Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-07-24
ALcoRN AND LAMAR.
How the Secretary Was Punished for Ma
king Personal Remarks.


Here is q story that Secretary Lamar
tells of himself and the Philadelphia
Record repeats The Secretary was
running against Alcorn for the Demo
cratic nomination for congress in his
district, and they met in joint debate at
the little village OF Haziehurst. 1t was
a beautiful day, and all the farmers of
the surrounding country had come in,
bringing their wives and daughters to
hear the "speakin."
Alcorn was very fashionable in his
dress, and he looked when he rose to
speak as though he had 'just stepped
out OF bandbox." He meie just as
good a speech, however, as though he
had not been exquisitely dressed, and
Lamar, as he listened, saw that the
crowd was greatly impressed. He felt
that he must upset Alcorn in some way,
even if he could not upset his argu-
ments. So, when Alcorn sat down and
he got up, after briefly discussing the
pending issues, he said
Ladies and gentlemen, do you want
to send such g !Gia.;elzy, fastidious beau
as Mr.. Alcorn to congress Wouldn't
he foget you and all his fair promises
as soon as he got to Washington When
he gets there (if he ever does) he'll be
80 busy posing for the fashionable ladies
in the gallery that he won't have time
to attend to your business, or you either
if you should happen to go to Washing
ton. Now I'm plain man-one OF the
people | don't dress in the latest ag-
ony, with my beard trimmed and my
hair curled and my boots polished.
Why, fellow citizens, / haven't cleaned
my boots for six months!"
Lamar is careless now of his personal
appearance, and then he rather affected
the scholarly young mans indifference
to dress, so that his hearers had only to
look at him and then at Alcorn to see
the argument. 1t evidently stirred the
crowd to its depths. $50" he contin-
ued, "if you send me to congress, fell
low-citizens, ii will be just like sending
one OF yourselves, for / shall always
be glad to see you and you will always
| find me what | am now.'
Lamar thought he had demolished
Alcorn. But the latter rose as Lamar
sat down, and asked leave to make but
one word in reply. "It is true, fellow.
citizens" he said with smile, "that /
took some pains to dress neatly before
coming before you to-day. But / did il
out OF respect to you. / knew that la
dies would be present, and that they
always like to sec man becomingly at
tired, and would not affront them BY
an indifferent and slovenly dress for all
the seats in congress. 1t is true La
mars hair has not been cut or combed
for month"; that his beard has nof
been trimmed or his boots polished fol
six months, and that he looks as dlsrepu
table as possible generally, but this il
not out OF respect to you. On the con
trary, it is an insult. Ii he were goinl
to speak in Vicksburg or Natchez Oh
any of the cities in the state, he woulc
brush his hair and shave his face anC
polish his boots, and pat on his bes
clothes and his best smiles, and yol
couldn't tell him from me. But b.
dresses in this miserable way when he
comes to speak to you because he re
CARDS you as lot of country cattle VIII
can be caught by that sort Of humbug.
"Wel, said Lamar, Tread my sen
tence in the indignant faces of the WON
en-. When the convention met, all tn
Hazlehurst delegates we're solid 70
Alcorn. They would not have dared t
go home If they had voted for me. y