The state journal., 1884-01-12
CHAPTER IT
MY FIRST LESSON IN POLITICS

| at Radnor began.
CHAPTER II.
MY FIRST LESSON IN POLITICS
had strolled up to the line of the new
railroad, some two or three hundred
yards from the house, where men were
sitting on square blocks of white stone
and drilling holes in them. This work
must have been in progress for some
time, for the cuttings and filings were
finished at that point; but this incident
marks my first conscious memory of the
road had, as i say, wandered over
the field to the line of the road, and stood
watching the men drilling the stones.
One of them CHANGING to notice me,
dropped his hammer and cried:
''Hello!me by, and phwats yer name?"
told him, trembling at the same time
with fear, for all the rest had stopped
and were staring at me.
can phwared' yes live? my man."
pointed down TO the house.
a" Is it the toll takers by yes are %
nodded my head affirmatively.
Arragh b'ys, did yes hear that.
Here's the toll takers by, an he'll be
after takin' a job, jealous, an the works,
shouted my new acquaintance, and then
to me again.
I'm saying me by. How'd yes
like to be q powdther monkey"
can feel the hair crawling up the back
of my head now as | did then, as 1 tried
to form some conception of what a
'powdther monkey" might be-
A general laugh, which seemed to me
to be dreadfully threatening, ran through
the crowd, until my interlocutor addressed
me again.
"Phwat the devil dyes shtand there
gapin' at, ye sralpeen. Don't yes know
phwat powdther monkey is p
hook my head negatively.
3D. yes see the bucket an the cup
there7" Pointing to where it stood be
hind large stone with the cup floating
On the water. Bring the cup here wild
some wather in it."
did as he told me- and he drank the
water, winking at his fellows as he did
50. There, " said he, ''now yes II take
it back again
When | had returned the cup to its
place. That's it my by that's bein'
powdther monkey. Ye's'll jist take the
wather around to the min, an the
whusky phwin we have any. Wud yes
BY this time familiarity had given me
courage, and l felt flattered with the pro-
posal made, and was ready enough to
take "a job on the works" So l replied
II will if Pap will let me"
can phwy wouldn't he let ye's?"
said my friend. Here's yer powdther
monkey, b'ys, introduce him til yes.
"Hould up there, Paddy p shouted
one of the others at this point. lis he a
Dimicrat?"
CAV ccorse he's Dimicrat," said
Paddy. "Phwy wouldn't he be-"
Then turning to me-
care yes Dimicrat me b'y?
Ireplied, after some hesitation, that |
did not know. Which was probably
true.
eyes don't p he exclaimed. "Arrah
but isn't this a nice by for powdther
monkey? Phwats yer Pap2 Is he
Jackson man?'
II don't know" replied 1. II guess
not. He told Uncle Josy Harding last
night he didn't think it was right to elect
military men President"
"Och Murdther Murdther p shouted
Paddy. dyes hear that b'ys. He's
not Dimicrat"
He sprang to his feet with fierce GEES
lures, as did all the rest, all crying, ''Or-
roo did yes hear that? Murdther
Murdther &c. "
! was sure they were terribly angry,
and thought they were going to kill me,
and the first thing knew afterward, was
hearing the crowd breaking out in up
roarous laughter, which sounded to me
like the knell of doom, while was half
way across the field and nearing home
like hunted rabbit, where | bounded
into the arms of stout, beautifully
formed, and fine featured dark mulatto
girl, who exclaimed as she folded me
close to her bosom with her strong and
protecting arms
''Why honey Fo' de Lo'd's sake
What has sea ed We so?
1t was long time before | again called
on the dimlcrdtS who were drilling holes
in the stones on the railroad
When going over to Squire Lewis the
way to whose place lay past the gang, l
would walk around by Georges lane, a
quarter of a mile further, to avoid being
seen by them. had my first lesson in
Democracy, and didn't like it. In fact |
have never acquired very warm liking
for it since, though must confess to bav-
ing tried at various times, since l have
read up Jefferson, whose political phil
osophy seems to me to be perfect.
The difficulty with the Democrats as l
have seen them is, that they narrow the
application of Jefersonian principles like
the selfish Christian did his blessings.
''God bless me and my wife, my son
John and his wife, we four, and no more.
Amen"