The Forrest City times., 1893-01-27
NANDERSON'S VOTE.
A Boys Experience es a Country
Politician.

1t had been hot political campaign.
All over the state brass bands were
playing. cannon were firing. illumina-
tions were glaring and four hundred
and twenty-seven stump speakers were
delivering evesy night four hundred
and twenty-seven addresses. The har-
angues were at once ringing, electri-
fying masterpieces of eloquence, to
quote the reporters who agreed with
their sentiment-and Tissues OF driv-
cling mendacity, to quote the re-
porters who did not agree. The four
hundred and twenty seven mass meet
ings were each "a grand outpouring of
an aroused people, or "a small, spir-
itless gathering of disheartened dena
gogues" quoting as before.
In almost every town rival compa-
nies of Jones Guards, Smith Ran
gers" and Thompson Continentals," :"
arrayed in uniforms that did not fit,
and carrying torches that dripped with
oil, scu1iled through dust, splashed
through mud and besrattered them
selves with kerosene.
They raised flags, serenaded candi-
dates and escorted all sorts of distin-
guished statesmen from nowhere in
particular to everywhere in general,
and back again.
Then the newspapers, How they
nailed lies" exposed conspiracies, "
tore off masks" and "held up to pub
lie execration," proving "irrefutably'
that their own side had, and would
have, alb the virtue and victory and
the other all the vice and vanquisb-
ment
Our village of New Ncopolis had
every requisite for lively canvass
two halls, two newspapers, two bands
and two aspirants for every office
Moreover the town was so evenly di-
vided politically that no candidate
could reasonably expect majority of
more than three or four votes.
AS the struggle drew near its end.
men became So excited and enthusias-
tic that business was almost at a
standstill. No one thought or dreamed
of anything but politics. The men
spent more time ut the taverns than
in their shops, and hammered harder
on grocery counters than they did on
their anvils. The women were divided
into two o-classes-those who quarreled
every time they met, and those who
wouldn't speak to eacn other at all.
OF course we boys initiated our eld-
ers. We attended every meeting,
marched in every procession, and got
up meetings and professions of our
own in our patriotic ardor We en-
gagged in ceaseless discussions which
We're none the less hot and intolerant,
because, as a general thing, neither of
the disputants had the slightest idea OF
what he was talk ing about
occupied a conspicuous place in all
this tumult because my father was a
candidate for the Legislature. How he
came to be one do not know. l am
pretty sure he did not, either. A quiet,
honest, modest and silent man was my
father, who never made a speech in his
life, and could not have made one.
Intrigue and diplomacy were as un-
known to hlm as sunstroiSe to IL Green
lander
fancy now that it was precisely be-
cause he was this sort of man that he
was nominated The town had had too
many representatives of another sort.
Going out on the streets alone was
like taking little promenade on
Hounslow Heath in the old days of
highwaymen; and on the evenings of
opposition mass meetings my return
from the post Office was often in imita-
tion of the British retreat from Con-
cord.
Now election day was here. We were
assured that victory was in the air,
and about to perch upon our banner.
Victory seemed to be regarded as u
bird of some kind, but whether it
would turn out an eagle or Il crow
eagle for the winners. crow for the
Iosers-no one could tell.