Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1891-03-20
Mossback Mortified.
"A pebble In the streamlet scant
Has turned the course ofmany river

Has dwarfed the CLAN, oak forever,
The authorship of the above is
a matter of doubt, but it is beyond
all question that it was written by
man Injured to the tolls and
vicissitudes of politics. An au-
spicious beginning has little sig
niiesnce as to the future i'll most
things, but it means less than
nothing to the professional candi-
date. The man who mistakes
morning snd evening for Siamese
twins, and judges his supper by
his breakfast, is sowing the seed
of disappointment. An enthusl-
astic following in Hardscrabble
precinct may not safely be consid-
dered as an lnfallible Indication of
triumph in Snowunder township
| write with all the emphasis of
bitter experience. 1t may not be
truthfully said that Solomon
Mossback was ever q member of
the Lancaster Multum in Parvo
club, but once he was on terms of
familiarity, if not confidence, with
those who were. Location and
lack of influence were obstacles i i
the way of full promotion, though
l had recognition as sort of trib-
une. While not one OF the mil
Hers, was gwen the liberty of the
mill and permitted to study the
wire-work process. But the key
of the toll-box was never entrust-
ed to my care. | lost favor through
an incident of itself SO inconse-
quentisl as TO suggest the quota
ton with which this letter be-
gins.
Not long after the war, when
our party had got out on the thor
ny ground of safe majority, 1 an
nounced for assessor. 1t WAS GER
tainly modest assertion of de-
s srving service and liberal ambi-
ton. The Multum in Parvo club
manifested a favorable considera-
ton of my claim. My prestige in
Elm Narrows, after due delibera-
ton, was thought to be worth a
term of assessorship. then had
eighty acres of land, aud lmpru-
IDENTIFY mortgaged forty of it for
campaign expenses. Thus | learn
ed, in common with thousands of
other Democrats, to hate the
greedy capitalists, whose mortga-
ges are only SO many licenses to
rob the unsuspectlng, who, unlike
Diogenes, want something besides
sunshine. WheL Fogle cried in
his speeches last fall, l felt at
least ten tears in each hundred
were absorbed by my own 6nan-
. cial distress. Fogle has been call
ed "blatherskite'' and an idiot,
and to judge him by his bills, ]
should dub him the Great Insigni.
{ fcant; but l must thank him fo,
: those tears of political sympathy
: Yet tears are not enough. Wha'
}, we unfortunates want IS legisla.
+ ton to enable us to borrow at oul
= pleasure, without mortgage, secur
u ity or anything but the nakec
promise, l would not mind prom
0 lsing interest at the rate of twent.
per centum. But [ drift from tn,
subject in hand.
al [ have always been an inveter
u ate marble player. The Multun
y in Parvo club are mostly fond O
II the game also, though one or tw'
IT Of them prefer poker. One un
lucky day, not long before tn
nominations were made, [ engage
IS in game with two of the worth
it Multums, in the court house yarc
/ A sum barely sufficient to promot
u good-natured interest was at stake
~ y. Good skill proved bad luck for MT
III After pocketing a number Of NICK
re els, L was disconnected to hear on
ne of the worthy Multums growl:
,e "Mossback, you fudge!"
The other substantiated tE
charge. Attempted argument an
Il explanation only made matter
oy worse. Anger is usually atten'
at ant upon like conditions, and thl
! case WAS not exceptional. Uneon
+, plimentary epithets were exchans
10 ed, and only the timely appearan'
lg of the sheriff prevented violence. 4
it we separated one informed me
"a was rascal and all ignoramu
= while the oth.r promised to ''ti,
&c me. 1 soon learned what he mean
On l lost the nomination. The IL
as will of two of the Multums mea1
lg the opposition of all. The NOR
10 gagged land could not save me, al
70 finally 1 could not save the nor
'o gagged land. So a trivial game
e. marble marred my political futul
Or forever. At least, so it seems.
D. am aware that there is a gre
L. deal of masquerading in polite
an and that self-interest is fond
- excuses. The game of marbel M.
'e have been a conspiracy to give &C
to ering to my premeditated defea
but it pleases my vanity to thin
otherwise. Surely l was once
favor with the mighty Multum
ie Malice often dies only with Il
e. man. The Multum who "fxet
is me has called me SCISSOR Mos
ed back ever since, in ridicule. T