The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1892-03-22
THE PUBLIC TROUGH.
81 Am Dead Down OF that Third Term
Bnsiness-v
SIS There No Balm in GiIead; Only
One Position Thereg''- the
Runt Show

Oue foSillOn luerel '@---tliNe the
Runt Show
From the Kanawha Gazette
I am dead down on that third
term business. Every outside pig
has as much right to put his foot
in the public trough as does the
present incumbent hogs that grow
fat and take the premiums at the
fair. The old fogy hangs onto the
wooden moIdboard, flintlock, tub
mill, tin crater and old sIedge,
and wont hear to evolution and
progressive euchre. They live
away back in the days of slavery.
Notwithstanding the Emancipation
Proclamation, Freedman's Bureau
and universal education that make
one man as good as another, if not
better. To point TO Pat Duffy's
honesty and efficiency as if such
characteristics were miracles, is a
sad reflection on the balance of our
people and times. But no, sir, the
young aspirants who are capable
and willing, are hedged out as if
they were rats, and thus they say
in bald faced terms, or words TO
that effect, aMontani Semper
Liberi,' is lie. They don't only
want TO keep the Office forever, but
they want the salary increased;
when the Lord knows a man with
any business get up, can make a
good living out of it at the present
salary. if you would only give them
a chance. Look at young CIous.
ton, for instance; he has developed
the fact that present fees with the
perqulsites and chances, are enough
for anybody but hog. Now let
us see how our little mother,
eSemper," has been distributing
her favors, to say that her children
are not willing to serve her is lie.
Why, l have stood in conventions
till had the leg ache, ready to vol
unteer at her call, but L am satisfied
now that if ever get there it VIII
be under conscript law. 1 ave
seen Hereford, Kenna, Snyder, FcR
guson and others go again and
again to the public crib, and better
men pushed back, almost flmished
Why, even an old SOW has more
humanity. When she finds that
she has more pigs than teats. she
will keep the strong and greedy of,
and give the runt a show But
just look at West yirginia's distri-
button OF public favors. There is
Pat Duffy who has been tugging
away at the public teat for eight
years, and don't weigh a pound
more than when he began. Look
at his picture among the candidates
and you will exclaim, "yerily, all
that he eats goes to appetite"
And there is 1. V. johnson of
Barbour, who has been tugging
away as circuit clerk for one con-
tinuous unbroken period of eighteen
years. Is there no balm in Gilead
and only one position there?
Next comes Holly Armstrong,
appointed to an Indian Agency
under Cleveland, tried it and re-
signed with the ungrateful remark
that he couldn't eat crow, and came
back as hungry as when he started.
The diet wouldn't assimilate. But
suppose we had given such a start
to a man like Clouston. He would
have come back a grateful million
aire. But Holly returned in such
a dilapidated condition that we had
to make him chief of one of the
Internal revenue departments, and
feed him with spoon, till he, with
the same unthankful air threw this
piece of public meat to the dogs,
grabbed at a shadow (auditor) but
fortunately caught a good thing
the clerkship of the Senate He
made quasi resignation of this,
and made fruitless snatch at an
other passing shadow place on
the Worlds Fair Commission. But
/ don't think that Holly would
want to be Auditor or anything else
for three terms-in fact, he has
never stuck to anything for one
term. IF 1 were ambitious for Of
fee, l would just follow Holly, and
pick up one that he had left. And
now the papers charge him with
being candidate again. / don't
believe it. think he is surfeited,
heartily sick of, and disgusted with
Office. Cam i. Thompson was p.
NJ. at Huntington while his father