The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-08-09
THE MAX THAT SLEPT.
AND HAsJI>T WAkED GP Tp Ii tH>
WHAT \ NRETCHtp CONDITION
1HF COUNTRY I~IN.

he saw no sign. If Democratic Victory
HI IT sure fhas the Rep ~ 4 c,u- V-r'
II IL Power aad h-lI Due ~ p. Ih.l
f-N'
! The following i strange -hn.
true story written expressly for TIL
| tAUCA>IAE.-ED.
kphra'm Ambrose j. a man Of OF.
d.uary education and intelligence. i
cltizaa Of the county Of ouslow. IN
which ne has resided, near the town
Of jacksonville, the full forty year,
Of his life. In his community he is
| perhaps the best Informed and
therefore, the leading man 80 far
is he knows his ancestry. IT is de
scended from Jewish and English
parentage. FOR two generations be-
fore him, his fathers were Demo
cratS: and he camr into the world, he
said, with a birthright to be a Dem
ocrat. He was fond of his birth
right and reverenced the traditions
of the fathers. 1t was poss bly, ow-
ing to his Jewish blood that he was
SO radically opposed to a change of
view. Less in point of hair than
the Governor of North Carolina, he
nevertheless could boast with Cub
ernatorial brilllancy that he knew
how to do two things: he could su-
| perlntend farm ard vote the Dem
era ic ticket. Republicans cited him
as typical Bourbon,-he never for
got anything and never learned ANY,
thing. He wore his grandfather's
hat and sometimes also his trous-
ers, utterly disregarding the differ
ence in size of head and length of
legs. The Populists might have
thought HIM fool, but they never
uttered the thought in his presence.
Impressed with the blighting eff
feet of Republican rule and believ-
ing with child-like faith in the
saving efficacy of Democratic success,
he entered the campaign of 1892
with the zeal of a missionary upon
whom rested the burden of souls.
Though not an orator by birth or
training, by reason of his enthusi-
asm he grew eloquent in denuncia-
tion for Republican iniquity. Soar
ing aloft to some misty mountain
top of faith, his speech was a little
short of inspirations; and his audi
tors caught the glimpse and felt the
thrill of the aurOral tints Of long
belated Democratic day.
Physically he was not strong,
while IN temperament he was eXcita-
ble and sanguine. His whole soul
vitalized the work in hand. Thus
engrossed, he lost all thought cf
physical limitations. Being natur-
ally inclined to dreams and visions,
his zeal easily opened the way for
this bias. He occasionally became
ecstatic, and this was especially no
tlced by his wife some two weeks be-
fore the election, when his comrades
were wearing without change the reg
ulatlOn countenance of the classic
"Straightout." Feeling unable tc
restrain Ephraim, she said sorrow
fully to Abel McCullers, her neigh
Dor, 81 nt,Ephraim to be a Dem
ocral, but Pm uneasy about him;
and Pll be glad when the election is
over, let it 60 as it will" "You
needn't be uneasy about EDhraim
Mrs. Ambrose" said Abel, "Hell
never jine the 3rd party. Ephraim
is the soIidest man | know. He's
jined TO his idols, as the Scripture
says, and he wouldn't quit his idols
even if his idols were to quit him.
Cleveland will jine the Republicans
long before Ephraim jines hisself to
the Weaver set, and you'll see it just
as Pm telling vou." "I'm not talk
ing about thu t" said Mrs. Amblos :,
"He'll stay a Democrat all his life
His mind is what troubles me-
Ephraim isn't right, you can see it
in his face; and then he doesn't no.
tice the children Or bother about his
work as he used to. He's a good
man, but he is too full of politics.
He knows the Democratic party will
live forever, but it lives at such a
poor, dying rate. He knows the Re-
publlcans have ruined the country
and the tariff runs down our prices
so that We can hardly live, and the
only hope Of the people and better
prices is the success of the Demo-
cratic party. And now when it looks
like We could get all three and set
things right one time more, here
comes these 3rd partyites, just to
help the Republicans, with their
sub-treasury and railroad ownership,
which are unconstitutional and
would ruin everything. But L
phraim's ways are just as unconsti-
tutional for him as the 3rd party's,
and they'll ruin him the way he
goes on. His mind can't stand it.
1t worri me-"
1t was shortly Oh h~erved, however,
that Ephralm, ar began to abate,
somebody whispered that he had
sold out.) His anxiety subsidized in
to happy assurance. This was graf
flying to those who had been touch
ed by the good woman's recital of
her fears; and they said ''he has heard
from headquarters aud has got right
again." But this change gave 10
comfort to his wife; she knew that
this feeling of assured success was
further evidence Of mental disorder.
His calmness vanished on the day of
election into the most joyous ecstacy.
With the air of one who had seen,
he declared the certainty of chance
and the milIennial blessedness to
follow its acquisition. By night his