Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-01-22

self at the whole affair behind the Court
House when the Convention adjourned.
And why not?'
POLITICS WITHOUT SENTIMENT.
1t was the laugh of fiend! WANTED
the position for the per diem. was
buried in turpitude. My colleagues
were all running on principle to save
the country. 1t is singular that the
motive OF such wolf in sleeps CLOTH
ing as was at that time was not de-
tected. The great and good men.
secure in their own rectitude andpurity
OF purpose, by whom was surrounded,
never once guessed at the presence of
the snake in their grass. Looking back
at this occurrence after the lapse OF
nearly twenty years, l am more and
more astonished that the party should
have risked taking such load as my
self on its shoulders. had no position,
no standing, next to no reputation. no
property, no good clothes. no whole
shoes, no fixed habitatiOn and three
sore toes. had not nor did not real
ize the responsibilities of citizen l
had no family and could not realize the
duties and responsibilities of those who
were rearing Young citizens for the
great Republic Should such man be
sent to the State Legislature? OF course
not. Are such men ever sent? VI
course not. do not think now that at
the period spoken of was even incOr-
ruptible. Should person who seldom
saw over ten dollars in his possession at
any one time be sent where he might be
"apprOached'' by designing men? OF
course not. Was such an one ever sent?
Never The commonwealth of Cali
fornia ran a fearful risk in my nomina-
ton.
SINS OF A CANDIDATE.
Few, probably none, suspected the
mental misery l endured during this
campaign. Because l knew and felt
nv turpitude, l knew my unitness
for The position to which aspired. l
knew where lay the snake in the grass.
Could meet daily a trusting, credulOus
constituency. who believed that my
mind was full of projects for the relief
of the State and Nation, without re-
morse? Of course not. l had remorse
bad, but dared not back out and off
the track. So l kept on, and the vult-
ures gnawed my vitals. Those who
think the wicked have such good
time are sadly mistaken. Our party
was firmly grounded on one grand be-
lief. 1t was that nothing the other par
ty could do was right, nothing that we
did was wrong. This at that time did
not believe. But l pretended to. Or
rather stided all thought on the sub
ject. This was the first great sin. I'm
like my colleagues, was untrue to my
own convictions. They-but how 1
wished for their faith. 1t could move
mountains of doubt. Mine couldn't.
How l hated my conscience. 1t tor
mented me worse than chronic collie.
There was standing shoulder to Shout
der with patriots-battling bravely for
cause, principle. while IL cared
for naught save seat in the Assembly
at ten dollars day.
| A LIVELY CAMPAIGN.
1t was stirring campaign. that of
| 1866, in and about Tuolumne County.
The antagonism was of the bitterest
character. Political opponents reviled
each other in print and sometimes pep
pered each other with pistols. Bullets
flew about night and day. 1t was dan
gerous in Sonora to sleep in clap
boarded house in the average line of
aim. The papers LETT nothing unsaid
which could taunt and irritate Editors
went about the streets weighed down
by masked batteries. 1t was calculated
that five hundred pounds of iron were
daily packed about the streets in the
shape of derringers, knives and revolv-
ers. The champions of the opposing
parties never met on the highway but
that people peered and squinted from
door and window for the bombardment
to commence. Knives were bathed in
gore. Barroom floors showed bloody
stains AIa., diad NTH 4haix hcotz On