St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-11
F0RSAKEN.
OLD-TIME POLITICS STILL PRE-
WALLS IN
FLORIDA'S SLEEPY VALLEY.
And the jackson Democrats Fight
1t Out With the Wings
Election Scene.

first distinct political sensation in
Forsaken Valley since 1850, when the
remotest corner of the South echoed
to the names of Lincoln, Douglas,
Bell and Breckenridge. Far from
river and railroad, and shut il by
the red clay hills of Middle Florida,
no disturbing note had reached the
inhabitants since 1865, when they
Sauntered in from the army or the
SwampS and settled down to the
peaceful cultivation of their small
farms. On election days they went
to CypleS' store, at the Three Forks,
and voted the Republican ticket.
Not that they claimed to be Repub-
licans or understood the platform,
but merely because Republicanism
was opposed to Democracy. They
still called themselves Wings and
Union men, and hated alike negroes
and Southern ariStocracy.
War veterans were an exceedingly
small minority. Deserter had been
written after their names oftener
than hero, and they had preferred
the dense swamp to tented field all
through the war. Two Or three Dem
ocratS there were, just to give spice
to their discussions; but, either way,
their simple politics was of the past,
not of the present.
Last summer two friends of rival
candidates - and, strange to say,
friends of each other-accidentall
discovered Forsaken Valley, and i'm
mediately began to rouse that quiet
neighborhood. In general, the farm
erS were too slow and cautious to
imbibe much enthusiasm. Besides,
the new order of politics puzzled
them. It's arguments had a strange
sound, and some Of the planks were
of very foreign wood, indeed.
However, Parsons, the Populist,
and Travis, the Democrat, had put
in an enjoyable week there, riding
from farm to farm, and eating and
drinking Of
THE BEST OF THE VALLEY.
They returned the last week of the
campaign, but, though they were
welcomed and made much of, they
found to their great modification
the situation practically unchanged.
The few Democrats still chung to
their own party, and those who had
from custom supported the Repub-
licans they saw would vote for the
Populist candidate, the Republican
party in Florida having no candi-
dates this time. Name the parties
as you like, they are still, to them,
Wing and Democrat.
The farmers made a holiday of
election day, bringing their families
and eating their dinners in carts or
on the grass beneath the tall, rus
ting pines. Voting didn't begin until
afternoon, and then was exasperat-
ingly slow, partly because of a rum
mating, unhurried way they had,
partly from a desire they had to
postpone to the last the pleasure of
casting the ballot.
Travis has an ally in the person
Of old Mumford, who must have
finger in every pie, and is especially
alert and cunning in his cups. He
has piled his chum, Mr.. Hobby, we'll
with liquor, and is patting him into
shape with careful fiattery. Now he
THINKS HE HAS HIM.
Come, John, let's go n vote We
vote the same way, n we mought as
we'll vote tergether."
Yes, We'll vote tergether. Well
vote my way; the OF line Wing way"
HY0U farOat 10,
vote the Demercrat ticket
But I'm er Wing. I never voted
any other way in my life says
John, stopping short and holding on
by a pine sapling.
John, you're all muddled; Their
amt no Wings these days.
"Ther is, fer I'm one. N eff Their
want, We know, couldn't b'lieve in
Democracy
But, eff you're er religious man,
you've got ter b'lieve in it,
"Kase why, Lem?''
"Kase Christ was er Demercrat
Himself"
How d'you make that out" asks
John, startled
Now, John, you never knowed me
ter tell er lie. 1 don't make it out.
hits jest the nat'ral truth
Lem, when you've proved that
you've convarted me, shore"
Hits as easy as one n ones two
You'll own up that Democracy is
powe. p
1.-The biggest power 1 ever heerc
of er read erbout''
IN want Christ er power? Over
me N you N all the world, now'n'
fever, amen?''
In course; in course"
Then WANT He err Demercrat?
Tell me that, john
by Ned, you're right. Gimme
yer ticket
All have voted but Matt Mersen.
he mas been ready to exercise this
privilege the last hour; but Travis is
reluctant to give him up. "Mersen
didn't think there was so much un-
reason about you. Think of the
glorious days of Jefferson! There
never was so little evil in the world
as during his time
There's ben more of # sence
then" says Mersen, with a dark
look. Gentlemen, I'll tell Won
erbout it.
We was Union people, like most
IN the valley. Eff we hadn't err ben
we was dead set ergin fightin' for
the niger. Hit was the niger that
enrlched the planter an KEEP us
down under his feet, an brung on
tnat tarrifyin', destroyin', fool war
ter
TEAR UP THE UNION.
Inc pore white was dragged in the
uire an made of less ercount then err
oiack African. Durin' the war we was
1000 Ter powder; nothin' else. No, the
people In Fersaken didn't b'lieve in the