Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-02-08
The Political Disease.

Probably no one form Of ailment ia
SO prevalent in the United States
and certainly none is SO far-reaehing
in it's effects upon the people--as the
political disease. Itcounts its victims
among all classes and conditions. the
high and the low, the rich and the
poor, the young and old, and it
makes no discrimination as to sex nor
as to personal beauty, or mental
greatness, nor as to the want OF
either of these attributes. 1t is as
impartial as the smallpox in it's Sc
lection of victims and as remorseless
and as comprehensive as the catarrh,
that brightest jewel in the diadem OF
New England
The early symptoms of this disease
are not difficult to trace. The pa
tient discovers a decided disinclina-
ton to follow any settled employ
ment, together with resistless in
clination to frequent public houses,
the purlieus of Legislative chambers
and cascuses, primaries, conventions
and like gatherings Of his patriotic
fellow countrymen. He shows also a
strong prediction for tobacco, either
in the plug or cigar form, and is much
given to dalliance with the free-luneh
counter, and his devotion to stimu-
lating iuidsissomething remarkable.
AS the disease processes the pa
tient loses all pratical interest in the
industrial questions of the day, and
spends his time in theoretical inyes-
legations oflabor and economic prob
lens. He is apt to become careless
as to dress and to personal cleanli-
ness; he passes but small portion
of his time at home, and rare
ly seeks his couch save with a
pungent odor of burned tobac-
co upon his clothing and his breath
suggestive of a distillery in prosper
GUS circumstances. He is diligent
frequenter of reading-rooms where
newspapers can be CLEANED gratuit-
ously, and he exhibits that oratori-
cal rotundity of speech which obtains
in the ward caucus and the shop of
the yoluble barber.
Later on, when the disorder has
obtained complete control of his
faculties, be becomes strangely conf
Dental, and whisper what he considers
occult communications into the ears
of all who happens TO come in his
way. Hetalks learnedly ofthe science
of government, and is apt at dis
covering the hidden meaning or
apparently ineonsequent acts and
utterances of public men. This is the
violent stage of the disease, the climax
of the ailment. If he survive this
period the evidences of his distemper
become milder. He has now reached
the chronic stage, the most danger
Gus of all stages, though the most
lingering, and his permanent recovery
is nearly hopeless. He is now seen
wandering aimlessly through hotel
corridors, bar-rooms and all sorts
Of places where politicians most do
congregate, and albeit he has little
to say and is recognized by none, he
is haunted by the belief that without
his watchful care and his indefatigable
aid and assistance the country viii
surely go to the demnition bowwows.
And thus he fingers in comatose
condition, through months and
years, accommodating nothing but debt
and dirt, and when at last he
succumbs to the inevitable and for
sakes his old haunts forever he leaves
behind him no name for his fellow
countrymen to prize as a rich legacy
and no money for his family to pay
his funeral expenses.