Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-02-23
TH!. GRAVEYARD VOTE.
A "Reminiscences Of Early Politics on
the COmstOck.
Lake Tribune.

salt Lake Tribune.
I'm afraid that the political future of the
country is anything but encouraging re-
marked an old gray-headed politician yes
terday on Main street.
Things all over the country are getting
peculiar People are apathetic, leaders are be-
coming unscrupulous and the great and glo-
rious principles that | spoke and voted tol
are getting to be among the issues of the
past Still keep track of the times. I'm
right up with the march OF progress"
Know much about politics." asked a red
headed man who seemed to be connected
with the mining interests.
Il should consider myself Il fair politician
Iii the great campaign in Illinois in 1886
when the good old Whig party"
Too long ago" responded the little man.
I'm something of politician myself | be-
gan politics on the Comstock when Bill
Sharon was running for the United States
Senate. Bill was a 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 they opened the
polls in the sacred precincts OF the dead -
asked the cid man in astonishment.
I'VE vote in all the precincts responded
the little man.
Il mean you do not desecrate the solemnity
of the tomb by putting the polls in the cem-
eterv:'
"Oh, no." responded the Comstocker, I'VE
understand a few of the amenities Of civil
zation over there our ourselves. We don't
take the ballot box to the graveyard, we
bring the graveyard to the ballot box. Mo-
hamet to the mountain. you see"
But how would You be allowed to take
corpses to the polls?' Really sir, must beg
leave to disbelieve this. The statutes dis
tinctly provide that all voters must
"Oh, the statutes; that's good. Now l 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 these Names"
The old Illinois politician held up his
hands with Mortified grimace, and the Ne
vada man continued
I've quit the business: however, made
a great big break one day. l sent man
over to the cemetery to get some names;
paid him five dollars day and he got old
Hank Scroggs' name off a tombstone and
voted him with the Republican ticket. Next
day some friends of Hanks got wind OF it
and came to me to ask me if it was indeed
true that had made old Scroggs vote Re-
publican ticket l had to acknowledge it,
and one of the crowd-Hanks old running
mate-burst into tears. Says he Bill, never
expected to live to see the day that my old
pard's memory would be trampled on like
this Don't you know that he voted the old
straight Bourbon ticket for eighteen years?
l vowed that it was a rough deal and felt so
ashamed that could not look the man in
the face. didn't know what to say, when
a man who was listening to the talk Clipped
in and said: Ifyou are talking about Scroggs,
he's alright, l voted on his name in three
wards yesterday and it was the regular DEM
ocratic ticket every time Then the boys
said everything was lovely and we took
drink and called it square. There were about
800 graves over in the cemetery and as most
of them were old friends of Sharon,
couldn't see no harm to vote 'em"