New-York tribune., 1891-10-16
/ LOCAL ISSUE IN POPE COUNTY.

The idea that the tariff or the coinage Of silver
or other similar questions OF National importance
are the Only ones that ever face the Intelligent
American voter at the polls is highly erroneous.
II often happens that questions purely local In
| their character come up, and sometimes they are
far more important to the citizen than the
weighticst issue before the country MS whole.
For instance take the of Pope County, ILL
| nois. where a local issue Of such importance mas
arisen that the papers are full Of it, and crowded
meetings are being held every night at which are
delivered speeches fairly bristling with cloquence.
The controversy which has set Pope County
on FIRE is in connection with the candidacy OF
CAPTAIN Madison Blowers for the office OF County,
| Treasurer II is charged by the opposition that
the Captain habitually wears night-shlrt anu
the hard-handcd and harder headed electors Oh
Pope are asked if they will entrust the fnnds OF
their county to man who INDUCES In euch
aristocratic not to say dude-like, pracuces' Inc
| opposition papers refer TO the captain as NlghI
shirt" Blowers, and filled with cuts OF the
| garment in question: showing row oil 1ea'her-
stitching down the front and embroidery across
the top Of the pocket The opposing cahdida'e'
Jobn Carter. carries night-shirt obtained from
Louisville. about with him to all meetings ana
shakes it. derisively at the crowd and asks them
for the important Office of County Treasurer Inc
garment is always met with great amount OIL
bootinr and groanng. and when Mr.. Carter at
tempts to put it on and gets 1T wrong side up ana
at last gives over in despair. the enthusiasm Is
something terrific "Our candidate, Mr.. John
Cartcr-Honest John" SAYS The Glendale Bag
nine never wore q nightShirt in his life ana
rovcr will: no. not if some day the sturdy
voters of this country place him in the white
House os they may very probably do. lie never
wears but one suspcnder, and when his daughter
cave him rcd silk necktie year age, ne cuG IL
nm for shotgun wads He is a man of the people
and al the end of his term OF office Will be iouhd
in Pope County instead of Canada At tnls dls-
lance il looks as if the night-shirt Issue was uoo
heavy for the Captain, ard that he is going 20 lie
showed under at the polls.
II wp are not mistaken this is tie first time
that the night-shirt has entered into American
politics-that is the nightshiIt per Sc the Oolo-
RADIO instance few years ago, turning on the price
Of the garment rather tLan on what II was
Whether or not man who wears nlght-shlrC ID
6t TO hold responsible Office Is, OF course, COM
plicated question, and much may depend OH uue
local surroundings We have carefully read The
Glendale Baqpire" which opposes the Captain,
and The Wool Post Office Gazette" which sup
people OF Pope County will make mistake if they
defeat Captain Blowers solely on the nlght-Shlrt
issue. A night shirt may sa"or II luxury, but 1t
docs not seem to polrt toward dishonesty or
crime. We have not, of course, any sympathy
for the young man who, caught away from home
without his n9ht7shirt, srS up all night but on
the other hand it seems to rs that moderate
Use Of a plain night-shirt canLOt unfit any man
for Office No man, of course. who is the slave OF
the night-shirt. or who wears one costing, say
above one dollar should bC trusted but tie man
who wears an eighty-cent nightshrt at home ana
doe, not take it with linn when he travels, may
make Just as good county treasurer as the man
who does not recognize nieht-Shlrt when he sees
il. The wearing of a right-shirt may be step
in the direction Of dangerous luxury, but, as has
been sagely remarked by some one, getting mar
rieI is a step in the direction of polygamy. The
night shirt of Captain Madison Blowers should
ce Sc to wave III Pope County.