The sun., 1898-02-20
A CANVASS IN MISSOURI
RESULT OF 4 SUDDEN CHANGE On
FRONT OF AN EDITOR.

The out.ide or uis Paper supported One Can.
aIdatr ana tho inside Anothrr- p,p,nn..
tton OF the Editor-A Campaign That SOM,
Republican from n Democratic DIsiri.,
"Thoro 10 q whole lot moro OF cock.a.hoo,i
Eastern politics than We have in the West"
said tho Missouri Colonel. You are sum.
ciently intense for most purposes, AZ the sam,
time. But with you there is tomorrow in ,ol.
itics II you don't win to-day you bido Won,
time. II is not so in my State. Politics in Na
sonri means war to the knife. scaiu and tra,
out 1t means that the disputants cannot 20 "A
the same church. provided they arc hurch.
gocrs. And when churchmcn cant agree N,
hair pulling becomes general.
Let me tell you a story OF q Congressional
campaign in my old district. composed at Nh.
timo o' 20 counties OF Cnss. hatcs. johnson
A.: Pettis-thc best counties in the State. I,
WAS Democratic district. The plurality wa,
whatever we chose to make II. Iinlnn hy tlat
that lot OF us could stay at home OH c!.c'to,
day and not worry. because we knew il woula
result in victory for our man. But tie r!yal-v
between localities at the conventions was wb,,
caused tcuds. And rarely dill ANY nom nee es.
cape some some sort OF vengeance in the county
where he had defeated tho county's pet Tor tn,
nomination.
II think 1t was in ~ that tho Democracy Of
my district met in convention to nominate a
candidate for tho lower house of Congress,
CAss county and Bates county united on "A can.
didate; johnson and Pettis did likewise. Tho
latter won. and Potts man was nominated.
He q man who could have lived comfort.
ably all his life without Office. but he was vain.
He liked the attention which is SO tlattcripr in
the Oldest politician.
There was Democratic newspaper in ,hs
district which took the nomination OF the Pc,tis
was unrclcnting in has hostility TO anything le
didn't like. lie was for his own hailiwick nrst.
right or wrong. His paper. published in Ha-.
risonvil,c. Cass county. was at the time tho
largest country paper in the State. anu really
had a general circulation in the State. II wa,
the only country paper in the State which could
boast OF power press and steam facilities. Tht
owner was a practical printer. a machnls,
lobbyist, and one OF the gritticst fellows ever
knew. He was born in the town where 10
printed his paper. He grow there. and he knew
everybody in the county who was worth know.
ing. Hence his strength in political tussle
He gave it out in his quiet, determined way
that he would not support the nominee. And
there is 10 doubt in my mind of his sincerity.
THE first issue Of his paper after the conven.
tion contained an unbiased report Of the pro-
ceedings. That was something unusual in thar
country. But what caused most talk was ,hs
absence OF editorial comment. That also caused
Usher TO visit him at his home in Sedalia and
the invitation was accepted. The conference
home he instructed his editor to make the next
issue OF the paper warm in its support of the
Pettis county man. At that time. in that Office
IL was the custom to set one side of the paper
early in the week, go to press with that side
distribute tho type and set up the insiae and
1.-THE owner Of the paper told his editor bs
wanted both sides OF the paper to SUPPORT no
side of the country weekly is. or was AT tha,
time. made up OF miscellany. The editor obeyed
iIst5netiohs IN a. The owner furnished great dcal
tory to the owner. He poeteted several cope, 15'ls
nominee. Forty-eight hours later he telegraphet
his editor editor to % stop work on inside matter
those who knew him intimately saw that
oae osasP WAS rhs the Pn e. hs
Union soldier, but a fighting Democrat; An.
one osseT y, Tas reSeI Soone man M who had been
with Walker. The others were business men in
crippled Sheriff-Major Dale was his naincN
wa was TO to &c sprung as an Independent can3idas
were to go on the stump together. The Confed.
crate was to appeal 70 the Johnny Rebs fol, their
., the SFtPPea Union M5o While tho
THE day after the conference circulars set.
ting forth what have told you were printed
and half dozen men on feet horses started
over the county to scatter the circulars and
mako dates for political meetings in the school.
houses. Paul Revere did not stir up the patri.
OTIS more than those couriers with the announce
ment OF Major Dale's candidacy stirred up the
old farmers in Cass county.
The type which had been used in the outside
pages of the paper had been distributed. Paper
was scarce in those days. and 1t happened at
OF the paper referred to was unusually low. and
he had no time to replenish before the next
issue. He gave orders TO make tho inside OF tho
paper hotter for Dale than the outside had been
made Tor the regular nominee. The general eI.
written by the owner, was that he
was opposed to the nomination OF the Petts
county man in tho first place.; that no
tsed to support that one and had started in 70
do It; but his conscience troubled him for IL,
and he was sorry for the outside OF his paper,
ana begged his readers to be sorry for him. and
10 oelieVe only what they read on the inside
AND the paper came out supporting two men
II was a herce campaign. The Yanks and
J Johnny Rebs in Cass and Bates counties stood
shoulder TO shoulder at the polls and when the
election was over the paper which had brought
about the condition said that its gallant candi.
date. Major Dale, was defeated. The paper had
not expected his election. Hero 10 a copy OF the
articls; have kept 1t for years:
This paper was after the nominee OF the
and 1t got him. We told him We
would and We have kept our word. For the
first time in the history OF this district we have
a Republican Congressman. We knew II would
turn out this way and we're damned glad OF u
The Yanks and Johnny Rebs can lick anything
when they stand in together:
. The last lines Of the article. in italics. readi
" When In ooubt read he ins nft Anera