Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-02-18
Eos 9agsles Atraltl.
THE GRAVEYARD VOTE.
A Rsniniscsnce Of Early Politics on the
Oomstock.
ISaIt Lake Tribune.I


"I'm afraid that the political fu-
ture Of the country is anything but
encouraging remarked an old
gray-headed politician yesterday
on Main street.
Fittings all over the country are
getting peculiar. People are apa-
,hetic, leaders are becoming I'M
scrupuIous and the great and glo-
rious principles that 1 spoke and
voted for are getting to be among
the Issues OF the past. Still L keep
track of the times. Pm right up
with the march of progress.n
"Know much about politics?"
asked red-headed man who
seemed to be connected with the
mining interests.
~ should consider myself q fair
politician. In the great campaign
10 Illinois in 1885 when the good
old Wing party
"Too long ago." responded the
little man. "I'm something of a
politician myself. l began politics
on the Comstock when Bill Sharon
was running for the United States
Senate. Bill was q bird he was,
and turned the coin of the realm
loose like water In the Spring
freshets. had charge Of the grave
yard vote"
"You don't mean to say that
they opened the polls in the ga.
cred precincts of the dead?" asked
the old man in establishment.
1--WE voted In all the precincts"
responded the little man.
II mean you did not desecrate
the solemnity of the tomb by put
ting the polls In the cemetery?"
"Oh, no." responded the Com
stocker. 1--WE understand few OF
the amenities of civilization over
there ourselves. We don't take
the ballot-box to the graveyard;
we bring the graveyard to the bal
lot. box. Mahomet to the noun
tain, you see.n
"But how would you be allowed
10 take corpses to the polls? Real
~, sir, l must beg leave to disbe-
lieve this. The Statutes distinctly
provide that all voters must"
"Oh, the statutes! That's good.
Now I see you are little green in
the ways Of the West. We Just
take . list of the names on the
tombstones, get 'em registered,
and then get live fellows to vote
on those Bames.n
The old Illinois politician held
up his hands with q Mortified grim.
ace, and the Nevada man contin-
ueds
1--WE quit the business, however.
| made y great big break one day.
I sent man over to the cemetery
TO get some names (paid him five
dollars day., and he got old Hank
Scroggs's name off the tombstone
and voted him with the Republic
an ticket. Next day some friends
Of Hank got wind OF itand came to
me to ask me IL 1t was indeed true
that l had made old Scroggs vote a
Republican ticket. l had to ac-
knowledge 1t, aud one Of the crowd
-Hank's old running mate-burst
into tears. Says he. "Blll, I never
expected to live to see the day that
my cid pard's memory would
be trampled on like this. Don't
you know that he voted the old
straight Bourbon ticket for eight
cen years?' I vowed that it was
rough deal and felt so ashamed
that I could not look the man in
the face. I didn't know what to
say, when q man who was listen
ing to the talk Clipped in and
said: III you are talking about
ScrOggs. he's all right. 1 voted on
his name in three wards yesterday,
and 1t was the regular Democratic
ticket every time.' Then the boys
said everything was lovely and we
took drink and called it square.
There were about three hundred
graves over in the cemetery and 8
most of them we're old friends of
sharon, l couldn't see no harm to
vote 'em."