Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-07-11
THE ELECTION.

unanimously. lie had accepted with seem
Jug reluctance The support in party lines
lad been solid, and there was strong in
dependent sentiment ia his favor. The
canvass had progressed favorally aud
everything looked auspieious. And yet in
The closing days OF The contest a batch of
clouds appeared upon the horiz of his
hopes.
With his good wife Jane he was sitting
in the parlor of his humble house, the low
er part of which was a store. He seemed
disconsolate Jane busted herself with
sewing, while he gazed alternately at the
lamp and floor and cogitated on his pros
poets.
"Abner,' said Jane, something is
troubling you"
eyes, dear, something usually is"
lyon haven't any doubt about your elec-
ton, have youl"
"of course not. Did you ever know a
candidate to have any doubts except as to
the size of his majority
"Now know something's wrong. What
is itl"
Abner did not answer. He looked stead
lily and sturdiIy at the floor. Jane waited
awhile and then resumed.
''What is it, Abnerl You haven't been
comfortable since the mail came in yester-
day."
Abner glanced up quickly. Jane" he
said, did you ever see through brick
wallfp
''The idea of such question: | believe
you are losing your mind. You've lost
about everything else since you got into
politics"
"Yes" responded the candidate for sher
iff, gloomily; "and I'm going to lose
more"
Jane dropped her sewing and gazed al
him in open-eyed dismay. ''What" she
asked, edo they want money! Why,
they declared it shouldn't cost you any
thing"
Abner shook bis head dly. ''Its al
ways that way" he said. ''They sugar
coat you with compliments, and for every
compliment they issue note that you've
got to pay before the campaign ends. Thi:
politics, Jane, is great scheme to use {
IN ans vanity for opening his pocket book
| It's got so that I'm afraid to hear a mar
praise me, lest he sho1ld come arounC
afterward to borrow money, and I'm dis
| appointed if he doesn't come, becaus,
l feel sure he's going to vote agains
me-"
"Now, Abner, if they said that yor
would strengthen the ticket, and if that i,
why they put you on, why don't they e
ahead and elect youa"
"Bless your innocent soul, Jane, yot
don't know politics! Six weeks ago they
all said I'd go through with flying eolors
and everybody was crowding around prom
Using to put up money and help me, but
six weeks in politics is about six years lon
ger than eternity"
Didn't they contribute as they SAID
they would9.'
Yes, some did. Major Powderdry fol
one"
"Major Powderdry. Why, Abner, new
er knew that he contributed to anything
except the size of his debts"
That's about what he did 1t was this
way. Three weeks ago the major came
around and said he wanted to make good
contribution to the campaign fund, and
after a lot of a-hemming and a-hawing he
asked me to lend him a hundred dollars on
his note. As long as had taken the nom
ination from him, and as the money
would help my own election, loaned it to
him."
''And he contributed it to the fund.-"
Abner smiled grimly. ''Yes, twenty five
oft. He put the other seventy five in
his pocket 1t was the first time that 1
ever knew Major Powderdry was tinan-
cier.o
"a financierw exclaimed Jane, indig-
nantly. II call it robbery
IN my dear; its finance. As far as l
can see finance is the general barter of hu
manity, and the biggest tinancier is the
fellow who manages to hold ON to the most
money. Now old Canton is another tinan-
cier. We made him chairman of our
first mass meeting, and gave him enough
honor for his whole family. OF course we
expected to get good contribution from
him. Well he promised and promised
Then he kept saying that times was bard,
and it all ended by his handing over five
dollars out of his fifty thousand. And
now he is lending me money, and making
me pay twelve per cent interest on it. The
old skinfint will make nearly a hundred
dollars out of me-"
Jane did not know much about politics,
but she had helped Abner in the store
enough to understand something about the
rules of interest This disclosure evident
ly alarmed her.
do you mean to say" she asked, that
you have put thousand dollars into this
| things"
Gas the day Of execution is near at
hand, my dear, suppose Ia just as well
confess. \ thousand is about the size OF
il. j."
But, Abner, don't see where you can
use all the money
Campaign expenses he answered, sen
tentiously
What are they7'
Printing tickets and mass meetings and
hiring music, and-and other things"
"What other thingsa You don't mean
to say, Abner, that you pay to get votesf'
Certainly not, my dear; but some peo,
pie have to be persuaded
Persuaded
Eyes, persuaded. There are lots of men
who will vote our ticket, but they must be
paid for their loss of time. Now. for in.
stance, there is Bill Simpson. Bill will
vote for our ticket bat he needs persuasion
lie wants five dollars for his loss of lime
in going to the polls
''But, Abner, you know that lie never
does anything, and how can his time be
valuablel'
That's just it. His time isn't valuable
except when elections come round. Then
every body finds out that it is Il very busy
season, and that it will be hard to get tc
the voting places unless the party does
something for them. | went to see Bill.
He said he certainly wanted to vote fol
me, but ne did not see how he was going
to get away, for he had big job of work
to do, and it would be worth every cent OF
five dollars for him to lay off and go to the
polls. What are you going to do with