The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-11-28
Good Nature in Politics.


1 1t is rather pleasant, now that the po-
litical conflict is over, to note in what
good nature the entire country seems TO
be. The two great parties. numbering be-
tween them somewhere in the neigbor-
hood Of 100000 voters. are on agreeable
terms with each other, and if the Demo
Gratis are less tumnlt-ously happy than
the Republicans, they at least take their
defeat smilingly, gracefully. even merrily.
Indeed, the only disgruntled people are
that puny handful who made up what
they were pleased TO term the third par
ty, though it is party that could mnster
not to exceed 100000 in the entire coun-
try, and had no other relation to the con-
test between the great parties than to run
under foot and make itself troublesome.
II is rather astonishing the amount Of
noise this third party" is making now,
possibly because it wa not able to elect
80 much as a legislator. But that faction
for it is nothing Of more dignity-is Ike
some Of the bettors on the general re.
suits, those who risked the least are most
clamorous over their losses, or boasllul
over their gains. \ pig squealing for
milk creates a greater disturbance of the
peace than whole drove Of cattle going
to grlss.
But this has been a campaign Of funny
isms. Memory Of man recalls not anoth-
IT occasion Of such universal interest in a
National election, an interest that brought
out the aged and the infrm, AID made
the spirits Of the old leap with the en-
ihusiasm Of youth. Each one flung him
self into the business Of politics with an
arlor and confidence that were inspir-
ing at the time and are sufficiently anus
ing now. What ludicrous wagers we're
made by men who are ordinarily too
grave and preoocupied with serious cares
to remember that they were ever boys
and knew the taste Of folly
Staid and respectable men of affairs
seemed bent on devising the most rilicu-
lous forfeits in case their Judgment of the
populary tendency proved amiss Here
an agreement that the IJser should sub
nit TO be spanked publicly b. the win
ner; there a man proposing to yield him
self to be kicked repeatedly if his candi-
date should be defeated /; again, a con
tract that imposed upon the loser the OBJ
legation to do a days washing, standing
over the tubs in his dress salt; or, a dig
nifed lawyer agreeing to stand on his
head in a wagon and be hauled about
town at the head of procession. The
victim Of one bargain shaved of one side
Of his mustache and goes about a given
number Of days with the other half of
his former pride. the lonesome evidence
of his patriotic frenzy. One man testi-
fed TO his lack Of prescience by standing
on the street corner holding out his hat
for aims, and a fashionable gentleman
who never did days work in his life
entered upon the laborious task Of saw
ing a cord Of wood.
In fact every conceivable device for the
humiliation of the vanquished and for
the uproarious entertainment of his
friends was set in play by the social and
mischievous voters and would-be voters,
always in the belief that the other fellow
would have to face the music. u was a
campaign Of carnival in which laughter
and mirth had too large a part to permit
sorrows and bad temper toenter into any
natural disappointment in the final out
come. The fun of paying forfeits took
the edge or the Democratic defeat, and
it is probable that no election ever left
the country in a more amiable frame of
mind than the last one. Young and old
entered with zest into the jocular clearing
up.-N J. Mad aud ErDress.