The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-12-06
a Powerful Speech.

office and finally elected without
having expended a cent for that pur-
pose. He was very eccentric, hut he
made good officer. When he heard
that he was nominated, he went up,
MS he said, into the mountains to do
some assessment work on couple Of
claims.
He got lost and didn't get lis
bearings until n day or two after
election, Then he came into town
hungry, greasy and ragged, lut un-
pledged.
He found that he was elected, and
in answer to a telegram started off for
Frisco to see a dying relative. He
did not get back until the first Of
January. Then he filed his bond and
sailed into office. He fired several
sedentary deputies who had been in
the place for twenty years just stbecau:e
they were good workers" That is,
they were good workers at the polls.
Tncy saved all their energies for the
campaign, and so they only had vital
ity enough left to draw their sala-
ries during he balance Of the two
years.
This man raised the county scrip
from sixty to ninety-iive in less than
two years, and ,till they busted him in
the next convention. He WAS too ec-
centric. One delegate asked what in
Sam Hill W uid become Of the country
if every candidate should skin out dur
ing the campaign and rusticate in the
mountains while the battle was being
fought.
Says he, 81 am a delegate from the
precinct OF Rawhide Buttes, and |
calkilate tha | k ow what lam talkin
about. Gentlemen Of the convention
just suppose that everybody, from the
president OF the United States down,
was to git the nomination and then
light out like Il house afre and never
come back till it was time to file hi,
bond; what's going to become of us
common drunkards to whom election
is noasis in the bad lands, an orange
grove in the alkali ila;s?
"Mr. Chairman, there's millions of
dollars in this broad land waiting for
the high tide OF election day to come
and float 'em down to whore you and
! Mr. Chairman, as well as other
parchcd and patriotic inebriates, can
git a hold on 'em.
"Gcntlemen, we talk about stringen.
cy and shrinkage of values, and all
such funny business as that but that
is something | don't know a blamed
thing about. What | can grappt
with is this : II our county Offices arc
worth $4,000, and there are other lit
tie aftcr-claps and soft snaps, and walk
overs, worth say $4,000, and the boys
say, are willing to do the fair thing
say, blow in fifteen per cent. to heI
central committee, and what they fee
like on the outside, then politics, in
stead of II burden and Il reproach, be
comes pleasant duty, joyous occa
sion and a picnic to those whose live
might otherwise be Il dreary mono
tone.
"Mr Chairman, the past two year
has wrecked four campaign saloon,
and a timer who socl;ed his wife
fortune into campaign torches, is nov
in land where torchlights is no goot
Overcome by dull market, n fnar
cial depression and a reserved centra
committee, he ate Il ackagc of RougI
IN Rats, and passed up the fume. II
is now at rest oyer yondcr.
"Such instances would be common
if we encouraged the eccentric econC
nomy Of official cranks. 1t is an ev
that is gnawing at the vitals of the re
public. We must squench it or gi
left. There are millions of dollars i
this country Mr.. Chairman, that if W
keep it out OF the campaign, will &
into the hands of the working classe
and then you and ], Mr.. Chairman
and gentlemen of the convention, ca
starvc to death. Keep the campaig
money away from the soulless hire
man, gentleman, or goodbye John!
"Mr. Chairman, excuse my emotion
1t is almighty seldom that ! make
speech, but when ] do, ! strive to g
there with both feet. We must eitht
work the campaign funds into the
legitimate channels. or every blame
patriot within the sound of my voiC
will have to fasten on tin bill an
rustic for angle worms amongst til
hens, You hear me?"
Terrific applause, during whic
the delicate odor of enthusiasm wi
noticed on the breath of the entil
delegation.l