Ottumwa weekly courier., 1877-02-21
A Little Story Illustrative Of the
Present Situation.

Present Situation.
washington Correspondence Cleveland Herald
Our present political situation is
prolific of much philosophizing over
the uncertainty of office-seeking man.
"Who are you for ?" is the National
conundrum of the hour. In the ru-
mored weakening Of some thirty
Democratic members of the House
old Whigs--in the backing out of the
much-needcd Hewitt, and in the gen.
eral on-the-fence movements ofscores
| of politicians, am reminded of lit
tie story. One morning party were
sitting around the spring at White
Sulphur, and the conversation had
fallen upon the late war. Personal
reminiscence was in order. Each was
the hero of his own hair-breadth es-
cape, and the sequels were blood and
thunder.
Within ear-shot sat an old gray
coated Virginian, attcntively listen
ing and turning his cud reflectively
between his teeth. At length he
spoke:
"Gentlemens, you've all been thro'
q heap, but they haint none of you
had a wuss time, nor I, Ill bet"
(which side was you on 2" asked
one.
"Nary a side, gentlemens, but I had
a monstrous hard time," and the old
fellow, drawing out his cud of reflec-
ton, proceeded:
"Wall, when the wa fust broke
out, I didn't know much about it mo-
how. was studying it out, but
hedn't come to no Judgment. Ono
night my darter Mary Ann was took
powerful sick. The doctor he wrote
q script, and told me to go right off
and git it. So / bridled my old mar, ,,
and started. Wall, gentlemens, when
l got, reckon, bout three miles from
h0me-it was mOnstrous dark-some
one called out Halt v-and I hilted.
Fust knowed was prisoner, and
the boys was round thicker nor June
bugs. Sez they: "Who are you fur !?
Sez I: 'sGentlemens, my darter Mary
Ann, she'-. Sez they: "Damn
Mary Ann Who are you fur p
Speak out. Hurra for somebody v-
l studied mint, an then, sez /, on a
ventur' like, "Hurra for JEFF Davis 7"
They seq, mad as hornets, "I told you
he was id rebel. Git off that
mar I"
"Gentlemens, hain't telling you no
lie when l sez they took me off my
mar, and bucked me over log, and
hit me five hundred. 1t hurt power
full bad; was monstrous sore.
mounted my mar and started on. 1
hadn't got more'n three mile when I
heerd another voice call out, "Halt I"
an I hilted; and agin the boys he'd
me. "Who are you 2" SEE they sez I,
Gentlemen, my darter Mary Ann is
powerful sick, an the doctor"
"Damn the doctor! Who are you
fur! Hurra for somebody!
II wasn't goin' to be kOtchcd agin',
so jest took off my hat, an sez /, as
loud as could, "Hurra for Lincoln I"
"Thcre," sez they, madder nor blazes,
81 told you he was id traitor
Git down off that mar. Gentlemens,
l ain't telling you no lie. They TUX
me off that mar, and bucked me over
a log, and, jest whar 1 was sore, they
gin me five hundred mo-. 1t was
monstrous bad. But I got on and
went along. Jest as was comm
into town another man called out
"Haltw an hilted agin. "Who are
you fur!" says he. "Hurra for some-
body" Gentlemen, l want never
agoin' to be cotched agin. I jest sez
"Mister, you jest be SO kind as to
hurra .fust jest this once"
The powerful application of this
story is perceptihle to all who have
been "bucl ed" over the last political
log.