The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-12-05
ART OF ELECTiONEERiNG.
a Campaigncr Writes Up I. Few
Notes from Observation.

With some men electioneering is a
fine art. They can shake hands with
the mother and kiss the baby with
great unction and apparent relish.
There is Judge - who will walk
through the streets at a rally before
be makes his speech and speak 20
everybody he meets. He once i'm
parted 20 nc il a low voice the phil
osephy OF his conduct. III these men
don't know me-" ne said, there is
no La"n done: /, hey DO I mast nos
fail to recognize them" Sometimes
q nlaa whom ne had been greeting
would refer to previous conversa-
tion or letter, Or some other awk
ward circumstance which he could not
remember. In every case. however,
re parried the stroke so skiilfully that
the man left without the slightest idea
! that he had not been recognized.
The Judges face was a perpetual
smile. Sometimes when he saw man
approaching he would ask me that
man S name, but from the greeting
which followed, the inquiries about
the family and the news of the neigh
bOrhCod, one would imagine tlat the
two had been upon 9he most Intimate
terms since boykood. TIE Judge
could carry his State by larger ma
| jority than any other man in it.
! Many of the old farmers have great
reverence for election day. I met one
this year, a man so years old, who
showed me with great enthusiasm q
pair of boots which had been newly
creased and blackened for the occa-
sion. He told me these were his 'eiec-
ton boots. which he had worn for
twenty-eight years. There were little
holes in them at different places to
accommodate them TO the corns of the
wearer. He remarked that four years
ago his feet were so sore he could not
put them on. and that was undoubted-
ly what occasioneG the loss of the
ticket. This year they were all right.
and he felt gaeat confidence in the re-
suit. Sometimes these farmers have Il
very homely but clear way of putting
things.
| -Four years ago l spoke in room
over the store in o small village in
Indiana. The day was inclement, yet
the farmers gathered in considerable
numbers. One OF the hardest looking
men in the audience was u stout old
| fellow in canvass trousers bGgrimed
with mud, who, in answer to an in
quiry regarding his health, said that
he was afflicted considerably with
the rheumatic. but could hardly eX-
pect anything better. since he was so
years old" Turning the conversa-
tion to politics, he began to sum up
the tariff question, which was then
pending. as follows: 1T seems to
me that the Republicans is claimin'
that it is the duty OF the Government
to take care of the rich, in hopes that
the rich may then take care OF the
poor"-a statement which TO q be-
lever in the tariff reform represented
by Grover Cleveland seemed to epito-
mize the Democratic argument as we'll
as anything lever heard. afterwards
learned that this old fellow had
by frugality and good management
acquired q farm of some 500 acres nthe
neighborhood. and that he was one of
the wealthiest men il the country. 1t
does not do to cOuntupona onappearances
in making an estimate of the men who
attended these meetings. Correspond
ence of City and State. Philadelphias