The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-07-12
The Election in JOnesville.
MRS. HELEN RICH.

MRS. HELEN RICH.
Josiah looked up from the New York
World, and says he:
"I am gOin' to JOnesville to lection
bimeby, Samantha. You'd better ride
down and get the stuff for my shirts"
Says he, "Ihe town hall, as you know,
is bein' fixed, and the pole is sOt up
right in the store. 1t will be handy,
and you can go jest as well as not"
But / looked my companion in the
face with an icy, curious mien, and says
/, in low, strange tones, "WOuldn't it
be revoltin' to the finer feelin's of your
soul to see a tender woman, your COM
panion, a-crOwdin' and elbowini her
way amongst the rude throng of men
surroundin' the pole; to have her hear
the immOdest and almost dangerous
language, the oaths and swearin'; to see
her a-plungin' down in the vortex of pO-
litical warfare and the arena of cor
ruption ?" Says /, "HOw is the
shrinkin' mOdesty and delicacy of my
sect a goin' to stand firm, a-jostlin' its
way amongst the rude masses, and you
there TO see ?" Says /, "Ain't it a.
goin' to be awful revoltin' to you, Jo-
siab Allen ?''
"Oh, no ~ says he, in calm, gentle
accents, mot if you was a-goin' FOR
shirt buttons.n
After we got to the store, Josiah left
me, and / called for the shirt buttons
and cotton flannel.
Just then a man came up to me that
never laid eyes on before. He handed
me a ticket, with an awful dirty hand,
every finger nail of which was SEEM
| in'ly in the deepest of mournin' for the
pen-knife and nail-brushes they had
never seen; and says he:
"Will you tell me, nom, whether
that ticket is DimOcrat ticket or the
| t'other one"
I put on my specks, and says I, ''It is
| the pOther one"
"GOod gracious ~ says he. "Chris-
| tOpher Columbus ~
| But 1 interrupted of him coldly, and
says l, "Stop swearin', instantly and
this minute If you want my advice,
proceed
Says he, "There l have voted that
I ticket seventeen times, and / was paid
/ to vote the DimOcrat." Says he, ''I am
a man of my word. 1 am a poor man,
I bat an honest one. And here / have -
says he in a mOurnful tone, "here
have voted the wrong ticket. Oh, what
would the man say who hired me, if he
| knew it?1
"what did he give you?" And, as 1
said this, strange, horrible suspicion
came over me.
"He gave me this coat" said he.
Then 1 knew it all. 1t was Farmer
/ Aliens coat that had fallen to Josiah
Then l knew the meaning Of his mystic
I riOus plottings and crafty COINS on.
| "What made you vote the wrong
ticket ?n said /. "Can't you read ?"
NO." says he; ave can't none of Us
read, and by not reading we get cheated.
There is so much corruption in politics
nowadays"
"Yes," said ], bitterly; "there couldn't
be much more corruption, even il
women voted.n
"Wimmen vote g' says he, in scornful
tones. "Wimmen don't know enough
to vote"
Just then Elder Minkley came into
the store with Senator Nyse, as if he
had the whole corpse diplomatic in tow.
And says he to his wife aud me, draw
ing himself up pOmpOusly, 'The Sena-
tor and / have just been talking Oi
Woman Suffrage, and he agrees with
me that such madness would Introduce
an element into politics that would
topple it down from the foundation Oi
justice and purity on which it now
firmly rests"
did not say word, but oh what
agitated feelin's l had. For he knew
and l knew, and so did all Jonesvillt
know, that Senator Nyse was a disgract
to the very name of man. A meaner
! more licentious villain, a more COW
J ardly, cruel hypOerite, never trOd shoe
leather. Hs lives in a perfect palace,
few miles from the village, has thou
sands of acres, servants, horses and car
riages; but l and Josiah seOrn ant
loathe him.
Then Elder Minkley introduced tn,
Senator to his wife, as if he was settlin,
a great dowry on to her, and Siste
Minkley, she looked perfectly awe
stricken and admiring upon him. TIT
: poor woman was completely Overcom
with the honor of touching the whit
hand of this seoundrel.
Then Mr.. Minkley introduced him 4
3 me. But / was nerved up by loft,
q principle, and never touched his hand
! gripped hold Of my brown alapaca over
skirt firmly, and jest looked at hin
with calm, rebuking mien. His hanl
! was jeweled, but it was stained wit
D crimes black as murder. He felt il
His handsome, false face turned red a
blood, as | remarked to Brother Mink
D ley significantly:
e al agree with you, Brother Minkley
o in what you said. think impure Dec
> pie ought not to be allowed to max
laws for innocent women and childrer
j 1t would thin out the voters some, br
g the country would be the gainer.u
e They didn't seem to enjoy nv r,
D marks, and shamefacedly walked off /
vote.
: Sister Minkley and I looked out
J, the window, and says she:
:. Look there, Josiah Aliens wife. loo
!. at that critter across the street! Wha
7 would become of this nation IL sue
things were allowed to vote Pr
g She pointed to a girl across the stree
d girl that, every time 1 looked at be
e made my cheeks flush with shame f
|. her, and my eyes brim over with tea
'' for her. This very girl, when she was
+ little child, was given into the care