The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-05
THE DESERVED vILLAaE

(By T. S. Varnum, in Chicago JournaD
Sweet Canton! Loveliest village of the
Where Hanna hauled the herds by special
Where workingmen on club-bought tick
AS on an errand by employers sent.
Where smiling statesmen springtime Wis
With many votes and delegates to trade.
Where parting summer brought the thou
To hunt for relics and to tramp the lawn;
How many here have blessed the happy
When ton-remitting lent it's turn to play.
When all the village folk their labor
To batten on the soft excursionisti
Here still, as each departing tourist went,
Another came, with all his wealth un-
Here thousands. marching. and the bands
The hungry hundreds and the cash they
paid.
The Haunting banners and the shouts of
Who cheered Mckinley and were cheered
again.
These were thy charms. sweet village,
scenes like this,
With sweet succession taught thy people
These round thy depots cheerful inhu-
These were thy charms. but all thy
charms are fled.
Where all was busy, now ITO Rent is
And desoiation saddens all thy green.
All up and down, and empty street on
No other message shall the gazer greet.
Amidst thy desert walks the crowbird
And tires their echoes with UNMARRIED cries.
Near -yonder. copse. where once the gar
den smiled,
Where marching clubs in serried columns
There, where a few torn shrubs the place
There Bill McKinley's modest mansion
Most skiilful he to trim and seek for
BY doctrines fashioned to the varying
By silence early and by speech more late
When platforms taught him what he
ought to pirate.
His speech to most-repeated in refrain;
The office-Seeker was his daily guest,
Who'd take a lesser, though he asked the
The ruined has-been, now no longer proud
Claimed something there, and had his
claim allowed,
Till, full of pledges, he was sent away.
Worn with his guests. the good man learn
ed to glow,
Nor rouse Suspicion that he wished they'd
Careless their merits. so their votes he
He Promised something to the whole
Thus to. relieve their yearnings was his
pride,
And cen refusals learned to pledges side.
II fares the man to fastening ills a prey.
Who makes a promise that he can not
A time there was. ere Williams griefs be-
When every job was scheduled to it's man;
But times are altered, and each job has
/ Its horde of claimants, and it's special
Consuls and such may be turned down at
They're sore, but keep it most intensely
But the bold postmasters of the country
You disappoint 'en, and you'n wish you'd
died!
Sweet Cantonl parent of the blissful hour,
Thy glades forlorn confess the awful
That clutches him who has the itch for
Who hangs on statesmen and their prom
ised grace.
How blest the vision that his hopes will
cast.
His heaven commences ere the world be
He'll sell his homestead while the fit is on,
And straightway take him unto Wash
Where. slowly wasting by unseen degrees.
And growing ragged at the seat and knees
He waits with patience, or he waits with
While bluff assistants his petitions fout.
His congressman advises him to get,
But still he fingers, and is gone not yet,
For hope will carry while the lunch is
And that appointment he can almost see.
Sweet Canton, such is but the common
Of office-seeksrs who are bid to wait
Today thy children at the capitol
Build up illusions that must surely fall.
To low conditions they will surely sink.
And then to westward will they sadly
And then. sweet village. each returning
train
That puffs and rumbles DER thy smiling
plain
Win bring a sadder and a. wiser crew
It's blasted painful, but it's awful truei