The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-01-27
4oIititaI.
A Democratic HOratius.

The political parties at North Grove,
Ind, as near as we can ascertain from
this distance, seem to include only the
democratic and prohibition varieties.
The republicans, we are sorry to say,
appear TO have dropped out of sight.
A little warfare has long existed be-
tween the democrats and prohibition
lists at North Grove. The prohibi-
tionists are largely composed of women.
This tends 10 weaken the party on
election day, since none of them, of
course, are voters, but at other times it
is remarkably live and energetic Or
ganlzalion. There is one liquor store
at North Grove, kept by Jacob Barn
hardt. OF course, the LrOhibitiOnists
are strongly opposed to it. The demo-
Gratis, on the other hand, rather seem
to have rallied around Mr.. Barnhardts
institution in the pastor at least the
pronibitionists say that they have.
One day a week ago fifty women be-
longing To the prohibition party marched
into Barnhardt's store and nailed
long list of names on the wall winch
made Jacobs knees smlte together.
1t was list Of the habitual drunkards
and minors Of North Grove to whom
he was warned not to sell liquor. At
first he thought, as he gazed on it, as
1t hung down from nail almost up to
the ceiling and reached half way across
the floor, that it contained the name of
every democrat and customer that he
had. But on closer examination he
| found that one name was omitted, that
of the Honorable Jesse Barkius, leader
OF the democratic party at North Grove.
When Mr.. Barkins dropped in, a few
minutes later, the frightened Barn.
hardt explained4tO him that he was the
only man in town who could buy liquor
over the Barnhardt bar. Barnhardt
said that he would have to close up and
move away. Mr.. Barkins is too shrewd
democratic politician to view with
favor such prospect as this. He told
the liquor seller to stay. He had
never, he said, shirked a duty, and if
the women of North Grove had dele
gated him to do the drinking for the
town he would do it. Never, he added,
as he walked up to the bar and seized a
large bottle by the neck, never had the
Honorable Mr.. Jesse Barkins been
known to shrink in the face of duty.
When the liquor store closed that even
lux niShl CdllCu Will u
wheelbarrow and took Mr.. Barkins
home in it. Since then he has waited
for the honorable gentleman every
night with the same vehicle. Barkins
is doing the drinking for the village of
North Grove and making no COM
paint. Sometimes a commercial trav-
eler or other stranger drops in and
takes a drink or two with him, but
usually he stands and bears the heat
and burden OF the day alone. He is
cheered on by the thought that he is
doing it for the glorious Old democratic
party. He hopes in the course of a
few weeks to get some sort of an order
from the courts to make the women
withdraw at least part of the names on
their list. In the meantime he pro-
poses to hold the saloon ia town. If
he succeeds with the courts he will
probably be rescued by willing and
thirsty party friends; it he fails, the
outlook for him is gloomy. Already
the night Waterman has had to put
sideboards on his wheelbarrow to keep
the honorable gentleman from rolling
out, and the glad and defiant song
which he sung while going home the
first two or three nights has been
hushed by harsh snore. The rest of
the country, and especially the demo-
Gratis and prohibitionists, will watch
the efforts OF this man who is willing
to be martyr to party with great in
terest. His name seems destined to
go down to posterity as that of the
democratic Horatius who held the
liquor store.-Ne,O York Tribune.