The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-08
A CANDIDATE THAT SPELLED COW
WITH A "K.o
Jan Turpen in the Perm sentinel

branch OF the General Assembly Hs can see
q point quick, serve a cause or friend with
fidelity, tell story or sing song to perrec-
ton. The first Office for which he tried was
municipal clerk, and he got there, though
not without making history. He was
young fellow and regarded as out of the line
of political promotion, His psrsistency was
interpreted an intrusion. The older heads
shook and said that he was too young; other
old heads, that he was without property, bat
the last and most influential old head
gravely opposed his cau didacy in these words:
Gentlemen. we can not afford to see q
premium on illiteracy. 1t would be sin to
George Ames 1.-THE largest patron Of the High
School in Michigan City to tlsct man to
the clerksbip who spells COW with X "
The last charge came with so much gravity
and vas SO serious that Kreuger fe called
upon 20 get OF the track IL Was a lively
game the festive opposition gave him. he
was frequently salnted With, well, Kreu
phonetic method OF orihography," and as he
would pass along the street the school chill.
dren cried out, tx ow, coY"
We all know hox nominating conventions
are usually conducted. few Interested
gentlemen get together, and one says rIsing
con to order. 1 will nominate Mr.. So.
an6 SO 10 act as chairman of this meet.
ing All in favor of this motion ans yer
aye. Every body answers iaye Contrary,
no. The ayes seem to have it." Mr.. So and
So, taking the chair Gays: gentlemen of
the convention, the first thing in order Is the
election OF Secretary" Then another gen.
tleman gets I'D and says: 81 move Smith or
Jones or Bow be called TO act as Secretary"
The President: Gentlemen, you have heard
the motion III in favor of Smith or Jones
Brown acting az Secretary of the convention
will ssy aye every body says aye; contrary
no.' "The ayes have it" Mr.. Smith or
Jones or Brown takes his place snd the WORK
begins.
"a bone and sipew'' calls: "Mr. Chairman,
i move that Mr.. ElkiDg, Mr.. Catron, Mr..
Thornton or McMurpby be nominated for
Mayor. In most localities there is q de-
nand for McMurphy." AS there is no op.
posing candidate everybody says aye, and
McMurphy is nominated for Msyor. The
first man named always gets on the ticket,
and owing to superstition OF party, gets
elected. Under this system two or three
men may officer county.
Directly it became apparent that the oppo-
siiion TO Kruger was unnecessarily severe,
and he had no disposition to discourage the
sentiment. An old Republican who was
glad to combat anything the Democracy
favored, volunteered this advice: "Neyor
day sad example Of a departure from this doc
trine) IL they accuse you OF stealing
ham, keep your mouth shut. Bring out
your friends, if you have any, and we Re-
pubiicans will see that yeu secures majority
ct the polls" 1t happens that in Michigs
City the German element holds the balance
of power. Kruger is an apt scholar aud
did not require very much prompting. he
quietly informed these people that his appli-
cation for Office was treated with disdain be.
cause bis early training in English had been
neglected.
Est list vahr," was the response.
"Eh gott bevarro der yankees doodle fell
leIs no vote for DntchmanN the irate reubon
asked.
The intelligence that Kruger was to be
sacrificed merely because he had been born
in der Faderland spread through the g ar
man quarter like wildfre, and the wit occa
sioneo by the letters with which ne framed
| his words created sympathy for him. 1t 10
not always that a man can even he laughed
out Of politics as the sequel viii show.
The day OF the cOnYe nti0n came and
krue gers friends came a.so. He was IN ,
| man OF the hour, as everybody talked either
for agsinst Kruger Il was the liveliest
local Democratic gathering Indiara's "ouly
hsrbor' had ever known, Each candidate
/ was allowed to announce himself in short
speech. When Kruger arose the demand
/ How much taxes do you pay?'
This wss the frat time he had ever faced
sn audience, but, fortunately, he proved
/ equal 10 the emergency. BE did not say
TIE atrocicus CT being young mar" etc.
but it was something like this; IF you al
+ low me time / will outgroH the fapl. OF ex.
/ treme youth. As TO having 70 property, I
/ am certainly not MUGS 20 blame. Bat am
unwilling to rem ain that way, and il you
can find 1t in your hearts to give me this Of
! fee / promise soon TO have something on
which TO pay taxes, like the best citiz s1s,
whom l hope TO emulate. Farther than
/ tbis,Sl am charged with having spsllsd COW
/ with X Gentlemen, plead guilty, and
/ when have explained feel sure the great,
weTm htsTt Of this people will forgive ma.
! was born and reared until eleven years old
where tie learned aud polite people, the
priests, thinkers, college professors. every
! educated man and woman, spelled COW
! z b."
Applause respor ded to this, not only from
| the galleries, but from every part of the
houte. Even the opposition joinsd rather
glad to acknowledge itself beaten, but there
vas ore element particularly enthusia stic,
and in beer and broken English feryently
expressed its transport.
How high ish dot?" was exclaimed with
fervency. "Er jst Da.chman und NIGHT
forsbamed for it, 81 fight NIT Sigel ind
votes by Kruger
i Z.
Kruger realizsd that he had msds mis-
he, but it was too late for correction In
stead of offering for clerk he should have
come forth a candidate for the Msyoralty
He might have been elected to
any office within the gift Of that
ardent constituency. 1t was q plain
case Of under rather than over
estimating ones political strength Heswas
nominated almost without opposition an
elected in the same way; but the other
names placed on the ticket by that conven-
ton vent down beneath an overwhelming
majority. Opposition TO bis ambition at
trscted the attention of the Republicans.
Whosorever the Democrats fought enlisted
their help. Every voting German felt per-
soDel interest in the cause OF Kruger.
Every body knows Walker of Laporte
| County. / doubt il there is q superior mind
in Indiana. He isl capable OF directin
an army or mansging the State Government
Why walking to the summit OF Hoosier
Slide, strolling over the sand, through the
pire forests or sailing out on the lake fills
the measure of his ambition / never could
understand. But he learned lesson in this
Kruger business. "Tll never accuse another
Dutch car didate Of spelling COW with a X F"
be said sadly. II never dreamed that there
was so much inthat fellow"