Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1884-09-12
ELECTIyG A POSTMASTER. +
The Doleful Tale Of an Eastern Ex-
Congressman.
Cedar Rapids Republican


The Republicans of independence
Saturday, at a special election ordered
by the Congressman OF the district,
voted their preference for postmaster.
The experiment terminated without
loss OF life or any great amount Of
friction. and Congressman Henderson
IS to be congratulated thereupon but
there is certain ex.congressman in
the state of New York who was not so
fortunate. We will let him tell his
own story.
A politician from a distant county
went all the way to this congressman's
home to urge him to stand for third
term, assuring him there was no oppo-
sition in his portion of this distric
THAT Is probably true," replied the
cautious congressman "but the trou-
Bile is night here at home. They gave
me twelve hundred majority here TWO
years ago, and blamed if l believe l
can carry the town now"
why, what have you been doing to
make such changer"
The disgusted congressman crowded
his friend INTO chair, and drawing his
own chair up close to him IN solemn
voice said
"The only answer have to make
is this:
You expect to go to congress some
day and | want to give you word of
advice-never be drawn into post
, Office election. Sooner nominate the
, most unpopular man in town know
what I'rn talking about, I've tried it.
I'll never try it again. If any friend
of mine ever goes to congress III beg
of HIM to let alone that sort of an ex.
! pertinent
t "What do you mean saw by the
e papers that everybody cheerfully &C
: quiesced in the result"
n "Cheerfully acquiesced' is good
j very good. Let me tell you how i
r happened. Four ofmy friends wert
candidates for the office. II l hac
It chosen any one of them early in tht
: contest the other three would have
4 'cheerfully acquiesed': the opposition
y would have 'cheerfully acquiesced,
n and the general public would have
d been entirely satisfied. But one o
our newspapers took advantage of m,
1t hesitancy and began to clamor for al
d election by the Republicans OF th
d town. In an evil hour l consented
1t called an election and sat down a
i home feeling thankful that l had escap
d ed the alternative of choosing betweel
:, friends. But my trouble had just b
l. gun. Every one Of my four friends be
d lieved, and still believes, it was
|. scheme concocted especially to defea
If him. Two or three others whom L,
ir never thought of, also announced then
/ selves as candidates, thus further com
v plicating the question. The Demo
If Gratis and Greenbackers and Indepen
e dent voters. many had voted for me AM
/ would again if it hadn't been for thi
J. POST Office experiment of nine, resent
C ed the limitation of the vote to Repub
o licans alone. The party in town go
fy by the ears and there developed a
y may factions as there were candidates
e. and at the next spring election tn
T, Democrats, ordinarily in a hopeles
IS minority, says we hadn't got over tha
k quarrel yetand SO they jumped into til
l. arena and routed us. This added t
J. the bitterness, one faction attrlbutin
J. the party defeat to others, until tn
temperature became painfully high,
almost forgot to say that my fou
friends, all good fellows and extra-com
petent were laid out by a rattle braine
ty rustler who slipped around and &C
everybody pledged to him while til
other fellows were arguing the merit
of the case on the post office and hott
y. corners. want to say to you that it
take the party in my town at least tie
t. years to get over that little mistake {
,; mine in ordering a special election
and as for newell, you can tell til
boys in your country that I'm out {
ID politics."
j!a ASEad q pIacStur