The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-11-19
BILL ARP ON THE ELECTION.

DILL N1tI oN THE tlIsICIloN.
lis curious how n man can fool him
self. Two or three days before the
election had made up my mind and be-
came rcconcllcd to defeat, for had been
reading both sides pretty close and had
given it up. SO l mustered up all my
philosophy and imagined l was pre-
pared for anything. But wasn't, was
Gooling myself. l wouldn't go to Allan
Ia Tuesday to see the CONSTITUTIONS
jack -o-mylantern. l went to town and
voted and came back home carly for |
dident want to stay and hear bad news.
Next morning l went out OH the big
road to fix broken gate and | thought
maybe somebody would come along and
tell Inc the news without my asking, but
nobody came but a darkcy, and he didn't
know anything. I went to the house
and rllminated and tried to be calm and
serene but [ couldcnt, and kept looking
down the big road for some body to como
and break the news, and I was afraid
somebody would come, and the news
would be bad. Eve been to the dentists
aforc now to have an aching tooth pulled
and was glad to find the door locked and
tho dentists gone. so | waited another
hour for somebody to come from town
and then went off to the field to work.
About noon man came along in bug
gy and hailed mo with a hurrah for
Cleveland and he hurried on before
could ask him the news. But il sound
cd favorable and hoped mo up some. At
two O'Clock another man came by and
said Cleveland was elected, but | wasn't
satisfied. so l di,lcnt cut up nor cvoutc,
but by and by when got my mail and
read "Fictory" in great big letters Mt
the head Of the column ! was over
whclmcd with thankful ant, jovrul
surprise. There was not soul at home
but ne and the dog and the cat, and in
az much as they couldcnt understand
any gymnastics just kept my scat plac-
idly by the fire and felt good all over all
by myself as | read the growing and the
chuckling and the rejoicing that filled
the columns Of the Constitution. |
was just thinking about going over to
tell the news to nabor Munford, for he
said that iC Cleveland was elected he
knowcd he would have a fit and want
ell to see what kind Of fit it would be-
General Young told me that the first
thing he would do would be to indulge
for a day or two in some artificial ella
ton and then Subsidc and reform and
join the church, for reform was the
watch word Of the party and we all
ought to reform out Of gratitude.
But it does look like the good things
of this life don't last long, hadcnt re-
joiced very long before got to feeling
sorry for the other side. Sorry for some
clever men who were in office and would
have to step down and out. ] was even
sorry for Mr.. Blaine. The good book
says we must rejoice with those that re-
joicc and weep with those that weep,
and was trying my best to do both. ]
don't care so much about the men but it
hurts me to sec the wives and children
disappointed and distressed. When a
good man is in Office and needs it for
the support Of his family, ] don't think
| could turn him out, don't think
could, and that is one thing that made me
like Grover Cleveland, for they say that
when he was first elected Governor OF
New York he never turned out but ono
man. Well that may do in New York
but it wont do at Washington. The ras
calls must all go and there are lots ot
them. Mr.. Cleveland will be doing
enough for them to pardon them on,
of the pcnitentiary when they get there
| Reform is what the nation wants. Tn.
tariff is little thing compared with it.
But while ruminatcd on these things
and was feeling comfortable and compla
cent over my own generous feelings TO-
wards fallen foe, feller came along
with the news that New York had gon,
for Blaine, and so l just collapsed an,
wiltcd and felt as humble and helplcs.
Us dead niger lost all my philoso
ply in half a minute and felt like dit
not have friend in the world. Mrs
Arp was away off in Rome and the girl
were in town and the children were a
school. The dog came creeping in t,
the fire and kicked him out. and then
got sorry for him and called him bacl
again. When the children came HON,
| | dident indulge in my usual loyin,