The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-04-17
Blu STEERING BOZ RbONS.
THE GATHERING OF T:iE CLANS.

in the morning many OF the prominent one
could carry them towards the " Hole in tn
Wall" Most Of them We're actnated by
desire to help themselves into the much
sought-atter position oftaN collector. Others
were governed by the more generous desire
to obtain this lucrative position for thei
henchmen OF rctainers. The wind blew
chilly and cold from the Northwest-aye
colder and more chilly than the proverbia
chil!ineSS of"l step-motlier'S breath. '-ant
seemed to presaIe the hhghting effects Of thu
chilling frost that it was apparent to all eye
but their own, would soon blight the hope.
of Il very large minority of the aSp!rantS
For there could only be nine collectors ap
pointed, and there We're probably about 81,
times that number III attendance
Large as was the crowd that filled the sub
terranean chamber-the true inwar,ls of III,
doings in which, for many years past, is Il:
hard to discover, as the perpetual motion
or the philosophers stone-it was not ST
large and 10 the credit ofthoSe who cUmpos
ell it, WAS nothing like so noisy rs the GROVE
that was in attendance upon = similar oc
casion Two Years before, and compared
gotten, that was there one day last Winter
striving with might and main, to aid tho
commissioners in the onerous and disagree
able task Of selecting Il clerk.
The mi. that nraynilp,l ppnu tbiS ne
casion, was probably owing to the doctrine
enumerated by the editor of Tie Cecd Demo-
crdt in 4 recent editorial, which may be brief:
ly stated as follows: "Thc "ounty couin,iS
SionerS are got1rn"i 6y no lar, $uce Hcir "tr1.
street. riilS, and ii is none Of tie pcoplc'S jn$i
guagc of Gentleman George; but if his Ian
guage had any meaning at all this was prob
ably what lie meant, and so his faithful fol
lowers, like good fellows who thought it best
to be civil, held their peace and said little
cold .Jurisdiction, no doubt impelled by Z
desire to see that " SasSafras county," which
had seven stalwart sons i'll the field, should
have fair play, came up to Elllton the even
ing before. He has assisted in running the
"machine " in the Hole in the Wall so long
that it seems hard for the venerable old gen
teman to comprehend that it can he run
without his assistance.
So he turned his back upon the sunshine
of Middle Neck and faced the chilling north
wester. and like the man who set up all night
to be up early the next morning, came to
Elkton the day before. He had done the
same thing upon Il memorable occasion last
Winter, and no doubt this time he intended
to profit by former experience.
Uncle Dick not having been present
when the appointment of clerk was made,
and having lost lots of fun, and probably a
good deal OF earnest too, and being anxious
to grind little AK of his own, namely, to
secure the appointment of tax collector of
the Sth district for himself, babe good bye
to the picturesque scenery of the noble Sus-
quehanna, and turned 4 deaf ear to its
music, and like his illustrious compeer,
came to Elkton on Monday evening to at
tend to his own little boom.
At about 10 o'clock \. NJ, on Tuesday, the
commissioners took their seats ut one side
of the board, and Isaac, whose countenance
was illuminated with smile that was child
like and bland, sat down opposite to them,
to write n minute of their proceedings.
Isaac looked well. He did not seem to be a
bit worried by the uncertain tenure by which
he holds his position, nor 4 bit veNed by all
the vexatious things that Taxpayer " has
said about the curious method of transactins
the fiscal affairs Of the county that has pre-
vailed i'll the subterranean chamber for
some years past. On the contrary, his de
meanor was that of one who was conscious
of having fought a good fight, and what is
more important was conscious of having
won it, and therefore was resolved to profit
by the doctrine proclaimed by his chief,
namely, that it was none of the peoples bus
mess how long he remained i'll the Hole in
the Wall. and very little OF their business
what he did while he stayed there. Time
wore away, and ono by one the anxious
throng of candidates handed in their recon-
mendations to the commissioners, who hid
them away in the recesses of Il drawer I'M
derneath the table, for future reference and
meanwhile busted themselves with the en-
animation of a huge pile of accounts, that
were piled upon the table.
In this way the morning session was con-
sumed and at the usual time all hands al
journed for dinner.
l., 1 L., . Z 1,a
time before the beginning of the session, in
urging their claims upon the powers that
be, and many of them surprising the ap-
pointments would be made in the course Of
the afternoon, embraced the opportunity tt
get in the last lick in behalf of themselye:
or their friends. Notably among these was
an old gentleman from the northeastern
part OF the county, who \ few years ago hat
burrowed in the Hole in the Wall, and who
approached Il well-known merchant of this
town, believing him to be the resident com
missioner to whom he bears /; strong resem
blance. in behalf of his son, who he rattle
seemed to regret he had not had appointct
tax collector during his own term of office
He spoke we'll of the young man and said h
was addicted to no bad habits ANA woui'
make good collector, and besousht til
man of the yard stick and scissors to d.
what he could to remedy the blundcr Ii
had made when in office himself. The mer
chant listened respectfully and told him III
would take the matter into consideration
and the old man left him happy IN the be
lief that he had done his duty and the mat
ter would be all right. OF course nothin
could possibly come of this effort, hut il
some respects it much resembled many
others that were made.
The afternoon ss.ssiol. was spent III HQcl
the same way rs the one in the morning
only that many of the anxious ones who's
souls had grown sick with hope deferred de
parted early in the afternoon for their home
some of them to fortify their constitution
by good nights rest for the veNatiou
struggle of the succeeding day; while other
Disguised with the failure OF tie cu6lishe,
hopes of many years, shook the dust frol
off their feet, gave the matter up i'll DISCUS
and departed never to return.
CHAPTER II.
As before intimated, most of the cand
dates, like tho Na.c,.n.al. ~ tie E.M,
% HE'D them to their quiet homes" o
Tuesday evening. Not so the two create
of the three sweet Williams, and incl
| Dick" and old Jurisdiction" and a fe
others, who were bound to see the thin
| through who had come to the seat of jul
tcc and official favor prepared to stay an