WHARF, We thinkin' of? Bully news
from er bloody Fifth, want it? But S
all over. No more 'citement. Dull
times an nobody to 'em.'
"You seem to feel badly about it, :"
we said. % Perhaps you were candi-
date and didn't get elected
/" Can date!" he replied, with a look
of intense surprise. "Thank you.
Hain't had such COM liment in twenty
year Never ran for office but once.
Got 'lected. Made couple o. hundred
year over an above. Been in politics
ever since. Helpin' out the boys. Like
it, sir-like it. Lots o. fun. But it's all
over till next time"
"Your party was defeated?" we said
inquiringly mo wonder you are
heart-sick 1t is discouraging But
cheer up. 1t may be all right next time"
Party!" he returned, with another
look of surprise. Hain't got no par
ty. WHARF, you thinkin' of? Parties S
all mixed up any how. What's use. No,
sir! Work for the boys-jest for the
boys; nothin' else. Boys want office
Ought to have it. Help 'em out. Los
whisky. Good time. 'Rah for Hayes!
'Rah for Tildeni 'Rah for any body.
Tenth Ward clean sweep for Thompson,
want itP"
" See here!" we remarked with great
earnestness. "This is very strange.
You haven't been a candidate, and you
belong to no party. Yet you give up
work and every thing for the boys, and
you are grieved nearly to death because
/ some of the boys are beaten. You must
be very unseltish man."
"W'y!" he said with a look of pro-
found disgust. "W'y, you mus be a
-furriner. Amt it every mans duty
to vote, say? Show me a man who
dom vote an I'll show you IA person
81 i,,1+ TO hn aitI
| You hear me? Gin the best of Dly life
up to politics and don't regret it either.
Pm patriot, | am"
But" we urged, g how do you get
your pay for all this arduous laborP
When the boys are successful do they
! give you a minor position? Is there
provision in behalf of this noble self
sacrifice? Have you a family? Are you
rich?"
Hang familyl'' he remarked i'm
patiently. "Wha's work to duty, say?
Work when country demands services?
Work when the boys need 'em? Poor
man who can't give one day to e coun-
try. One week or month or two.
wy, see're! where's you brought up?
And then there's good time. Bully
]
| sayl didn't they wax 'em in N York !?
Wat? 'Rah for John Morrissey! The
'ternal principles o. justice mus an
shall prevail! Got news from Fairport
yet?"
"And you do this every yearP" we
inquired.
. Yissir. Certainly. Twice a year
Every time. All the boys do. Speeches,
torch-lights, blowout, caucusses, 'scus-
sions on street-corners, carriages some
times, guns, noise generally, fightin'
'casionally, lots ter drink an smoke,
'thusiasm, settin' 'em up, putin 'em
down, cheerin', 'rah for the boys
glorious! Ought ter las all the year
roun'. Had Office once myself. Clear
ed two or three hun'red out of it. Been
in politics ever since"
Undoubtedly" we said, glancing at
his disordered dress. 'Unselfish man
it's very evident. Bulwark of freedom 4!
look up and thank your stars that you
are not as some other men are. Heaven
will remember you if men do not. Such
indifference to self, such loyalty to 9th
ers, such midnight vigils, such daily
labor, such toilsome marches, such
ceaseless vigilance can not surely go I'M
rewarded. There are a thousand like
you in every ward, and when liberty
looks down from her home in the eter-
nal heavens she sees them by the mill
ions, and loves the loyalty that creates
such unselfish poverty and such I'M
seemly but unheeded rags. Founda-
ton of the Government salvation Of
the country! representative of a free
and enlightened people! will you have
a cigarl"
"Thank you," he said, appreciative-
ly, striking match on the ragged sleeve
OF his coat. "It's getting late. All the
boys have gone home and the band has
stopped playin'. Hohum! S all over
Goodnight"
He shuffied slowly and sadly into the
darkness of a side alley, going to that
mysterious but never-to-be discovered
somewhere of his class, and will be Wis
IDLE to the public eye no more until the
breaking up ofTa hard winter, and the