The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-09-17
THE CORY VESTMENT.
Some Interesting Eehections RelatinG &c
Senator Sherman'> Late Speech.


THE CORY VESTMENT.
Some Interesting I:eHections Relating &c
Senator Sh.rman'> Late Speech.
Readers in the South are perhaps moi
as familiar rs are the people CT colder
c!imes with the mystical Northern
legend of the red flannel shirt. The
shirt was originally made for some fat
and rheImat god or hero, and when
it was new formed an ample covering
for his stalwart body, even descending
to his lordiy feet. Through frequent
washings. however, tbs capac.ohs gar
ment shrank and Shrank. until having
| been passed 10 the elder bows and then
worn By the young children. it con-
tracted so much that the tradition leaves
it doing duty rs bandage around the
baby sore throat.
In respect of color and of ability to
shrink into the humble propT, ons of
despised and uncIean rag. the "bloody
shirt of American politics has shown
| itself more than the peer of the rel
flannel shirt of New England folklore.
! We all remember when it was bio
enough and CORY enough to flap around
! the ears of the whole country; now it
is so attepuated that there is hardly
/ enough left to paint the moral or ado.n
| the tail of Senator John Sherman 5
! speech prepared for the Ohio Guber-
nator.al campaign. As we have some
rea on for teieving that even in Ohio
the bloody shirt is making its farewell
| appearance on any stage, there IS
! poetic justice in the personality of the
standard bearer selected to give the
stump-Stained old garment its final
wave. 1t is an interesting coincidence
| that the Sherman family through its
brothers. Tecumseh and John, should
| have held up the two poles of the titan
| ic struggle against the South. Tecum-
| sch, otherwise General William +. used
his end as 4 club against the old South
under circumstances which may render
history comparatively lenient to him.
He was ut wa: when the States were.
and since that time has been as much
AT peace as the best of us. Senator
John, on the contrary, was very much
ut peace while Tecumseh and the BOYS
on both sides We're fighting. The broth
er in the tOga never cOndeScended to
smell the powder that the one in the
blue coat with brass buttons was burn
ing-in addition to other cOnhagratiyc
operations not so clearly justified by
Natel. But, perhaps to show his pOpu-
larity to the military sherman, GRIM
visaged war had hardly smoothed his
battled front when John straightway
became remorseleSslv militant, and mil
I, L., -,
shining exemplar of the nO0le class of
patriots who are ''invincible in peace:
invisible in war" Hence the 'bloody
shirt" shrunken to the dimensions of
| red necktie, is in his hands not sucl an
inappropriate ensign.
All the waving OF it now that Sher-
man, chcered on by Halstead and his
kind, may indulge in will hardly
amount to much beyond exciting the
derision of the united and fraternized
American people, North and South.
Antique remarks upon the past of the
Representatives of Southern States in
the National life of the present will
hardly amount to news and still less to
argument when addressed to citizens
VINO have determined long ago to for
get the old disSensiOns, and to work to-
getner to make the New Union
glorious triumph to themselves and an
honorable heritage to their children
TO these. the honest masses of the
country, the real reunion of the great
family OF States does not involve dam
gers to interests born OF jobbery. The
people have no fear that party changes
will cut oil dishonest revenues which
are said to have made millionaires OF
public servants. If the peace and
brotherhood of the Nation held such
terrorS for them, perhaps they, too.
might teel Ike shaking the .bloodv
shirt" As it is they will not, but will
take substantial satisfaction in laughing
at the few who do.
The telegraphic report of the speech
with which Senator Sherman opened
| the OH o campaign has been read by
| pretty much everybody, and is hardly
worth serious comment. There is only
one thing in it that at all entities il to
! consideration. That single redeeming
feature is contained in the dismal wall
in which the eX-Secretary mOurns the
fact that this country is now repre-
sented abroad by men who, within
twenty -IIFe ' IedfS' were Ill iiIlnS lO over
throw it, Judging from the ancienl
flavor Of his other remarks. it is alto
gether probable that Mr.. Sherman had
not yet heard of the recall of the Re
publican Confederate Genera Long
street, or of the arrival home of the
radical rebel Colonel Mo>by. AssuH-
| ing that he was referring to these d.s-
tinguished instances of representation
abroad, we are forced to join cur tears to
| the Senator'S. and with Artemrls Ward
to exelaim: Too true, too true; It's
! Snnnls c,I. f.n.,-, -, \ u IIlna lzala