Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-03-12
Several years ego | was one evenint

| when our attention was attracted owe
IN G.,r- -etown. 1t was evidently
large fr-. We jumped into hack an
drove over a. fast as we could. Whe
We gor here went to work, and
J ever W. rked as hard in my life as
cid there for several hours. But. Ii
spite of all that could be done, man,
houses W. re blrued and many familie
made b u eless, and, besides, some o
them had lost all but the clothes the,
had on. The weather was very cold
and when | saw 80 many women ant
children suffering ! felt that something
ought to be done for them, and every
body else seemed to feel the same way
The next morning bill was intro
ducrd appropriatIng $4,000 for theil
relief. We put aside all other business
aud rushed it through as fast as i
could be done / said everybody fell
as | did. That was not quite so; for
though they perhaps sympathized a.
deeply with the sufferers as l did
there were few of the members whc
did not think we had the right to in
dulge our sympathy or excite our char
ity at the expense of anybody but our
selves They opposed the bill, and
upon its passage demanded the yeas
and nays. There were not enough oi
them to sustain the call, but many o
us wanted our names to appear IN
favor of what we considered praise
worthy measure, and we voted with
them to sustain it. So the yeas and
nays were recorded and my name ap'
peared on the journals in favor of the
bill.
The next summer, when it began to
be time to think about the election,
| concluded | would take scou,
around amond the boys of my district
| had no opposition there, but, as tie
election was some time off. did not
know what might turn up, and /
thought it was best to let the boy &
know that l had not forgotten them
and that going to Congress bad no,
mace me- too proud to 60 to see them.
So l put q couple of shirts and a
few twists of tobacco into my saddle.
bags and put out. | had been out
about about q week and had found
things going very smoothly when.
riding one day in part OF my district
ia which l was more OF stranger
than any other, saw a man in field
blowing and coming toward the road.
| guaged my gait 80 that we should
meet as he 4me to the fence. AS be
came up poke to the man. He re-
Piled Politely, hut. as thought. rather
coldly, and was about turning bis
horse for another furrow y hen l asked
him if he could give me a chew OF TO-
bacc0.
Yes said be, "such as we make
and use in this part of the country
but 1t may not suit your taste, as you
are probably in the habit OF using bet
ter"
With that he pulled out of his pock
ct part of twist in its natural state
and handed it to me. took che "
aud handed it back to him. He turned
to. bis plow and was about to start OF
| said to him: Don't be in such a
hurry, my friend; / want to have q
little talk with you and get better &C
quainted He replied: 81 am very
busy and have but little time to talk
but it oes n,t take too long will
Ii te to what -, ou have to say"
hegan: "a ell, friend, | am one o
those unfortunat beings called candi
dates, and"
Yes, l know you; you are Colone
Crockett. l have seen you once before
aud voted for you the last time you
were elected | suppose you are ou'
e.eetioueerlng now, hut you had better
not waste your time or mine. l shall
not vote for you again"
This was u sockdologer. bad been
making up my mind that he was ont
of.tnuso cEurlish fellows who care fol
nobody but themselves and take blunt
ness tor independence. | had seen
ell. ugh of them to know there Is way
to reach them, and was satisfied thai
If ! could get him to talk to me
would soon have him straight. But
this was entirely different bundle o
sticks. He knew me, had voted fol
lne before aud did not intend to DO i,
again Something must be the matter
| could not imagine what 1t was.
had heard Of no complaints against me
except that some of the dandies about
the village ridiculed some ot the wild
and foolish things that l too often say
and do, and said l was not enough d
u gentleman to go to Congress-
begged hun to tell me what was the
matter.
well, Colonel, it is hardly worth
while 10 waste time or words upon 1t
| DO not see how it can be mended
but you gave vote last winter which
shows that either you have not the
capacity to Understand the Constitu
tion or that you are wanting In tht
honesty and firmness TO be guided by
it. In ellher case you are not the mar
to represent ME. But beg your par
don for expressing it in that way.
did not intend TO avail myeelf Of th'
privilege of the constituent to speal
plainly To a cand date for the purpose
rf insu ing or wuunding you. l in
te.d by II only 10 say that your un
derstandIng of the Constitution il
very different from mine; and | will say
TO you what, but for my rudeness.
should not have said, that l believ'
you to be honest"
Thank you for that, but you hnt
fault with only one vote. You know
the story of Heny Clay, the old hunts
man aud the rife; you wouldn't bresl
your gun for one SNIP"
NO, nor for doznn. AS the stor.
goes, that tack served Mr.. Clay's pur
pose admirably, though it really hat
; nothing to do with the case. | woul'
not break the gun, nor would l discard
an honest representative for a mistak
in Judgment as a mere matter of policy
But an understanding of the Constltu
tion different from mine | cannot over