Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-20
coNfEssIoNs or 1 cANpIpArE.


Ths Hrier henueaI Career or rrsauec
: ASaiFssis.A aasrssaarS Nlsw Of states.
utfer Roat As the Peiis,
Tnrs Is the confession Of political
villAins not, however. a perjured polit-
cal Villain | never swOre TO run for
Office for my c0untry's good ! did run
once Tor AN Office for my own good ]
was unsuccessful. Virtue has It's own
so reward, 80 has vice, The wicked do
not always flourish ike green bay
trees. Indeed Judging from n home
experience, am hot prepared to say
that they flourish at All The fallpolit-
3. ical campaign OF 1867 came on while
/ was carrying my comic lecture about
the camps Of Tuolumne. Stanilaus aud
MAriposa a thought one day took
possession of me, ''Nhy not run for the
Legislaturep' / belonged 10 political
party My frozen toes troubled me a
good deal, and the lecture did not pay
much over expenses. ! consulted with
one OF the pillars OF our party He be-
louged III Oak Flat. / took the pillar
behind Dan Munn's store, ON Rattle
snake Creek, and ayowed my intention.
The pillar took big chew OF tobacco,
stared. grinned and sadi "Why not2"
consulted with another pillar behind
Bob Loves store in Montozuma. lie
was throwing dirt from pros poet hole
with long.hqndled shovel nelesned
- on the shovel, blew his nose an Rdtur5l
As,s without artificial aid. grinned. and after
-ag some deliberation, said: why notpf |
found another pillar OF our party slum-
ming out reservoir near Jamestown.
He was enyeloped in yellow mud 10
~ his waist. and smaller bodies OF mud
pastercd him upward. a short pipe
ua Ea was ia his mouth and slunigullion
- shovel in his hand. He said. "tfo infor
- Il and win
ENTERING rHE FIKLp.
With less assurance and more fear
and trembling | consulted with other
and moro influential party pillars in
Sonora, the county town Some hesi-
;Rted; some were dignihed, some
cheeredrne on: some said, 'FWhg notP'
e. made the same remark to myself, and
ss replied "Why notP" The Assembly
~. y. was good gate for entering the poliu
49, cal field Nv ideas OF its duties were
vague OF my own qualifications foI
rs- the post dared not think, Bnt whal
se matterg Other men no better qualified
tas. than had Comet Sacramento, received
their ten dollars per diem and can't
back alive. i could do that They
seemed 10 stand as well AS ever In tn,
estimation OF thoir constituents Tier
~ Why not9" The die was cast. an
nonneed myself in the county paper rs
- candidate for the State Assembly. Tn,
County Convention assembled at So
wisdom and Jurisprudence. Sonle6od,
nominated me. Iarose aud paid some
body else five dollars. This was chs
first price Of nmbtlou, Then ! founC
myself making my nominating speech
II was q very successful speech. lef
out politics altogether, made no pledges
discussed no principles and talked n,
sense, AT first the audience stared
Ihon they laughed immodemtely n
times So did l. Then they nominate,
80, me by acclamation II was one of tn
proudest moments of my ife although
did not know IL at the time, Takel
tesa for all in all. il was no wonder the.
laughed. WAS obliged to laugh my
self 40 the whole affair behind the Court
s. House when the Convention adjourned
2 e And why notg'
roLIfIcs WITHOUT SENTIMENT,
As Itwas tho laugh of fiendl i waute'
as'siu the position for tho per diem. ! wa
buried In turpltude. My colleague
-rfs -. were all running ON principle 90 say
the country. II Is singular that th
m0tivs OF such wolf in sleeps cloth
ing As was at that time was moi dc
tected. The great aud good men
secure in their own reotitude andpurit
~ Of purpose, by whom Twas surrounded
es never onoe giessed AT the presence 3
~ 81 the snake in their grass. Looking bac
ut this occurrence after the lapse q
- - nearly twenty years, am more an
~ mere sstbnlshed that the party shoul
=, IVA, have risked taking such load as my
selfsOn It's shoulders. ! hndn0 position
no standing, next TO no reputation, n
property, no good clothes, no Who'll
shoes. no fixed hahitation and thrc
- lN sore toes, / had not nor did not roa
e tal1elT ixo the rosooneibiltios OF "a citizen.