The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-07-31

3. Boys Experience "a q Country
Politician

All over the state hrass hands wers
| playing. oAnnon wera Ating. illufAlna
i tione were RtaFtng and f0ay hundred
AMI twenty seven stump speakers were
delivering every night four hundred
and twenty -asycn addresses The haFs
angncs wcre ut once .rInging. clen,ff,
! flying masterpieces II eIpqnence. r. Il
quote the Importers who agreed Will
their sentiment and tlssues of driy
cling msnslAeity. u quote, the re-
( pufters who did mol agree. Tho fuar
hnnAred ana twenty seven mass meet.
ings wcre each % grand outpoNsing q
an aroused people. NJ "a small. aYir.
! itlesa gathering IL disheartcnra deiua-
/ gogaes quoting as before.
III alniost every town riFal coapA.
nioa ~ 'iouea Guards. Smith Ran.
gers and .'lhomp,an Continentais, !
arrnyed il uniforms that aia not lt.
and carrying torches that drlrped with
oil. scufiied through dust. splashed
through mud, and despatched them.
selves with Kerosene
They raised fiags, serenaded caadi.
dates and escorted all sorts Of distin.
guishcd statesmen from nowhere IN
particular 10 every where 10 general.
and back again
Then the newapapcrsi How they
nailed lies. ,'expesrd ranHpiracies, Y
tore on masks" and ..held up TO pub
lie cxecration." proving 'lrrcfutably',
that their own side had. aud would
have. all the virtue and victory. and
the other all the vice and yanquish-
mentt
Our village Of, New NicopolIn had
every requisite for lively canvass
two halls. two newspapers. two bands
and two Rspirants for every ofilco,
Moreover the town was 80 evenly d..
yided politically that no candidate
could reasonably expect majority Of
more than three or four votes
A. the struggle drew near its end.
mon became so excited and enthusiast
tic that business was almost at d
standstiil No one thought Or dreamed
Of anything bnt politics. The men
spent more time al the taverns than
In their shops. and hammered harder
on grocery counters than they did on
their anvils. The women were divided
iato tive eiasses--thosc who quarreicd
every time they met. and those who
wouldn't speak TO each other III all
OF coarse We boys initiated our cid
ers. W. attended every meeting,
marched IN every procession, and got
up meetings and proeessiona Of our
own ID our patriotic artior We ems
ragged III ecaseieAa discussions which
were none THE less hot and intolerapt.
beeanse. rs general thing. nNither Of
the disputnnta had the slightest idea IL
what hc was talking about
Going out on the streets alone was
like taking d little promenade on
Hounslow Heath In the old days of
highwaynens md on tho evenings Of
opposition mass meetings my return
from the post Office was often In imita-
tion Of the British retreat from Com
cord.
Now election day WAS here We were
assured that victory was In the air.
and about 70 perch upon our banner.
Victory seemed to be regarded as
bird Of some kind, but whether II
would turn out an eagle or crow
eagle for the winners, crow for the
losers mo ono could tell
n my participation ia tho campaign
had hitherto been merely sympathetlo
! was happy IN knowing that youth,
like old age, had on this day its honor
and III toll Though could not vote
myself, could bring Indifferent or dis
abled citizens to the pc lis with my own
pet colt and buggy.
The first ballot put into the box at
Town Hall was thrown by old Johnny
Grant, the lame cobbler. whom | had
dragged out Of his stall at seven
O'Clock In the morning, that he might
10 hts whole duty us free Americas
and 10 keep Fred Crandall from get
ting at him first Fred was active for
the hostile camp, and II his slow paced
family horse could not mako Us many
trips as my Knox thrce-ycar-old, yet he
brought three times as much freight
when he did come, being provided with
y two-seated beach wagon, while my
buggy had room for but one passenger
Fred was boy Of the most irritnt-
Ing nudacity and enterprise, and nc
moreover, the advantage 81
knowing nearly every voter by sight and
each mans political opinions by heart
Consequently he lost no time In asking
for information where TO go or whom
TO bring, while required a great deal
Of direction and advice.
All day long the contest went on,
until, late In the afternoon. there was
scarcely man In the whole town 81
New Eicopolis who had not voted; but
as ballots became fewer the anxiety ins
creased. for the check books showed
almost IN equality between the part ics
Even my father began to grow
nervous. and the politicians rushed
about like lunatics. One Of them sud
denly ran up to mo.
Here, Charleyi'' exclaimed he.
Drive out on the north road asS fast as
you can 20. and bring in vanderson
at the red house next beyond the
bridge"
I whirlcd my horse around without
waiting for more. The rest Of what
ever the politician had to say was lost
in the rattling Of the wheels rs dashed
down the road at twelve miles an hour;
but the colt had gone too far and too
fast that day TO keep up such gait
AMI soon reluctantly allowed him to
take an easy jog trot
Fred Crandall suddenly dashed by
with fresh stecd. which recognized
as DR.. Parker's new roadster. Things
must be at d desperate pass indeed Il
the doctor was willing to commit his