The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-28
ODD CAMPAIGN TYPES
JAP MILLER, WHOM RILEY MINOR
Tailed IN A SET OF VERSES.
A Queer Character I'm Morgan County
Running for Omce-Fred Mccoy
and His "Ch0ir."

or which they are recognized as one OF the
Characters OF the village. 1t is not Of
ten that one of these political moss agates,
peculiar TO the Hoosier soil as Jerry Simp-
son is to the prairies of Kansas, has his
mama embalmed in the contemporaneous
history OF the times as has the storytelling
Jap Miller, OF Martinsville, the Democratic
candidate for joint Senator for Morgan and
Johnson counties. James Whitcomb Riley
made Jap Miller famous in his Rhymes of
Childhood" long before the Democrats had
the temerity to run him for office. Riley
spent one season roaming over the hills and
through the dales along Indian creek and
between times drinking the mineral water
from Eb. Henderson's well at Martinsville.
Jap Miller stopped him one day on the
street to borrow a 'chaw O. tobacker' and
by way OF pay told the Hoosier poet a
broad-gauge country story. From that day
Jim Riley and Jap Miller "wuz com'ards."
Wherever Jap Miller took a notion to make
his little throne, be It a goods box in front
Of a store or at the druggists corner, there
a crowd quickly gathered to hear him spin
his yarns. He did it SO well that he is
now running for the Legislature, but with
little show Of winning. for the Republicans
are turning things topsy-turvy in Jap Mil
ler's "deestrict." However, none can ever
rob him OF his fame in the following lines
by Riley:
Jap Miller. down at. Martinville's the
andes feller yit!
When he starts In a talkin' other folks is
apt to quit
Pears like that mouth o hiSNn wasn't made
fer nothin' else,
But he's to argify 'em down and gather in
their pelts.
He'll talk you down on tariff; 'er he'll talk
you down on tax,
And prove the pore man pays 'em all-and
them's about the facsi-
Religion, law, 'er politics, prize fightin' 'er
baseball
Jes' tech Jap UP a little and he'll post you
And the comicalist Teller ever tilted back
a cheer
And tuck a chaw tobacker kind o. like he
didn't keer-
There's where the feller's strength lays
he's so common-like an plain
They hain't no dude about Old Jap, you bet
marry grain!
They 'lected him to Council and it never
turned his head,
And didn't make no difference what any
He didn't dress no finer, ner rag out in
fancy clothes;
But his voice in Council meetin's is a tur-
rer to his foes.
He's fer the pore man ever time! And In
the last campaign
He stumped old Morgan county through
the sunshine and the rain,
And heit the banner up'ards from a trailin'
And cut loose on monopolies and cuss'd,
and cuss'd. and cuss'd!
He'd tell some funny story. ever now and
Tel. blame it it wuz bettern a tack-o-
lantern show,
And I'd go furder, yit. to-day. to hear old
Then any .high-toned orator at ever
stumped the State.
wy. that air blame Jap Miller. with his
keen sircasuc fun,
Va oot ,,ne <riop1o than nooIt1ok>
Don't matter what his views Is, when he
states the same to you,
as two and two;
You can't take issue with him-er. at least.
they hain't no sense
In startin' in to down him. so you better
not commence
The best ways jes' to listen. like your
And jes' concede Jap Miller is the best
man ever wuz!
Another figure in this campaign is Capt.
William T.. Crawford. of Sullivan, who in
troduced General Harrison to his fellow
citizens the day his train was there. BIZ
in his remarks on this occasion he de-
clared that Mr.. Harrison. the equal, il not
the peer Of an American statesman, will
address you himself"
Then, there is Free Kelley, of Waterloo,
known as "Fog-horn Kelley in the last
Legislature. He was a Democrat at that
time. and when he began to speak in the
House the people across the hall in the
Senate chamber had to raise their voices
aDd De i he eSrnin re fd Is now a red IN pop1 SI5
party ticket In the Twelfth district.
None OF these men. hpweyer. can com
and cattle buyer, who has taken to the
stump in the Tenth district to work off
some Of his superabundant Republican en-
Shusiasm. Mccoy has made enough money
out of hogs to be the head Of Mccoy &
Sons Bank, at Rensselaer,. but he let's his
boys run the bank. Recently he hired a
choir. bought a patent medicine mans wag-
on and started out TO stir up things in
Jasper county. Mccoy Is said TO be one of
the most profane men who ever drew
breath, and the many stories that have
been told on him have made his name a
cuss word, almost. in pretty nearly every
county in the Tenth district from Lake to
Cass- His queer and original way of hold
ins a campaign meeting with his choir
makes him a greater drawing card than
dsIve I inte a ac eoa a fr,ls toXn r spd ann ne nn will will
poslte the public square. The choir will sing
until the crowd gathers and then Mccoy
will stand uD and begin as follows:
Friends, Brethren and Fellow-Republic-
ansEYou know that under Ben, Harrison's
Administration times was good. and you
know that under Grover Cleveland's admin
fstration times is harder than e.. If you
don't want to have to be maxim soup this
winter out of your underShirtS you better
vote the Republican ticket. The choir will
now sing. while | collect more thoughts"
After the choir has given the crowd a
song Mccoy rises and continues:
You know the factories at
are shut down They hain't runnin' at
kokomo, nor Logansport, nor Peru. When
the men can't work they can't get money
to buy meat. and when the people can't
buy meat how in the - can / buy your
hogs, and sheep, and cattle? The choir
will sing while / collect more thoughts"
Mccoy will go on in this way for thirty
minutes and then drive TO the next town.
The other day a man in the audience inter
rupted Mccoy and inquired whether he
might ask him a question. and Mccoy re-
piled: You can ask all you - please, but
nrst tell me-, are you a Republican,"
NO" said the man.
Are you a Democrat?' asked Mccoy.
mo. ] am not"
Then what in the - are your"
I'm a Populist," said the stranger.
You're a - fool" yelled Mccoy. 1.-THE
choir will sing"
A Populist orator in White county chal-
1enged Mccoy to a joint debate. and Nc
Coy couldn't accept 1t too quick. He hired
a special train, loaded ii with three hun
dred. or his Jasper county friends, got all
the bands In the county and went forth to
meet the Populist. The speaking was at a
little village, and McCoy's friends greatly
the enemy. Mccoy spoke
first. talking an hour and a half. When il
came time for the Populist McCoy's friends
set up a great shout. and, accompanied by
their bands, marched TO the special train
and rode back home with another feather
In the hat OF Mr.. Mccoy.
THE Rocky MOUNTAIN RAM.